The Information Technology department of Goa has taken a significant step towards formalising support for its creative sector by appointing the consultancy firm Grant Thornton. Their task is to finalise the design policy for the state's diverse creative industry.
Policy Development and Public Consultation
State officials have indicated that a draft of this much-anticipated policy is expected to be ready by January 2024. Once prepared, this draft will be released in the public domain to gather valuable feedback from citizens and stakeholders before it is finalised. The groundwork for this policy has been extensive, with initial inputs gathered through detailed discussions held over the past year with Goa's vibrant creative community, the Association of Designers of India, and various other domain experts.
A Broad Vision for a Creative Goa
The policy is designed with a wide-ranging scope, aiming to cater to a multitude of professionals. This includes product designers, photographers, architects, UI/UX developers, game designers, videographers, musicians, and digital artists. The department's overarching vision is twofold: to strengthen design capabilities across all sectors of the state's economy and to ambitiously establish Goa as a recognised global hub for design and design-driven enterprises.
A key hoped-for outcome is that the policy will effectively bridge the gap, connecting the talented pool of design professionals with the operational needs of Goa's existing industrial units, fostering innovation and growth.
Broader Initiatives and Future Plans
This policy is a core part of a larger transformative agenda led by the Startup and IT Promotion Cell. One of its landmark goals is to transform 100 villages in Goa into dedicated hubs for digital nomads and creative innovators. Looking further ahead, the department is also considering integrating design education into the state's formal academic structure to build talent from the ground up.
An exciting physical manifestation of this vision is also on the drawing board: a proposed 'design village'. This envisioned space would serve as a collaborative ground where innovators, students, and professionals can come together to develop and test prototypes of new products, turning ideas into tangible reality.
