Goa Government invites startups and tech innovators to drive smart governance solutions through AI Hackathon

Panaji, November 2026: The Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), along with the Startup & IT Promotion Cell, has invited startups, developers and young innovators to participate in the Goa AI Hackathon. Launched at the Goa AI Tech Conclave 2026 in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant and Hon’ble ITE&C Minister Shri. Rohan Khaunte, the initiative aims to integrate artificial intelligence into public governance while offering startups an opportunity to deploy real-world solutions in direct collaboration with state departments.

Detailing the objective behind the initiative, Hon’ble Minister for ITE&C, Shri. Rohan Khaunte, said, “The initiative aligns with the roadmap outlined in the Goa AI Policy 2026, ensuring emerging technologies like AI deliver practical benefits and empower even the most remote villagers. The hackathon is designed to translate that vision into ground reality. DITE&C conducted a state-wide exercise across 35 government departments, identifying 100 specific problem statements where AI can enhance administrative efficiency, optimise public resources, and streamline service delivery. Out of these, six unique problem statements spanning eight departments and state corporations have been selected for the first phase.”

The inaugural phase covers diverse administrative and sectoral challenges. These include the following;

1. Office of the Collector (North & South Goa Districts): An AI-powered governance platform for automated public service delivery featuring OCR record digitization, eligibility verification, smart case management, and compensation calculations across land, revenue, disaster, and welfare administration.
2. Goa Waste Management Corporation: An AI-enabled waste management platform for predictive maintenance of critical equipment, real-time waste infrastructure tracking and operational optimization of biodigesters and Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs).
3. Department of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services: An AI-powered emergency response platform for animal welfare operations featuring real-time incident reporting, GPS dispatching, optimal resource allocation and end-to-end animal shelter and rehabilitation tracking.
4. Department of Handicrafts, Textile & Coir: An AI-powered platform for cultural preservation and artisan development that digitally archives traditional Goan crafts using pattern recognition, evaluates artisan skills and delivers personalized training recommendations.
5. Goa Dental College & Hospital: An AI oral health intelligence and clinical decision support platform for electronic health record digitization, predictive analytics, disease trend identification and clinical decision support for public healthcare planning.
6. Goa Dental College, Directorate of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Govt. Polytechnic Mayem: An AI-powered education analytics and student success platform to streamline attendance, deliver personalized learning pathways, identify at-risk learners early and optimize resource allocation across technical and vocational institutes.

By developing solutions, the hackathon will significantly reduce manual processing time and administrative bottlenecks while optimising system performance and resource utilisation. These innovations will enable data-driven decision-making, faster emergency responses and tailored learning pathways, among other benefits.

Startups and innovators interested in participating can submit their entries through the official portal at goaihackathon.co.in/home. The initial proposal submission window remains open until November 23, 2026, following which shortlisted applicants will present their solutions to a joint jury of department heads and technical experts in late November. Winning entries will receive cash prizes along with pilot deployment opportunities across the respective government departments.

Building on past initiatives like the Goa Open Innovation Challenge and advancing the vision of the Goa AI Mission 2027, the Department of Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (DITE&C) continues to leverage targeted hackathons and innovation challenges to enhance public service delivery, providing real-world opportunities for local startups and positioning Goa as a testbed for AI.