1. How would you look at your role as the new GTA President?
This role, to me, is not just about representing the industry—it’s about leading from the front, creating new opportunities, and redefining the future of tech in Goa. As the founding president, I’ve seen GTA evolve through every phase. Today, as I return to lead it, my focus is on execution, collaboration, and outcomes as we roll out the GTA 5.0 plan. I see myself as a bridge between entrepreneurs, educators, and the government—to make Goa’s IT ecosystem future-ready, globally competitive, and inclusive.
2. What are the challenges before the IT companies in Goa?
The challenges are real, but not impossible to overcome:
• Talent retention and upskilling remain the top concerns—young professionals often migrate due to limited awareness of local opportunities.
• Limited exposure for Goan companies to global clients and markets.
• Inadequate policy support, especially when it comes to ease of doing business.
• Delayed infrastructure execution, such as IT parks or plug-and-play workspaces.
As GTA, we’re focusing on real-world solutions: building talent pipelines, creating investor connects, branding Goa’s IT capability, and facilitating faster government-industry coordination.
3. Are our Goan industries future-ready?
Many companies in Goa are doing cutting-edge work in AI, cloud services, ERP, fintech, and product development. But to be truly future-ready, we need to scale with speed, adopt emerging technologies, and invest in R&D and skilling. That’s exactly what GTA 5.0 is focusing on—helping companies transition from service-first to product-and-innovation-first, with a strong focus on exports, upskilling, and digital maturity.
4. Do we need IT and Software Parks in the state?
Absolutely—not just parks, but purpose-driven, well-managed tech ecosystems. Goa needs plug-and-play infrastructure that attracts startups, remote teams, and global companies looking for a combination of quality of life and talent. But infrastructure must be backed with incentives, support services, and a growth-oriented policy framework. A tech park is not just a building—it’s a symbol of a state’s intent to be a serious player in digital growth. Goa deserves that.
5. What benefit will the upcoming Electronic Manufacturing Cluster bring for the IT industry in Goa?
The Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) can be a game-changer, especially if we integrate IT services with hardware production. It can open up new supply chains, IoT opportunities, embedded software development, and AI-hardware integration for Goan companies. The EMC will also create ancillary opportunities in design, testing, logistics, and automation—enabling Goa to play a role in India’s Make-in-India electronics story.
6. Is there a dearth of manpower for IT companies?
Yes and no! Goa has bright, capable students. The challenge isn’t the absence of manpower, it’s the gap in employability and industry readiness. Most students are academically strong but lack exposure to real-world tech stacks, soft skills, or work culture. This is where GTA is working closely with academia—to create bridges between classrooms and codebases. We need to skill faster, smarter, and in sync with global demands.
7. How do you look at amending the educational curriculum to skill students to make them employable in IT companies?
We need to move beyond theoretical teaching and embrace project-based, interdisciplinary, and tech-integrated learning. GTA is actively recommending that institutions:
• Introduce AI, cloud, data science, and cybersecurity modules
• Enable Centres of Excellence, industry-sponsored labs, and internship-linked credits
• Emphasize communication, teamwork, and problem-solving
We are also working with the Education Department and academic boards to ensure that skill-based education is imparted.
