PANAJI, India, May 27, 2026 -- Goa successfully hosted the inaugural edition of 'Goa Shackathon' at Baga Beach, North Goa, transforming Goa's coastline into a live workspace for India's next generation of startups, creators, innovators and digital professionals. The event, held on May 21-22, 2026, saw over 500 participants attend across the two days for an immersive experience blending work, collaboration and lifestyle. Organized by the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C) and the Startup & IT Promotion Cell (SITPC), the event strengthened Goa's growing identity as India's leading workation destination and a rising center for startups, creators, digital nomads and entrepreneurship. The initiative also reflected the larger national shift towards flexible, technology-enabled and digitally empowered work cultures championed under Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji's Digital India vision.
The event was inaugurated by Hon'ble Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, along with Hon'ble Minister for Tourism & Information Technology, Electronics & Communications, Shri Rohan Khaunte. The formal ceremony was also attended by Shri. Michael Lobo, MLA Calangute; Shri. Santosh Sukhadeve, IAS, Secretary IT; Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director, DITE&C alongside senior government officials and industry leaders.
Over the two-day event, Hon'ble Minister Shri. Rohan Khaunte interacted with local and visiting creators, startups, digital professionals and entrepreneurs, emphasising Goa's vision for a future-ready digital economy. Speaking on the initiative, he said, "Goa is moving beyond traditional tourism to build a robust, future-ready digital economy. Professionals are choosing Goa as their base as they're drawn to the freedom, inspiration and quality of life our state offers. This incredible energy at the Shackathon proves that our shores can inspire world-class innovation."
The event recognised individuals contributing towards digital empowerment and innovation in Goa. Hon'ble Chief Minister and Hon'ble IT Minister felicitated Smt. Vidisha Bugade and Smt. Subhi Satardekar under the Mahila Digital Sashaktikaran Yojana. Local technical trainees in 3D printing, Smt. Sujata Shirodkar, Smt. Pratibha Tilve and Smt. Santoshi Desai, were also recognized for imparting future-ready technical skills. Additionally, Shri. Deepak Pathania and Smt. Darpana Athale were honoured as founder members of the Creative Community of Goa, while Francisco Fernandes (Fisherman Pele) was celebrated for his unique contributions to Goa's cultural identity.
During the two-day event, attendees had the opportunity to participate in various sessions. The sessions on day one featured Dr. Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief of Business World, delivering a keynote on the topic 'The Work and Fun Coast: Why Geography is the New Competitive Advantage'.
Adding star power to the event, popular voice artist and actor Vijay Vikram Singh, the iconic voice behind Bigg Boss, led an engaging session on 'Communication & Storytelling'.
A panel discussion on 'Building Companies from Goa' brought together founders and entrepreneurs including Mohit Dubey, Daniel Imhoff, Adrian Schmidt, Dr. Sunny Satpati, Pranay Gupta, Sairaj Dhond and Ruhain Amin, to discuss the advantages of starting ventures in Goa. The panel was moderated by Vijetha Shastry.
On day two, Shri. Harshit Desai conducted a session on 'Creativity as a Business Advantage'.
Vijay Vikram Singh returned for another high-energy session on 'Communication & Voice modulation' highlighting content, voice and body language as three essential elements.
Smt. Akanksha Anand, Director of Sirena Technologies, led a session on 'Future of AI & Robotics' featuring humanoid robot 'Nino'.
Shri. Joydeep Rakshit, Co-founder and Director of TAWAI, conducted a session titled 'Think Ahead with AI,' introducing participants to AI's multimedia capabilities.
Day two also featured a thought-provoking panel discussion on 'Designing from Goa,' discussing Goa's evolving creative ecosystem. Speakers included Mukund Athale, Deepak Pathania, Mridula Sharma, Richa Shrivastava and Arjun Sagar. The session was moderated by Darpana Athale.
An insightful talk and live demo session was also delivered by Shri. Samar Farooqui, the Founder of Slacklife Inc.
An exhibition zone further highlighted Goa's growing innovation ecosystem, with startups showcasing live demonstrations and cutting-edge technologies. Participating exhibitors included Powerland Agro Tractor Vehicles Pvt. Ltd, Afonso Spatialcraft LLP, Quidditch Innovation Labs, Sirena Technologies Pvt Ltd, Nirmitsu Design Labs Pvt Ltd, Coco Leni Eyewear, Flam and DroneLab Technologies.
Participants and founders attending the event praised the initiative for successfully blending work and Goa's unique lifestyle culture. Sharing his experience, Raghav Chaudhry, Founder of Ethical AI Studios, shared, "I recently relocated my startup from Uttar Pradesh to Goa. Attending both days of the Goa Shackathon has completely re-confirmed that I made the right choice. The sessions were fantastic and I've met so many wonderful people who are going to be incredibly helpful in our journey to build ethical, compliant AI. I'm already looking forward to the next edition."
"Shackathon is a good initiative because it allows professionals to get their work done and immediately step out to enjoy the beach. It also creates a powerful visual for other tourists. Seeing an office like environment thriving inside a casual beach shack is going to surprise and inspire people. It's a brilliant, innovative concept that I believe should slowly spread," shared Deepak Pathania, founder member of the Creative Community of Goa.
'Goa Shackathon' highlighted how India's next generation workforce increasingly seeks flexibility, creativity, innovation and quality of life alongside professional growth. With Goa Shackathon, Goa has taken a significant step towards positioning itself as a national hub for creators, startups, AI-led innovation and the future digital workforce.
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