Tag: Innovation

Business

DPIIT Recognises Goa as Best Performer for Building a Strong Startup Ecosystem

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral Business Desk

Goa has been conferred the Best Performer award for developing a strong startup ecosystem under the States’ Startup Ecosystem Ranking – Category B, instituted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India. Considered one of India’s most comprehensive startup ecosystem assessments, the ranking evaluates states on policy frameworks, ecosystem maturity and measurable outcomes for startups.

The DPIIT ranking evaluates all States and Union Territories across defined categories based on population size and performance, assessing progress across multiple reform areas including policy support, institutional frameworks, infrastructure, access to funding, market linkages, capacity building and innovation-led growth.

The recognition was announced during the National Startup Day celebrations held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The Certificate of Appreciation was received on behalf of the Government of Goa by Dr. Milind Sakhardande, Joint Director, Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), and D. S. Prashant, CEO, Startup & IT Promotion Cell (SITPC).

This achievement reflects the sustained and strategic efforts of DITE&C, through SITPC, in nurturing a robust, innovation-led startup ecosystem. Through progressive policies, strong institutional support and close collaboration with industry, academia and ecosystem partners, Goa has created an enabling environment that supports startups across the entire lifecycle, from ideation to scale-up.

The recognition was also highlighted in the Goa Legislative Assembly, where the Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, acknowledged the collective efforts of the government, institutions and the startup community in achieving this milestone.

The award underscores Goa’s emergence as a dynamic startup hub and reaffirms the State’s continued focus on fostering innovation-led entrepreneurship that drives opportunity creation, economic impact and inclusive growth.

Finance

HDFC Bank Group Concludes HDFC Tech Innovators 2025, Honours 10 Winning Startups

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

HDFC Bank Group successfully concluded the fourth edition of HDFC Tech Innovators 2025, marking another milestone in its commitment to strengthening India’s startup ecosystem. The event honoured ten winning startups across six sectors and awarded two special recognitions to emerging women founders. This year’s edition saw remarkable national participation, with over 1,600 startups applying from more than 290 cities across the country, reflecting the rapid growth and expanding reach of India’s innovation landscape.

HDFC Tech Innovators 2025 was organised jointly by HDFC Bank, HDFC Capital and HDFC AMC, with active support from HDFC Life, HDFC Ergo, HDFC Securities and HDB Financial Services. The initiative was conceived as a platform to recognise early-stage startups and enable meaningful collaboration between founders and HDFC Group companies. In previous editions, the programme has helped identify high-potential ventures such as QNu Labs, a pioneer in quantum-safe cybersecurity, in which HDFC Bank subsequently invested. The Group also supports young ventures through Parivartan, its CSR arm, by partnering with leading incubators across India.

Speaking at the event, Ashish Parthasarthy, Group Head of Branch Banking, Payments, Treasury, Liability Products, Marketing, Virtual Channels and Infrastructure at HDFC Bank, highlighted the Group’s ongoing commitment to fostering India’s next generation of corporations. He emphasised that the bank’s StartUp BuildUp programme offers one-of-a-kind solutions, from customised current accounts to health cover, commercial cards and regulatory support for FDI and ODI transactions, designed to empower startups from the very beginning of their journey.

Navneet Munot, MD & CEO of HDFC AMC, noted that innovation continues to reshape every aspect of human progress — spanning finance, healthcare, deep tech, space technology and frontier sciences. He reiterated that HDFC Bank Group sees itself as a long-term partner in India’s innovation journey. At HDFC AMC, the mission remains to channel the country’s entrepreneurial energy into wealth creation for millions of Indians. He described HDFC Tech Innovators as a celebration of the visionaries shaping the future.

Vipul Roongta, CEO of HDFC Capital, underscored how technology and innovation are transforming the built world and redefining every step of the value chain. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to future-ready business models and emerging technology-led solutions that support India’s transformation in the years ahead.

This year, the initiative broadened its horizons by including Defence and Space Tech as a new sector, recognising the crucial role these domains play in nation-building. Two special awards were also introduced for women entrepreneurs, acknowledging their rising presence and impact within the country’s startup ecosystem.

