HERALD: What steps has the government taken to help start-ups which are struggling and waiting for your intervention post COVID-19?
ANKITA ANAND: Government of Goa was the first State government (acknowledged by Startup India, DPIIT) to disburse financial incentives to start-ups during these trying times. The amount disbursed to start-ups since May 2020 is more than Rs 50 lakh. Apart from financial incentives, we offered start-ups opportunities to develop and deploy solutions for the State government. First, Goa start-up dossier will be launched, giving market access support to start-ups. The new start-up policy is on the anvil which will extend the policy reach. Presently, we have 100 certified Goa IT start-ups, by adopting start-up definition of start-up India. We will certify diverse start-ups and extend our support to start-ups in more sectors and across varied industries.
HERALD: If a start-up shuts shop after benefiting from government schemes on taxpayers money, what is the mode of recovery?
AA: All of our financial incentives are in the form of grants and reimbursements and not as loans and hence, there is no provision for recovery. Having said that, we are pleased to inform you that none of the start-ups benefited from Goa start-up policy have closed and all are very well operating and some start-ups are even thriving. A part of the credit can be given to our selection process as well. All the incentive applications go through a rigorous process which includes a thorough due diligence process by Start-up Promotion Cell, then an independent panel of experts review these applications and then all the applications get approved at a high powered committee (comprising Chief Minister, Chief Secretary , IT and industry Secretary plus an industry panel). This process (though some can say is time consuming) is also the reason why the choice of start-ups have been great and they are sustaining even during the pandemic. To give an example of recent updates of few start-ups beneficiaries – Bodhami received the National Startup Awards 2020; Attort Legal is nominated for the Agami Prize; Mrinq Technologies is expanding in North America and Arcis (Blive) received recognition from Trip Advisor.
HERALD: Is employment directly corelated to the number of start-ups floated in the State?
AA: I think the question can be framed as do start-ups create employment in the State or how does start-up ecosystem aid the development of the State/region? Well the data given by 100 certified Goa start-ups is that they employ about 800 employees and 75 per cent of them are locals. About 35 per cent of start-up founders are from outside Goa and they employ close to 120 local people. Co-working spaces, incubators like MeWo, 91 SpringBoard, Cafe Rasa, Clay have opened in Goa and they employ local Goans and have created employment in the State. Apart from direct employment, these startups generate indirect jobs in ancillary sectors. More importantly a start-up culture in Goa will give a new direction to the people of Goa. Youth can start-up rather than taking up jobs outside and within Goa. Start-ups and ecosystem enablers can be prolific in the start of new industries in Goa leading to an alternate economic development model for Goa. Apart from youth, we have seen start-up founders are from age 40 to 60 too and looking to start second innings of their career by starting up. Some of them are even returning Goan diaspora. This all augurs well for employment generation in the State. We as Startup Promotion Cell (SPC) understand our pivotal role in becoming a catalyst and enabler for this new economic development model of Goa.
HERALD: Are there any new developments at SPC which you would like to speak about?
AA: Startup Promotion Cell (SPC) is ripe to speed up and scale up. SPC has been a start-up in itself. Like all start-ups we have tried and learnt, pivoting with times. We are a very small team but an effective team and are getting equipped to run the next mode of Startup Promotion Cell – Speed Up to Scale Up.
The first step in that direction is the new Start-up Policy 2020. We have done interdepartmental consultation and also learnt from other States and taken advice from DPIIT Start-up India on Goa Start-up Policy 2020. More importantly, we have taken feedback from start-up ecosystem stakeholders including incubators, co-working spaces, investors and also start-ups. Our main objectives of the new Startup Policy to remove the challenges for start-ups and create a path for start-ups to scale up, speed up. We want Goa to emerge as the top 25 destination for start-ups to operate and be successful. Apart from the new policy we are looking to bring start-up programs and assist start-ups by providing bespoke mentoring, networking opportunities and market access support. To that extent, we will soon launch the first Goa start-up dossier so that the industry, government department in Goa know about the start-up here so that they can acquire products, services and solutions directly from Goa start-ups. We are most excited about engaging with investor network and bringing in new investors to establish base in Goa and provide access to finance. In fact, our new Start-up Policy main pillars are – Institutional support; Access to finance; Access to talent; Diversity and inclusion and Thought leadership.
HERALD: How do you plan to make Goa a start-up destination?
AA: Global startup hubs have developed due to the convergence of talent, technology and a tolerant culture in a place. These global startup hubs were developed when these people movement gathered steam, the government, local administration of these regions augmented this movement with policy, program, partnership and platform to build a strong start-up ecosystem. Even in India if you look at all IT-startup hubs, they became such hubs due to the availability of local talent, return of the diaspora back to the region and a confluence of talented migrants coming from outside. This confluence of returning diaspora brought global expertise, experience and technology to the region and immigration friendly, tolerant culture built, harnessed the local talent further aided by top education and ecosystem enablers. SPC intends to do so in Goa. Pre-COVID-19 world, the start-up growth was in metros and Tier 1 cities to some extent. Globally too this was the trend. In the post COVID-19 world, we envisage an emergence of ‘The Rise of the Rest’ in the start-up world. Our aim is that with the new start-up policy, Goa will emerge as ‘The Best of the Rest’ start-up destination.
HERALD: How and where do you see Goa in the start-up ecosystem in India?
AA: Goa is an ideal State for startups. The market of Bharat 1, 2, 3 for which startups are innovating and solving problems is available within few kilometers. From urban to rural, from agriculture to industry, from ocean to forest, from locals to outsiders, Goa has the ecosystem on which startups build their ventures. The stage is set for Goa to leapfrog from the poster boy of Indian Tourism to the poster boy for start-up destination.
HERALD: What has Startup Promotion Cell (SPC) done so far?
AA: Goa is an ‘emerging state’ compared to all Indian States in terms of start-up ecosystem. Goa is an emerging destination not just for start-ups but for startup ecosystem stakeholders and enablers like incubators, investors, vendors, educators, entrepreneurs and innovators. SPC conducted a research study on the regional start-up hubs and learn, understand from these start-up hubs. We understand that all start-up hubs go through sequentially different life-cycle phases: 1. Local Activation; 2. Regional, National Integration; 3. Ecosystem expansion; 4. Global connectedness with over hundred start-ups, over hundred mentors, over ten co-working spaces, incubators, over fifty events, bootcamps and over Rs 100 lakh given to local Goan start-ups as direct financial benefits over last three years. We have undertaken steps around local activation in Goa. Recently, we integrated Goa start-up portal with the Start-up India Portal as a major step towards regional, national integration. We are given regular training on Central government, GeM portal so that our Goa start-ups can offer their products, solutions across India. Goa is also designated destination for Global VC summit of Start-up India. Goa was also the first State to support startups with financial incentives post COVID-19 pandemic. With Goa State Startup Policy 2.0, Goa will embark on the next life cycle phase and we have set an ambitious plan to attempt leapfrogging across the Start-up Hubs Life Cycle phases to make Goa a top start-up destination in the world.
