Innovators Shine TEDx Panaji Innovation Hub 2025

Goa’s spirit of innovation was on full display at the Kala Academy, where the TEDx Panaji Innovation Hub was inaugurated ahead of the main TEDx Panaji 2025 event. The exhibit, featuring 20 brilliant innovator stalls, became a buzzing space where students, entrepreneurs, startups and tech enthusiasts came together to explore the State’s emerging technology and innovation ecosystem.

Organized in collaboration with the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa, the Innovation Hub showcased a curated selection of interactive stalls, live demos and tech-forward exhibits focused on real-world problem-solving.

The event was graced by the Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Tourism and Printing & Stationery, Shri Rohan Khaunte, who visited the Innovation Hub and interacted with innovators and entrepreneurs at their respective booths.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Rohan Khaunte highlighted Goa’s startup journey. “From just one startup in 2017 to nearly 759 startups certified by the DPIIT and the Startup and IT Promotion Cell (SITPC) today, it’s clear that the ecosystem is thriving. When we talk about startups, we’re really talking about the power of young minds to think differently, to innovate and to solve problems. This journey has only just begun, not just for Goa, but for the entire country,” he shared.

The Minister further emphasized the Government's commitment to nurturing innovation. "As a Government, we want to ensure that students are able to bring their thoughts and ideas to life. That’s one of the reasons we’ve made amendments to the Startup Policy, not just to support graduates, but to start engaging with them while they are still in college. We know the struggles, how project costs often push students to sometimes abandon their ideas. Somebody doing mechanical engineering ends up being a bank manager and he realizes that the whole thought which he did as a project remained there because he didn't get enough finance. The new policy will encourage educational institutions to identify promising student startups early, and the Government will step in to support and incubate them through their colleges,” he added.

The Innovation Hub featured a wide spectrum of innovations, from clean-tech solutions to drone applications, reflecting the diverse and rapidly evolving landscape of Goa’s innovation journey. The Minister also felicitated the participating startups and innovators, including Diagopreutic Pvt. Ltd, ByHorse, Spatialcraft LLP, GatherX, En Genius, Gelo, PilotX, among others.

As a precursor to the TEDx Panaji 2025 main event themed “It’s About Time!” , the Innovation Hub served as a dedicated space to celebrate local ingenuity and bold ideas, reinforcing the message that timely action and innovative solutions are crucial for progress.