The event also featured a panel discussion titled “Architects of India’s Startup Ecosystem,” which brought together leading voices from across government, industry and venture capital. Among the speakers were Sanjiv, Joint Secretary at DPIIT; Air Vice Marshal Dhananjay V. Khot (Retd.), Director–Strategy and Planning at IN-SPACe; Shashank Kumar, Founder and Managing Director of Razorpay; Gautam Mago, General Partner at A91 Partners; Vikram Gupta, Founder and Managing Partner of IvyCap Ventures; and Sunali Rohra, Senior Executive Vice President at HDFC Bank. Their perspectives added depth to the conversation on India’s evolving innovation landscape.

With its continued commitment to collaboration, investment and knowledge-sharing, the HDFC Bank Group reinforces its role as a key enabler for startups building India’s future. HDFC Tech Innovators 2025 stands as a testament to this vision, celebrating innovation, encouraging entrepreneurship and empowering the leaders of tomorrow.

Events in Goa

Innovation & Rider Experiences Shine on Day 2 of TVS MotoSoul 5.0 with AR HUD Helmet, MT Helmets Partnership & Offroad Academy Launch

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Day 2 of TVS MotoSoul 5.0 unfolded with an impressive display of innovation, design, technology and rider-focused experiences as TVS Motor Company introduced major advancements for the future of motorcycling. The company showcased the Aegis Rider Vision AR HUD Helmet, representing the next era of safety technology, built on advanced AR capabilities with spatial anchoring that projects speed, navigation cues, alerts and notifications directly into the rider’s line of sight. Featuring a binocular µOLED system, integrated action camera, adaptive brightness, wireless connectivity, OTA updates and a 7,000mAh battery, the helmet’s carbon fibre shell—co-developed with Nexx Helmets—meets global ECE 22.06 and CE standards.

TVS Motor also announced a new partnership between TVS Racing and MT Helmets to bring internationally acclaimed ECE-certified helmets to India, starting at ₹5,999, combining TVS Racing’s performance heritage with MT’s expertise in world-class safety engineering. The day also marked the launch of the TVS Racing Offroad Training Academy, designed to help riders build foundational off-road and adventure skills.

Led by TVS Racing champions and international instructors, the academy focuses on terrain navigation, body control, balance, bike handling and confidence building for amateur riders. Beyond the major announcements, TVS Motor reinforced its commitment to community and safety through a children’s helmet distribution drive in Vagator, where 100 helmets were provided to students of St. Michael’s Convent High School to instill early awareness around road safety.

Throughout the day, MotoSoul 5.0 delivered a vibrant mix of racing, culture and community engagement with the high-adrenaline RiderSphere and FMX showcase, along with Gymkhana challenges, flat track and dirt arenas, adventure zones, stunt challenges, motocross-fit sessions and creator interactions. The festival atmosphere remained energetic with moto-art, skill games, graffiti walls, mixology counters and community meetups.

The evening closed on a high note with electrifying performances by Nucleya and Lagori, encapsulating the spirit of music, motorcycling and culture that MotoSoul represents.

Travel

Goa and Norway Strengthen Ties to Collaborate on Technology, Tourism and Creative Industries

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral Travel Desk

Goa deepened its global engagement as a high-level delegation from Norway visited the State for a roundtable hosted by the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), in collaboration with the Department of Tourism. The interaction focused on exploring partnerships in technology, tourism, creative industries, skilling, cybersecurity and sustainability. The discussions were held in the presence of Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications and Tourism, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, alongside senior officials including Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director of DITE&C; Dr. Milind Sakhardande, Joint Director, DITE&C; Dr. Gavin Dias, General Manager (Marketing) of GTDC; Shri D. S. Prashant, CEO of Startup and IT Promotion Cell; and representatives from Kilowott. The Norwegian delegation featured key leaders such as Trond Skundberg, General Manager of NICCI; Christian H. Engh, CEO of the Norwegian Cybersecurity Cluster; Monica Skjellen-Larsen, Advisor at Gjøvikregionen Utvikling; Bjørn Aspøy, CEO of Smart Farm AS; Sheraline Rocha, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Nordic Intent; Aditya Prabhugaonkar of Kilowott; Yeshtesh Shirodkar of Consstruct; and Prabha, Director at NICCI.

Hon’ble Minister Shri Rohan A. Khaunte emphasized that Goa is increasingly shaping a development model that brings together technology, creativity and sustainable tourism. He highlighted ongoing initiatives ranging from electronic manufacturing and AI skilling to a robust startup policy that positions Goa as an attractive destination for global collaboration. He further noted that the State’s tourism strategy is increasingly focused on technology-enabled experiences, immersive storytelling and climate-conscious practices. He reiterated that Goans must remain central beneficiaries of any international partnership, with opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and skill development.

