In a bold move to position itself at the forefront of India’s burgeoning startup ecosystem, the state of Goa has unveiled its Startup Policy 2025, a comprehensive blueprint aiming to transform the coastal state into a creative and entrepreneurial powerhouse by 2028. The policy, approved by the Goa state cabinet on August 10, 2025, is designed to foster innovation, promote inclusive entrepreneurship—particularly among women—and generate 10,000 new jobs for Goan youth. But Goa’s ambitions are not unfolding in a vacuum; they are part of a larger national surge in startup activity, increasingly shaped by the integration of cutting-edge technology and a growing emphasis on responsible, sustainable business practices.
According to reports from The Times of India, the Goa Startup Policy 2025 sets out to create an environment where 1,000 startups can thrive over the next three years. The policy further aims to help at least 100 local startups access venture funding, thus enabling these fledgling enterprises to scale their innovative ideas to broader markets. "This policy was crucial for promoting startups and also for creating a robust startup ecosystem," the cabinet stated, underscoring the significance of the initiative in driving economic prosperity and elevating Goa’s profile on both national and international stages.
Central to the policy is a strong commitment to inclusivity. Special incentives are earmarked for women entrepreneurs and other underrepresented groups, with the goal of fostering diversity and ensuring that the benefits of Goa’s startup boom are widely shared. The policy also actively encourages collaboration between startups and government departments, targeting at least 50 such partnerships to drive public-private innovation and tackle common challenges through technology-driven solutions. The government’s message is clear: Goa is open to attracting the best and brightest technology talent from across the globe, with the hope that this influx will enhance the state’s skill quotient and economic growth while helping local Goans become a sought-after talent pool on the national and global stage.
To support these ambitions, the policy introduces a suite of targeted schemes, including the Campus Innovation Scheme, Promotion and Marketing Assistance Scheme, Skill Enhancement Scheme, Women Entrepreneur Vitality Scheme, R&D Reimbursement Scheme, Salary Reimbursement Scheme, Lease Subsidy Scheme, and Seed Capital Grant. These programs are designed to provide startups with essential resources—mentorship, networking, investment opportunities, and streamlined administrative processes—while reducing bureaucratic hurdles that can stifle innovation. As of now, 279 startups have been certified by the state, with incentives totaling Rs 4 crore already disbursed under various schemes.
Goa’s efforts are part of a broader national transformation. Across India, the startup landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, not only in scale but also in values. As Entrepreneur India highlighted in an August 9, 2025 article, the days of prioritizing rapid growth at any cost are giving way to a new paradigm where Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles are seen as essential for building resilient, future-ready businesses. Shailesh Tyagi, a partner at Deloitte South Asia, put it succinctly: “Founders who embed ESG early won’t just meet expectations—they will define them.”
India’s startup ecosystem, now the world’s third largest, is increasingly shaped by regulatory and investor demands for responsible growth. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has rolled out the BRSR Core framework, mandating enhanced ESG disclosures for the top 1,000 listed companies by market capitalization. While these rules are targeted at public companies, their impact ripples through the entire ecosystem. From fiscal year 2025-26, the top 250 listed companies are encouraged to voluntarily disclose ESG metrics for their value chains, with mandatory assessment or assurance kicking in from 2026-27. This means startups serving as vendors or partners to these firms will also need to share ESG data as part of value chain reporting.
The implications for startups are profound. Investor expectations now routinely include ESG readiness as a criterion for funding, with development finance institutions and venture capitalists embedding ESG filters into their deal screening and portfolio monitoring. For startups eyeing an eventual IPO, the stakes are even higher—ESG performance can influence valuation premiums, investor confidence, and post-listing reputation. As noted in the Journal of Economics & Management (2025), top quartile ESG performers saw significantly less underpricing on the day of their US IPOs, a trend that is beginning to take root in India as well.
Yet, integrating ESG isn’t about adopting complex frameworks overnight. Materiality assessments—identifying the ESG issues most relevant to a startup’s sector and stakeholders—offer a practical starting point. As Entrepreneur India observed, “It is time for India’s startup ecosystem to lead not just in scale, but in sustainability.”
This drive for innovation and responsibility is mirrored in other parts of the country. In Visakhapatnam, the Kalpataru Centre of Entrepreneurship (CoE) on Industry 4.0, established by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), is pioneering a new model of tech-enabled industrial transformation. Supported by a consortium that includes Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, IIM Visakhapatnam, Andhra University, and private sector partners, Kalpataru CoE provides startups with state-of-the-art incubation space and labs for Industrial IoT, AI, Machine Learning, AR/VR, Industrial Automation, Robotics, Drone Technology, and 3D Printing.
As reported by The Hans India, Kalpataru has already onboarded 44 startups addressing mission-critical industrial issues. Collectively, these startups have generated approximately Rs.4.75 crore in revenue and raised Rs.1 crore in external funding. The CoE’s achievements include the development of four market-ready products and 13 working prototypes, such as a drone and AI-based platform for chimney structural analysis at steel plants, predictive maintenance systems for industrial chutes, and drone/LIDAR solutions for inventory management. These innovations are not just technological showpieces—they are solving real problems for public sector units and demonstrating the power of collaboration between government, industry, academia, and startups.
STPI’s broader impact is evident in the establishment of 24 Centres of Entrepreneurship across India, supporting over 1,400 startups, facilitating the creation of more than 2,200 products, and enabling over 1,086 Intellectual Property Rights filings. The Kalpataru model, with its emphasis on public-private partnership and real-world relevance, is helping to ensure that India’s industries remain competitive and capable of sustained growth in a digital-first world.
Goa’s Startup Policy 2025, the national pivot toward ESG, and the rise of innovation hubs like Kalpataru all point to a new chapter for Indian entrepreneurship—one defined not only by ambition and rapid growth, but by a commitment to inclusivity, sustainability, and real-world impact. As India’s startup ecosystem matures, these intertwined priorities will likely shape the country’s economic future for years to come.
