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TechPulse

Goa Strengthens Startup Ecosystem with 10th Empowered Committee Meet Under Startup Policy 2025

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication (DITE&C), Government of Goa, convened the 10th Empowered Committee Meeting at the Conference Hall, Mantralaya, Porvorim, to review and evaluate applications under the Seed Capital Grant Scheme of the Goa Startup Policy 2025. The meeting marked another significant step in the state’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its startup ecosystem and promote innovation-driven entrepreneurship.

The committee was chaired by Dr. Pramod Sawant, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, and co-chaired by Shri Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for IT, Electronics and Communications. Senior government officials and industry leaders were present, including representatives from the Department of Industries, Directorate of Education, ITG, GCCI, Goa Technology Association and leading technology firms, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation process backed by policy, industry and academic perspectives.

The Seed Capital Grant Scheme, a flagship initiative under the Goa Startup Policy 2025, provides one-time financial assistance of up to ₹10 lakh to startups that have developed a Minimum Viable Product. A total of 27 applications were received by the Startup and IT Promotion Cell, which were scrutinised by an Expert Committee before being placed before the Empowered Committee. After detailed discussions and evaluations based on innovation, feasibility, scalability, revenue potential and long-term sustainability, 16 startups were shortlisted, of which eight were selected for funding.

The selected startups represent a wide spectrum of emerging sectors, including artificial intelligence, healthcare, construction technology, tourism discovery, digital accessibility, micro-task platforms and regional OTT content. Each of these ventures showcased solutions developed in Goa, reflecting the state’s growing capability to nurture homegrown innovation with national and global potential.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rohan Khaunte highlighted that the quality of ideas presented reaffirmed Goa’s position as an emerging startup destination in India. He emphasised that early-stage financial support through the Seed Capital Grant Scheme plays a crucial role in helping founders transition from ideas to scalable enterprises, while also reinforcing the government’s commitment to building a long-term innovation-friendly environment in the state.

In addition to startup funding, the meeting also focused on encouraging innovation at the academic level. Cheques of ₹50,000 each were presented to 10 student projects under the newly launched Campus Innovation Scheme. Five engineering colleges across Goa received funding for projects spanning advanced biomedical research, artificial intelligence applications, agriculture technology, drone-based security systems, assistive wearable devices and sustainable manufacturing solutions.

The growing participation in these schemes reflects Goa’s increasing appeal as a startup and innovation hub. Through initiatives like the Seed Capital Grant Scheme and Campus Innovation Scheme, the Government of Goa continues to invest in ideas, talent and technology, creating an enabling ecosystem where startups and young innovators can build, scale and succeed from Goa.

Automobiles

Škoda Auto India Clocks Record-Breaking Year with 107% Growth in Its 25th Anniversary

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Škoda Auto India marked 2025 as the most defining year in its journey in the country, celebrating its 25th anniversary with its strongest sales performance ever. The brand closed the year with 72,665 cars sold, registering an impressive 107% year-on-year growth compared to 35,166 units in 2024. This milestone performance stands as Škoda Auto India’s biggest year to date, driven by a powerful product portfolio, wider market presence and a renewed focus on customer trust.

Reflecting on the achievement, Brand Director Ashish Gupta described 2025 as a truly special year, highlighting the brand’s most diverse product range, its widest network reach, and the strong emotional bond shared with customers. The overwhelming response to the Kylaq significantly expanded the brand’s accessibility, while continued demand for the Kodiaq, Kushaq and Slavia sustained momentum across key segments. The return of the Octavia RS further reinforced Škoda’s performance legacy, receiving extraordinary enthusiasm from car enthusiasts across the country.

The brand’s growth was supported by a clear product and network strategy. During the year, Škoda Auto India crossed the milestone of over 200,000 locally produced cars sold since 2021 and expanded its footprint to more than 325 customer touchpoints across 183 cities. This expansion strengthened the brand’s mission of democratising European engineering across India, achieved through long-standing dealer partnerships and the addition of new partners with a strong customer-centric focus.

