Team Goemkarponn
Panaji: As Goa positions itself as India’s creative capital for technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship, the 12th edition of the First Friday Meetup brought together a dynamic mix of designers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and storytellers committed to shaping this evolving vision. Held at the Surendrababu Timblo Hall, GCCI, Panaji, the event was hosted by the Creative Community of Goa (CCG) in collaboration with the Association of Designers of India (ADI) – Goa Chapter, and supported by the Startup & IT Promotion Cell, Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Government of Goa.
D. S. Prashant, CEO of the Startup and IT Promotion Cell, Government of Goa, while addressing the gathering, shared the vision behind the initiative, “When we set out to position Goa as the creative capital of India, the idea came directly from feedback and suggestions from professionals across diverse sectors. Goa has the right ingredients—talent, creativity, and a unique cultural identity. Now, it’s about creating an ecosystem that brings all these players together. That’s why we started the First Friday Meetup—an initiative to foster regular collaboration and a space to explore how we can push forward policies to support our creative vision.”
He also introduced the Goa Open Innovation Challenge 2025, a new initiative started by the Startup & IT Promotion Cell. This program opens up real-world challenges across various sectors, offering startups an opportunity to pilot their innovations. “By addressing high-impact challenges across Tourism, Waste Management, Agriculture, NABARD, GPSC, and Industry, we are aiming to make the state more efficient and forward-thinking,” he said, encouraging attendees to actively engage with the challenges and contribute to building a more effective Goa.
The highlight of the event was an engaging session titled “A Sprint Through Design Thinking” by Prof. (Dr.) Karman Khanna from the Goa Institute of Management (GIM).
Drawing on his industry experience and passion for storytelling and creative education, Dr. Khanna offered a compelling walkthrough of design thinking as both a mindset and a methodology. He emphasized the importance of culturally rooted thinking, empathy, and a human-first approach over data-driven demographics.
Design thinking, he explained, is a structured yet flexible process for solving problems creatively, centered around five key stages: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test. It promotes user-centricity, creativity, and agility in innovation. Dr. Khanna described creativity as the “management of meaning,” particularly evident during the ideation phase, where diverse ideas are explored.
He encouraged participants to rethink how problems are framed, stating, “Design thinking is about defining with open language—always articulate problems using adjectives or verbs rather than nouns.” The session also highlighted the role of persona-building in understanding user perspectives and driving more relevant, impactful solutions.
The 12th First Friday Meetup reflected Goa’s growing momentum as a hub for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. With continued support from a forward-looking government and active participation from the creative community, such gatherings are shaping a collaborative ecosystem where design thinking and innovation are not just discussed—but practiced.
As these conversations progress, Goa continues to establish itself as a hub where ideas flourish and future possibilities are shaped.
