A few weeks ago, Information Technology Minister Rohan Khaunte had said that the State had not missed the IT bus, but just had to catch it. And, to catch the bus that was already moving, he had promised a Start-up Policy that would aim at making Goa one of the country’s most favoured IT destinations. He then went on to visit other States in India to learn from them on the IT set-up there. When the policy was unveiled this week, just six months after the new government took over the reins of the State, and he, Khaunte, those of the IT Department, it looked at launching 100 start-ups a year, and making Goa not one of the most preferred start-up destinations of India, but also among the top 25 start-up destinations in Asia by 2025.
The policy at first glance is impressive, offering as it does interest subsidised loans from the government to all start-ups, and the early reaction of the IT industry in Goa to it has been one of appreciation, especially since the policy has included inputs proffered by the industry. The industry has called it ‘comprehensive, modern’, giving it the thumbs up not just for encouraging the start-up culture in the State, but also for generating jobs. That, the creation of jobs and new entrepreneurs, is an area where the policy scores and is just what the State needed, not just to increase employment, but to also shut the gates on the brain drain. The industry has also given the thumbs up to the single window system that the policy has promised for the start-ups.
The new policy gives impetus to entrepreneurs offering them a range of subsidies, including towards salaries to Goan workers, which is expected to make start-up promoters look at local talent for employment. The IT sector is perhaps the best industry to meet Goa’s employment needs, considering that the State has a high literacy level and produces a growing number of graduates annually, many with qualifications in computer sciences. No doubt the education levels will also have to be augmented to meet some of these needs, an issue that the policy has taken into consideration. The policy also focuses on creating the highly-skilled and technology-oriented manpower for start-ups by transforming the education system so as to ensure that skills such as Do-It-Yourself, coding, interface design, can be imparted to students right from the primary levels.
Information Technology is a departure from mining, tourism and other industries that Goa has been promoting in the past. It requires less space and provides a higher number of white collar jobs, which are also better paying. This has the potential of creating an employment boom that the government by itself cannot provide, given the small size of the State and the population. It is time then for the existing incubators to take advantage of what the policy provides and accelerate the proposals that they have received.
Now that the agenda and framework for the promotion and development of the start-ups has been put down on paper, the key to the success of the policy will lie in its implementation. The positive attitude and speed shown towards drafting the policy should also be displayed in it execution, if Goa is to not just keep pace with the other States, but even surpass them and meet the aim of making Goa a favoured IT destination. That will be the task of the cell and the high powered start-up promotion committee that are being set up to oversee the implementation of the policy.
The task, however, is not over. The State now awaits the IT policy, one that will not only take the industry as a whole forward, but also complement the start-up policy.
