In a span of less than three months, the government is ready with draft Goa Startup Policy which is likely to focus on promotion of IT startups and the concept of IT anywhere. The policy aims at creating 5,000 jobs in the IT sector over the next five years and will work towards putting Goa on the global startup ecosystem map by 2025.

The draft policy also outlines the setting up of state of the art innovation and incubation centres across the state within the next couple of years that will provide mentorship to startups and innovators.

Hinting that the government would not restrict benefits under the new IT policy to companies or startups that operate within the notified IT Parks, IT Minister Rohan Khaunte said, “We are not looking at an IT Park. We want to promote the concept of IT anywhere. This policy is for everybody who wants to setup anywhere in Goa.”

“It is an extension of the earlier policy but is more precise,” he told.

The Goa IT investment Policy 2015 had offered IT firms incentives on the condition that the startups and companies operated within the Tuem ESDM hub or the Chimbel IT park.

The Goa Startup Policy will be implemented as part of the Goa IT investment Policy 2015, which was unveiled by former Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar.

He said the Goa IT investment Policy 2015 had been reviewed and revised to focus on startups in Goa which require mentorship, incubation and seed capital to grow.

Sources said, Khaunte has held nearly 15 meetings with local entrepreneurs and technocrats to understand the requirements of startups and based on this, the startup policy has been framed and sent to Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for approval.

This time around the IT ministry is stressing on startups, incubation and innovation, while ensuring implementation of the startup policy. The Goa Startup Policy is likely to setup a nodal office with a dedicated officer to facilitate startups and roll out the benefits, sources said.

“The startup policy is part of the IT Policy. There will be another policy released in a few months that will be for new and existing IT companies that want to setup or expand in Goa. My department is looking at where IT is 20 years from today and not where IT was 20 years ago,” Khaunte said.

Source: Times of India