Goa Shackathon Positions Coastline As Future Work Destination

Held under the leadership of Shri. Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications and Tourism, the two day initiative brought creators, startups and tech professionals together as Raghav Chaudhry, Founder, Ethical AI Studios, and Deepak Pathania, founder member, Creative Community of Goa, shared their experiences.

Baga, May 22, 2026: The inaugural edition of Goa Shackathon concluded at Baga Beach, bringing together creators, startups, technology professionals and creative communities for a two day initiative focused on innovation, collaboration and workation culture.
Held under the leadership of Shri. Rohan Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications and Tourism, the initiative reinforced Goa’s positioning as a destination for remote work, digital communities and new age entrepreneurship.

During the event, Minister Khaunte interacted with local and visiting creators, startup founders and technology professionals. Speaking on the vision behind the initiative, Shri. Rohan Khaunte said, “Goa is moving beyond traditional tourism to build a robust, future-ready digital economy. The incredible energy at the Shackathon proves that our shores can inspire world-class innovation. By supporting creators, digital nomads and cutting-edge tech startups, we are ensuring Goa becomes the preferred sandbox for the future of work in the country.”
The second day of the event was centred on the theme Creators and Coastlines. Shri. Harshit Desai opened the day with a session on Creativity as a Business Advantage, where he discussed how creativity can support problem solving and create emotional impact for audiences.

Voice artist and actor Vijay Vikram Singh conducted a session on Communication and Voice Modulation, highlighting the role of content, voice and body language in effective communication.
The event also brought in a technology focus through a session by Smt. Akanksha Anand, Director, Sirena Technologies, on the Future of AI and Robotics with humanoid robot Nino. Shri. Joydeep Rakshit, Co founder and Director, TAWAI, conducted a technical workshop titled Think Ahead With AI, introducing participants to AI’s multimedia capabilities.

A panel discussion titled Designing From Goa, moderated by Darpana Athale, brought together Mukund Athale, Deepak Pathania, Mridula Sharma, Richa Shrivastava and Arjun Sagar. The discussion looked at how Goa’s lifestyle, creative energy and evolving ecosystem are enabling designers and entrepreneurs to build from the state.
The day also featured a talk and live demonstration by Samar Farooqui, Founder, Slacklife Inc.

Sharing his experience, Raghav Chaudhry, Founder, Ethical AI Studios, said, “I recently relocated my startup from Uttar Pradesh to Goa. Attending both days of the Goa Shackathon has completely re-confirmed that I made the right choice. The sessions were fantastic and I’ve met so many wonderful people who are going to be incredibly helpful in our journey to build ethical, compliant AI. I’m already looking forward to the next edition.”
Deepak Pathania, founder member, Creative Community of Goa, said, “The Shackathon is a good initiative because it allows professionals to get their work done and immediately step out to enjoy the beach. It also creates a powerful visual for other tourists. Seeing an office like environment thriving inside a casual beach shack is going to surprise and inspire people. It’s a brilliant, innovative concept that I believe should slowly spread across.”

With strong participation from creators, startups and professionals, Goa Shackathon highlighted the state’s potential as a hub for creative communities, AI focused entrepreneurship and digital work culture.
As remote work and flexible lifestyles continue to influence professional choices, the Government of Goa aims to build on this momentum by promoting the state as a destination where innovation, creativity and quality of life can come together.

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