The Goa government has introduced its Artificial Intelligence Policy 2026, establishing a three-year framework for developing responsible AI capabilities across public administration, education, industry and the startup ecosystem. The policy, covering 2026 to 2029, was unveiled at the opening of the Goa AI Tech Conclave in Panaji alongside a state-level hackathon focused on technology-led solutions for government and public-service delivery.
The framework is organised around five pillars: skills and capacity building; startups and industry; capital and investment; policy, governance and infrastructure; and responsible, safe and ethical AI. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state intends to expand AI training beyond an existing programme in Porvorim, with the information technology and education departments expected to collaborate on establishing AI laboratories in educational institutions across additional talukas.
The government also signed a memorandum of understanding with BITS Pilani’s Goa campus to create an AI Centre of Excellence. The proposed centre is expected to support research, skill development and collaboration among government agencies, academic researchers and technology companies.
A separate localisation initiative is being undertaken with Digital India BHASHINI to develop a Konkani large language model. The project involves the Higher Education Department and the Directorate of Official Languages, with linguistic data being collected through BhashaDaan, BHASHINI’s crowdsourcing platform. Citizens, students and language specialists will be able to contribute speech and text resources used to build local-language applications.
The state also announced an IT Techno Centre in Porvorim, designed to combine technology infrastructure, incubation facilities and collaborative workspaces. Another initiative, Granthika, will use citizen participation to digitise and preserve historical, legal and manuscript records.
The newly launched Goa AI Hackathon includes a phased programme for developing solutions against 100 problem statements submitted by 35 government departments. The conclave also featured the release of a rural AI report and recognition of 12 women who completed foundational drone training and are progressing to advanced courses.