Beyond products, Škoda Auto India strengthened its brand identity and customer engagement through cultural relevance and storytelling. India became the first major global market to complete a 100% network rebranding with the updated corporate identity, delivering a modern and unified customer experience. The onboarding of Ranveer Singh as the brand’s first-ever Brand Superstar added youthful energy and visibility, while campaigns such as ‘Fans, Not Owners’ celebrated the emotional connection customers share with the brand. Collaborations like the Octavia RS campaign with sitar maestro Rishab Sharma further helped Škoda connect performance with contemporary expression.

Trust and ownership experience remained central to the brand’s strategy. The combined sales and aftersales workforce grew to over 7,500 professionals, supported by more than 25,000 training days in 2025. Enhanced ownership benefits, extended standard warranties and value-focused feature upgrades helped reduce ownership costs while elevating service quality. Trust in Škoda’s engineering capabilities was reinforced through landmark initiatives such as the Fans of Škoda Leh expedition, which earned recognition from the India and Asia Book of Records for the largest convoy to reach Umling La, and the Kodiaq becoming the first petrol-powered SUV to reach the North Face base camp of Mount Everest.

As Škoda Auto India steps into 2026, the brand aims to build on the strong foundation laid during its silver jubilee year. With new product introductions, sharper sales and aftersales initiatives, deeper market penetration and a continued emphasis on listening to its customers, Škoda Auto India is set to carry forward its growth momentum while strengthening its position in the Indian automotive landscape.

Goan Personalities

Governor and Chief Minister Extend New Year 2026 Greetings, Call for Unity, Harmony and Inclusive Development

allycaralgoa

Panaji, December 31, 2025: As the State ushers in New Year 2026, the Governor of Goa, Shri Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant have conveyed warm greetings and best wishes to the people of Goa and Goans living across the world, calling for unity, harmony, and collective progress.

In his New Year message, Governor Shri Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju described the beginning of a new year as a time of renewal, hope, and fresh beginnings. He urged citizens to reflect on their shared journey, appreciate Goa’s rich cultural heritage, and renew their commitment to peace, harmony, and societal welfare. Expressing optimism for the year ahead, the Governor said he hoped 2026 would bring joy, peace, and prosperity to every home, and encouraged Goans to move forward together with dedication and unity.

Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, in his message, also extended warm New Year greetings and expressed hope that the coming year would usher in peace, prosperity, good health, and happiness for every Goan. He appealed to citizens to continue supporting the Government’s efforts in effectively implementing welfare schemes and development initiatives across the State.

Reaffirming the Government’s commitment to building a resilient and progressive Goa, the Chief Minister urged people to actively participate in the Swayampurna Goa mission, which aims to promote self-reliance, empower individuals and communities, strengthen local governance, and create sustainable livelihoods.

Acknowledging Goa’s long-standing legacy of peaceful coexistence and religious harmony, Dr Sawant called upon citizens to uphold the values of mutual respect, unity, and collective well-being. He noted that this spirit of togetherness remains one of Goa’s greatest strengths and must continue to guide the State in the year ahead.

Both leaders expressed confidence that with public cooperation, unity, and shared commitment, Goa would continue to progress on the path of inclusive and sustainable development in 2026.

TechPulse

Goa’s Transformative Tech Journey in 2025: Building India’s Creative Capital

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

In the land of golden shores and rising digital ambition, Goa is steadily carving its path toward becoming India’s Creative Capital and a thriving technology hub. The year 2025 proved to be a defining phase in this journey, with the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C) leading a wave of innovation focused on connectivity, e-governance, infrastructure, skilling and startups.

Connectivity continued to form the backbone of Goa’s digital ambitions. The state significantly expanded its network of free public Wi-Fi to 135 hotspots across key public spaces, while the rollout of 4G and 5G towers gained momentum, ensuring faster and more reliable internet access for citizens, businesses and visitors. The Goa Broadband Network further strengthened this foundation by extending high-speed internet connectivity to 1,492 government offices, helping bridge the digital divide and enabling seamless digital service delivery.

E-governance witnessed major advancements, bringing government services closer to the people. The GoaOnline portal, offering 265 services across 41 departments, recorded over 11 lakh digital interactions in 2025, reflecting growing public trust in online service delivery. Complementing this, the Gramin Mitra Yojana, implemented through Common Service Centres, ensured essential digital services reached remote and rural communities, reinforcing transparent and people-centric governance.

