The Christmas Pop-up Bazaar was organised by the GCCI Women’s Wing in association with Mall de Goa at Porvorim, creating a festive platform for women entrepreneurs to showcase and sell their Christmas sweets and products. The event began with a welcome address by the Chairperson of the GCCI Women’s Wing, Sandra Fernandes, followed by the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by the dignitaries.
Simran Dhond, Member of the GCCI Women’s Wing Committee, introduced the Chief Guest, Shweta Dessai, Director of the Food and Drugs Administration. Addressing the gathering, Shweta Dessai appreciated the efforts of the women entrepreneurs and encouraged them to continue working hard towards achieving success and growth in their respective ventures.
Sandra Fernandes presented a memento to the Chief Guest and expressed her gratitude to Lavanya for providing the space at Mall de Goa free of cost for the vendors. She also thanked all the participating vendors for their enthusiastic involvement and acknowledged the presence and support of Pallavi Salgaocar, Lavanya Shet, Nandita Dayal, Clare D’Souza and Simran Dhond, the committee members who attended the event.
The programme was compered by Simran Dhond, ensuring a smooth and engaging flow of proceedings. After the formal programme, the dignitaries visited the stalls, interacted with the vendors and extended their support by encouraging and appreciating their products. The event was coordinated by Melane Rodrigues, Assistant Director, GCCI, and was well received for promoting women entrepreneurship and festive community spirit.
Panaji, October 2025: A significant step toward strengthening women-led businesses in Goa has begun as the SBI Foundation, in partnership with SEED (Society for Education, Environment and Development), officially launched a new phase of the Goa Sashakti EntrepreNaari initiative. The programme has now commenced training for 60 women entrepreneurs selected from North and South Goa.
The goal is clear — to build a supportive, growth-driven ecosystem that empowers women food entrepreneurs with the skills, tools, and confidence needed to scale their ventures.
Building Expertise with Aspire For Her
This cohort benefits from subject expertise provided by Aspire For Her, a social enterprise dedicated to adding one million women to India’s workforce. Their involvement strengthens the initiative’s focus on digital visibility, branding, and strategic business scaling.
Together, SBI Foundation, SEED and Aspire For Her aim to equip women entrepreneurs with the right knowledge pathways, market connections, and mentoring networks that will help them transition from local businesses to scalable enterprises.
Who Are the ‘EntrepreNaaris’?
The 60 selected participants include home chefs, food processors, catering service providers and small food-business owners — many of whom have already built strong reputations within their communities. However, the initiative will now help them elevate their operations through:
Enhanced branding
Strengthened digital outreach
Access to new markets
Expert mentoring
Networking with fellow entrepreneurs
Training Designed for Real-World Impact
In the next phase of the programme, participants will undergo:
Expert-led online workshops
One-on-one virtual mentoring sessions
Interactive knowledge-sharing circles
Networking with mentors and peers across India
These sessions aim to address common challenges faced by women entrepreneurs — from scaling operations and improving online presence to identifying market gaps and enhancing product visibility.
Leadership Voices
Sanjay Prakash, MD & CEO of SBI Foundation, emphasized the deeper purpose behind the initiative:
“This initiative is not just about enterprise development — it’s about unlocking potential, fostering self-belief, and enabling long-term resilience among women who are often the silent drivers of local economies.”
Romira Roy, Co-founder of SEED, added:
“The launch of this cohort is another step in creating pathways for women to scale their potential, access resources and strengthen their presence in the market.”
Growing Community of Women Entrepreneurs
Since its launch earlier this year, the EntrepreNaari initiative has received over 200 applications, from which 122 women entrepreneurs were shortlisted. This newly launched cohort now marks the start of a focused, structured training journey that will conclude with:
A final pitch fest, and
A graduation ceremony in January 2026
The initiative is shaping a vibrant community of women entrepreneurs ready to lead, innovate and transform Goa’s food business landscape.
Entrepreneurship Week 2025, held on November 10 at Nalanda, EDC House, Panaji, Goa, was a vibrant celebration of innovation, resilience, and empowerment. The event brought together entrepreneurs, innovators, and ecosystem enablers who are redefining Goa’s economic and social landscape through enterprise.
The week-long initiative focused on nurturing an inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial culture that values creativity, collaboration, and long-term impact. Participants included startups, women entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, and policy leaders who shared their insights on building scalable and responsible businesses.
The sessions highlighted themes of innovation-driven growth, digital transformation, inclusive leadership, and the importance of resilience in entrepreneurship. Attendees engaged in interactive dialogues, workshops, and showcases that celebrated both emerging ideas and successful local ventures.
EDC Goa and Nalanda served as the perfect venues for this collaborative effort, symbolizing the state’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship as a cornerstone of progress. From young founders to seasoned business leaders, the gathering echoed a shared belief that enterprise is not just about profit but about purpose, creativity, and empowerment.
Entrepreneurship Week 2025 concluded on an inspiring note, reaffirming that the spirit of enterprise thrives where ideas meet opportunity and where empowerment becomes a collective journey toward inclusive growth.
The third edition of the Goa Innovation and Startup Times (GIST 2025) was held on October 31, 2025, at Vivanta Goa, Panjim, celebrating the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Organised by BITS Pilani’s BITS BioCyTitH Foundation in partnership with the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), the Goa Technology Association (GTA), the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), and the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), the event brought together policymakers, entrepreneurs, academicians, and industry experts under one roof.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Guest Shri Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Tourism, and Printing & Stationery, emphasised the Goa Government’s commitment to building a robust innovation ecosystem. He underlined the State’s focus on mentorship, infrastructure, and financial support for startups, noting that with 703 startups already registered under DPIIT, Goa is fast emerging as a hub where creativity meets technology. Khaunte also highlighted the government’s inclusive approach to policymaking, where inputs from academia and industry are shaping forward-looking frameworks.
He cited the Goa AI Mission 2027 as an example of this vision, aimed at making Goa a leader in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence. The initiative, he explained, not only focuses on fostering a thriving business environment but also seeks to empower the State’s youth to become job creators.
The event featured multiple sessions exploring innovation for social impact and sustainable development. One of the key highlights was the panel discussion titled “Innovation by the Seaside – Technology Drivers,” which featured industry leaders such as K. Bhattacharyya of Putzmeister, Dr. P. Kamat of Suzega, S. Chittore of Quantum AI Global, and M. Tiwari of Ethernet Xpress. Moderated by Dr. A. Pethe from Texas Instruments, the discussion focused on how AI and quantum technologies are shaping the next wave of innovation.
Another significant panel, “Science, Policy and Sustainability,” examined real-world applications of science and technology in addressing key societal challenges. Moderated by Dr. Jennifer Lewis, the session featured insightful contributions from Prof. A. Parulekar of GIM, Dr. B. Manjunath of Syngenta, Mr. M. K. Patil, Former Chairman of the Goa State Pollution Control Board, and Ms. Tripti Somani, Founder of Womennovator.
Guest of Honour Ms. Revathi Kamath, entrepreneur and educationist, delivered an inspiring address urging entrepreneurs to contribute toward social equity by making education and technology accessible to underprivileged communities. She reminded the audience that innovation carries a moral responsibility to serve society.
GIST 2025 also celebrated women entrepreneurs through a dedicated Women Entrepreneurship Camp, complemented by a startup expo and translational research showcase. A closed-door investment pitching session provided startups with opportunities to secure funding and partnerships.
Through its engaging sessions and strong cross-sector collaboration, GIST 2025 reaffirmed Goa’s position as a growing hub of innovation and inclusive growth — driven by the shared efforts of government, academia, and industry.
