Goa, one of India's most darling tourist destinations, has woes of its own. Once the zest for affordable drinks, squeaky-clean, swimmable beaches, and Indo-Portuguese architecture subsides, the reality of overpriced taxi rides hits.
However, the state's minister for Tourism and IT Rohan Khaunte pointed out that this is not true for all drivers across Goa and that "few troublemakers" have created a bad name for taxi drivers.
Khaunte, while speaking to NDTV Profit, said that every tourist hub has its own challenges and in this case state-specific cab aggregator apps like GoaMiles, GoaTaxi are part of the solution.
He added that Goa is trying to build its own aggregator ecosystem on digital platforms, which will be helpful to locals too who cannot solely depend on tourism for employment.
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Highlighting how dependency has been a problem in the past, the Minister gave the example of mining activities, which the state has been trying to revive after a Supreme Court order banned it nearly a decade ago.
Goa is also looking to diversify its economy by focusing on non-polluting sectors and reducing its dependence on tourism, according to state officials. The state is now prioritising sectors that can generate higher employment and revenue per square metre, while preserving Goa's ecological balance and limited land resources, according to Khaunte.
As part of this shift, Goa is betting heavily on technology-led growth and is preparing to roll out its artificial intelligence policy. The state plans to support startups through venture capital funding and set up AI labs to build a stronger innovation ecosystem. The IT & Tourism Minister said the idea is to attract niche, high-value industries that align with Goa's long-term development goals.
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The government also sees trade and technology emerging as the next major growth drivers for the state, alongside tourism. The focus, Khaunte underlined, is on building a more resilient and diversified economy that can create jobs and attract investment without placing additional pressure on the environment.
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