Ecosystem

Why Goa

Goa – the Pearl of the Orient and the smallest of all Indian states – does not jump at you at once as a potential IT hub. Thanks to its worldwide fame as India’s greatest tourist destinations and the buzz of all related activity along its pristine Arabian Sea beachfront which is likely to leave you struggling to imagine how anyone could seriously work here except have boundless fun and enjoy life to the fullest. Well, your surprise could not have been sweeter as you will shortly realize that here lies in wait the next Silicon Valley of the Indian IT industry. Consider these facts about this tiny Indian state with the highest Human Development Index:
Goa is home to some 200+ IT start-ups
Goa hosts IT Development Centers of renounced companies like Persistent Systems, TCS and few others
Besides 5 engineering colleges and 40+ other colleges Goa has the highest concentration of educational network in India with atleast one secondary school in every village…total of 380! However most educated Goans leave Goa in search of prosperity due to a chronic inter-generational dearth of local job opportunities besides the tourism industry.
Goa has the highest English literacy with fluency in India atop an overall 85%+ literacy – one of the highest in India.
Every village in Goa has well established electricity infrastructure with reasonably stable supply.
Every Goan village is well covered with multiple mobile networks besides high speed broadband.
Goa has one of best road networks in India extending into every village and the hinterland
Goa has a very active air hub at Dabolim in South Goa as a result of the thriving tourism industry. Another major airport is planned for North Goa in the near future.
A modern national railway line and an international port at Marmugao along with 5 minor ports along Goa’s extensive river network complete Goa’s logistical quadrangle.
Most Goans, unlike the Bollywood-fueled stereotypes, are very enterprising and exploratory in spirit which made them since ages the first Indian community to travel far and wide – from Burma and Africa during colonial days to Singapore, Australia, Canada, USA, Middle East, UK and continental Europe post Liberation – in such of job opportunities and prosperity. Besides sea faring has always come naturally to Goans due to their coastal DNA.
The rich bio-diversity of the Goan environment between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea provides the ideal locale for companies looking to establish Green Sustainability focused centers. This coupled with the unique and vibrant local Indo-Portuguese culture and the tourism related infrastructure, provides the ideal locale to set up high-end R&D centers.
Goa has one of the highest per capita GDP among Indian states fuelled largely by forex remittances from Goans working abroad, a significant portion of which are involved in the low-mid level service and technical professions.
Goans are highly creative, hardworking and successful in their occupations however the lack of local opportunities has driven most such Goans out leaving behind a depleted instant workforce, which however could be quickly replenished – thanks to Goans’ die-hard love for their homestate – should better employment opportunities like IT-ITeS become locally available. A significant size IT-ITeS industry could be fully staffed in Goa within two years with such workforce coupled with the annual 1200+ engineering graduate output. Do note that Goans are highly sensitive about protection of their local identity, heritage, environment and sustainability. And GITP would not recommend you ignoring these aspects if you want to be successful in Goa. The standard IT-ITeS mega-campus format may not be fully viable in Goa given local environmental constraints and concerns unless the state government earmarks the required land mass in Goa’s hinterland as recently hinted by the Goa IT Minister, Francis D’Souza. However to leverage local workforce in the long-term for IT-ITeS the natural population distribution across Goan villages could be engaged through an innovative MicroDC/SEZ network using modern ICT-enabled virtual team solutions with the MicroDCs centered around clusters of small population pockets. Similarly various other unique solutions could be explored and GITP would be keen to support companies like yours in our mission of establishing successful and sustainable IT-ITeS industry in our home-state, Goa. If you have been to or heard about sunny California (USA) then you would find yourself at home in Goa and without a hard stretch on your imagination you could foresee the next Silicon Valley of India waiting here to the discovered! There could be no better time than now to get started but just make sure you bring quality rather than quantity, and be sensitive to our fellow Goans’ concerns. After all our beloved Goa is as special and precious as your business but together with mutual concern and respect Goa as well as you could win…that too extravagantly!