Skilling emerged as a core focus area as Goa prepared its citizens for the future digital economy. The launch of the Goa AI Mission 2027 marked a transformative step, built on four pillars of skilling, startups and companies, capital, and infrastructure. An early milestone under this mission was the AI for Governance programme conducted in collaboration with the IndiaAI Mission, Google and the World Bank, which sensitised government officials to the practical use of artificial intelligence in governance and service delivery.

Digital literacy initiatives gained further momentum through programmes such as the Mahila Digital Shashaktikaran Scheme, aimed at empowering women through computer education. The department also continued its commitment to inclusive education by distributing laptops to 111 meritorious SC and ST students under the Free Laptop Distribution Scheme for the academic year 2024–25.

On the infrastructure front, significant progress was made at the Electronics Manufacturing Centre in Tuem, Pernem, with plots allotted to companies including Zen Technologies Limited and Powerland Agro Tractors Pvt. Ltd., strengthening Goa’s electronics and manufacturing ecosystem. The state also explored emerging technologies such as blockchain, facilitating dialogue between industry and academia, while engaging with global firms and a high-level Norwegian delegation to strengthen international collaborations.

DITE&C showcased Goa’s digital vision at major national platforms such as the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025 and the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi, highlighting the state’s technology initiatives and startup ecosystem. Goa’s startup landscape continued to flourish, with over 700 DPIIT-registered startups, including 328 women-led ventures. The revised Goa Startup Policy 2025 introduced 12 targeted schemes to support seed funding, mentorship, reimbursements and sustainable innovation.

Innovation challenges further energised the ecosystem, with the Goa Open Innovation Challenge attracting 557 participants who presented solutions to real-world governance and public service challenges. The department also signed key MoUs with Sarla Aviation Pvt. Ltd., the Digital India Bhashini Division and Maker’s Asylum, strengthening technology adoption, creative sectors and inclusive governance.

The launch of the #EmpoweredinGoa campaign encapsulated the spirit of 2025, celebrating an ecosystem where founders can innovate, students can skill up, women can lead, digital nomads can thrive and citizens can benefit from people-first governance. With high-speed connectivity, lifestyle advantages and improved infrastructure, Goa also emerged as a preferred destination for digital nomads and remote professionals.

As the state looks ahead to 2026, the groundwork laid in 2025 positions Goa for sustained growth and global recognition. With continued investments in digital infrastructure, innovation and skill development, Goa is well on its way to becoming one of India’s leading tech hubs while remaining inclusive, creative and community-driven.

Music

BTS to Perform in India in 2026? V’s “See You Next Year” Message Sparks ARMY Frenzy

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Speculation around BTS performing in India has reached a new high after BTS member V dropped a tantalising hint during a Weverse live interaction on December 27. Responding to a fan greeting, V said, “Namaste, Indian ARMYs. See you next year,” a brief but powerful message that has sent Indian fans into a frenzy.

The comment comes as BTS prepares for a major comeback in 2026 after a nearly four-year hiatus. The globally acclaimed K-pop group has already confirmed that they are working on a new album, which is expected to release in March 2026, followed by a large-scale world tour. While V did not confirm specific dates or locations, fans have taken his words as a strong indication that India could finally be part of BTS’ tour itinerary.

All seven members of BTS reunited in June 2025 after completing their mandatory military service and have since been focused on individual projects while simultaneously planning the group’s return. With their reunion now complete, the group is reportedly gearing up for what is being described as one of their biggest eras yet.

According to a report by Bloomberg, HYBE is planning BTS’ “biggest tour ever” following the release of their 2026 album. The tour is expected to begin in spring 2026 and may include between 60 and 65 shows across the globe, with North America and Europe likely to be major stops.

Indian fans are eagerly awaiting official confirmation, especially as India has increasingly become a hotspot for major international concerts. Recent successful performances by global artists such as Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, and Enrique Iglesias have reinforced the country’s growing prominence on the global touring circuit.

While nothing has been officially announced yet, V’s message has reignited hope among Indian ARMYs that the long-awaited BTS India concert might finally become a reality in 2026.