The Goa government has unveiled its Artificial Intelligence Policy 2026, outlining a three-year roadmap to strengthen AI adoption across public administration, education, industry and the startup ecosystem. The state has also announced an AI hackathon and a Centre of Excellence in collaboration with BITS Pilani's Goa campus.
The policy, covering 2026 to 2029, was introduced at the Goa AI Tech Conclave in Panaji. It aims to establish a framework for responsible AI development while supporting technology-led innovation and improving the delivery of public services.
The framework is structured 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 government intends to expand AI training opportunities beyond its existing programme in Porvorim. The state's information technology and education departments are expected to collaborate on establishing AI laboratories in educational institutions across additional talukas.
As part of the initiative, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with BITS Pilani's Goa campus to establish an AI Centre of Excellence. The proposed facility will focus on research, skill development and collaboration among government departments, academic institutions and technology companies.
The state is also working 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 language resources being collected through BHASHINI's BhashaDaan crowdsourcing platform.
Citizens, students and language specialists will be able to contribute speech and text data to support the development of AI applications in Konkani. The initiative is intended to strengthen local-language capabilities and improve access to digital services.
Alongside the policy announcement, Goa launched a state-level AI hackathon focused on developing technology-based solutions for government operations and public-service delivery.
The hackathon will follow a phased approach and address 100 problem statements submitted by 35 government departments. Participants will be tasked with developing solutions to challenges identified by these departments.
The government also announced plans for an IT Techno Centre in Porvorim, which will bring together technology infrastructure, incubation facilities and collaborative workspaces to support innovation and entrepreneurship.
Another initiative, Granthika, will involve citizens in digitising and preserving historical documents, legal records and manuscripts.
The conclave also featured the release of a rural AI report, highlighting the role of emerging technologies in development beyond urban centres.
Additionally, 12 women who completed foundational drone training were recognised at the event. They are now progressing to advanced training courses.
The announcements form part of Goa's broader efforts to build AI capabilities across government institutions, educational organisations and the technology sector.
The state has not disclosed the overall financial allocation for the three-year policy or a detailed implementation schedule for all the announced initiatives.
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