Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI)

In my address to the engineering students, I told them to rise to the challenge of Al. Al is a huge technology disrupter enabling efficient interventions Conversely, Al could also lead to huge job losses. This also means plenty of new jobs and new avenues opening. But it also means getting skilled in newer areas. Opening up to fresh perspectives and facing new challenges.

This also brings us to the question of gender parity. This is important in education as well as at the workplace. The top three countries where Al’s talent is visible are the US, Germany, and India. Despite that, it is seen that the acquisition of emerging skills such as Al and machine learning are still male-dominated skills. With the increasing demand for Al, there could be a serious disparity/ gap in the gender ratio. GCCI IT Committee in association with Google organized a special program to celebrate Women’s Day. The theme was aptly titled ‘Balance for the future of innovation to encourage a healthy gender ratio in helping shape better ecosystems. We want to encourage young women to pursue their dreams whether in the tech world or otherwise. Similarly, certain women-dominated areas such as nursing would also benefit if more male numbers were added. We support the equal contribution of women and men in all dimensions of life.

While technology is scaling a never before peak and we are all scrambling to keep pace with it today’s youth is equally inclined to explore nature. What is of particular interest to Goa, is the rise in ‘experiential tourism’ where tourists connect to a place by connecting to its history, culture, cuisine.

Goa has had a long history of maritime trade. The vehicles for this trade were ‘Sail boats’. Recently a Goan start-up, Clube Nautilus de Goa took me aboard their sailboat for a sunset cruise. What I experienced first-hand was an authentic sailing trip. Such experiential tourism has the potential to attract high-end tourists. Sailing could also be encouraged as a sport not only among Goa’s youth but among tourists as well. Nautical tourism is a sunrise industry and has a huge potential to develop tourism and to provide jobs to locals. Government should encourage and support such businesses and create infrastructure which is geared to nurture such ideas. It should put in place policies, rules, and regulations to encourage this industry.

We Goans are a creative lot! The magic is in the cuisine and the traditional brews as well. In 2009, our cashew Feni became the first Indian liquor to have obtained GI status. From tourists who savored the drink on their visit to Goa, to the word of mouth publicity – upped its demand and we now export to other countries as well.

Unfortunately, Feni’s classification as country liquor debarred it from being exported to states within India. Now with the ‘Heritage Liquor tag, this space has opened up for Feni producers. A proper Feni Policy will ensure standardization and quality of a product so uniquely Goan.

GCCI welcomes its new Chief Minister, Shri Pramod Sawant. An Ayurveda doctor by qualification, we are sure that Shri Sawant will not only effectively diagnose the problem areas in the state but also steer it towards a healthier economy.

Sandip Bhandare