Goa State Innovation Council (GSInC)

Goa State Innovation Council (GSInC) operates as an autonomous body under the Department of Science & Technology & Waste Management, Government of Goa. Its mandate is to cultivate a culture of innovation, science, and entrepreneurship within the state. While the Goa Startup Mission manages policy implementation for registered startups, GSInC concentrates on the upstream innovation pipeline—identifying ideas, nurturing early-stage innovators, and recognising scientists and entrepreneurs who convert research into practical applications.

The council runs several programmes to support this mission. The Virtual Innovation Register (VIR) is a public platform for innovators of all ages to log their ideas and connect with mentors, investors, and support services, having recorded thousands of entries since its launch. Think Design Prototyping Workshops provide hands-on sessions at GSInC's Rapid Prototyping Lab, offering access to 3D printers, laser cutters, drones, AR/VR equipment, IoT platforms, and other fabrication tools. Innovation Bootcamps, conducted with educational institutions across Goa such as Don Bosco College of Engineering via SEEDS, train participants in design thinking, problem identification, and rapid prototyping. An Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Toolkit covers trademarks, patents, copyrights, and geographical indications to help innovators protect their work.

GSInC also confers awards, including the Goa Young Innovators Award for outstanding projects by young Goans, and the Goa Rajya Vidnyanik Puraskar (GRVP), an annual state science award in three categories—Innovation, Environment, and Societal Impact—each with a cash prize of ₹2 lakh. The council implements government-backed funding for pre-commercialisation work, covering prototyping costs, patent filing expenses, and early-stage development grants, with amounts varying by programme cycle and DST budget allocation. Programmes target students, researchers, and early-stage innovators in Goa; the VIR is open to anyone with an innovation concept connected to the state, and GRVP is open to all Goan innovators and scientists.