Christian H. Engh, CEO of the Norwegian Cybersecurity Cluster, explained why Norway considers Goa a strategic partner. He underscored that Norway, one of the world’s most digitised nations with strengths in renewable energy, electric mobility and advanced technology, is now looking toward India to address talent needs and co-develop scalable innovations. Engh stressed that Goa’s commitment to sustainability, clean mobility and future-ready tourism strongly aligns with Norway’s priorities. He further noted that aquaculture technology—an established strength of Norway—offers promising potential for joint initiatives with Goa.

The roundtable also included a presentation by Shri D. S. Prashant, CEO of the Startup & IT Promotion Cell, who discussed Goa’s evolving startup ecosystem, strong policy environment and emergence of a creative-tech landscape that combines design, technology and innovation. This was followed by a detailed briefing by Dr. Gavin Dias from GTDC, showcasing Goa’s tourism strategy and its increasing emphasis on sustainability, wellness, Ayurveda, medical tourism, heritage conservation and biodiversity-driven travel. Investment opportunities in hospitality, experiential tourism, charter operations and research-based collaborations were also highlighted.

During the interaction, the Norwegian delegation outlined several actionable areas for future collaboration. These included university partnerships, academic and incubator exchanges, talent mobility programmes between Goa and Norway, research-led collaborations and the introduction of international diver certification programmes. The delegation also discussed strengthening the NICCI network in India and leveraging Norway’s global expertise in aquaculture, marine technology and clean energy to align with Goa’s emerging opportunities in these sectors.

As Goa accelerates its work in technology, creative industries, skilling and sustainable tourism, the engagement with the Norwegian delegation underscores the State’s readiness for global partnerships. The discussions highlighted the mutual interest of both regions in shaping future-oriented initiatives anchored in innovation, sustainability and shared growth.

TechPulse

DITE&C Accelerates Blockchain Innovation in Goa Through Industry–Academia Collaboration

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa, has strengthened its commitment to advancing blockchain adoption in the State by initiating the formation of a dedicated blockchain community. This effort brings together industry leaders, academic institutions, incubators and technology experts to explore opportunities for tokenization and the broader potential of blockchain solutions. The initiative was supported by McLaren Strategic Solutions and Omnumi, a global blockchain platform known for secure, compliant and adaptable frameworks for tokenized deposits and regulated digital currencies.

The meetings, held at Paryatan Bhavan in Panjim, created a vibrant space for collaboration. Omnumi representatives, including CEO and Co-founder Kirk Chapman, CTO Sree Tirumalasetti, Chief Architect Robin Huiser, Head of Product Delivery Joe O’Rourke and Head of Service Delivery Natalie Nopareporn, engaged participants across three specialized sessions. Corporates were introduced to the fundamentals of tokenization and the capabilities of the Omnumi platform. Blockchain specialists took a deeper dive into the platform’s technical features, with discussions on multisig architecture, card integration and deployable ERC20 contracts led by Chief Architect Robin Huiser. The final session focused on academia and incubators, exploring pathways for collaboration and skill development to prepare Goa’s youth for future opportunities in digital innovation.

Shri Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, emphasized that Goa’s youth possess immense potential and that blockchain is poised to be a transformative force for them. He highlighted the State’s commitment to fostering emerging technologies and creating opportunities for young professionals.

McLaren Strategic Solutions has already established Goa as a global hub through the creation of its Development Centre last year. Now, following this momentum, Omnumi is planning to set up its own operations in Goa. Together, they aim to recruit over 200 professionals in the coming years, demonstrating confidence in Goa’s tech talent and signaling further growth in the local innovation ecosystem. Representatives from McLaren noted that Goa’s academic partners and students are highly motivated to work on real-world challenges, and the company plans to provide sandbox access to the Omnumi platform along with training and support to help bring new ideas to life.

DITE&C’s ongoing efforts to position Goa as a center for emerging technologies received strong reinforcement through these discussions. Plans for a two-day hackathon will further encourage experimentation, skill-building and the development of practical use cases. The McLaren team also proposed a Goa Tourism App powered by the Omnumi Wallet, signaling opportunities for blockchain-driven solutions across sectors. Overall, the initiative marks a significant milestone in Goa’s journey toward becoming a thriving hub for digital innovation, collaboration and technological advancement.