Garuda Aerospace, India’s leading drone manufacturer, is set to revolutionize the landscape of agriculture in India with its state-of-the-art Kisan Drones. Garuda Aerospace’s success in Drone Yatra across various states garnered immense popularity and acclaim, leading to its expansion into the state of Goa. The Directorate of Agriculture, Government of Goa has invited Garuda Aerospace to collaborate with the Department of Agriculture in conducting the initiative of the Drone Yatra aiming to create awareness and promote the adoption of drone technology in agriculture. In 2022, Union Minister Anurag Thakur flagged off the Drone Yatra 2.0 marking a significant milestone for this groundbreaking project with an aim to cover 755 districts across India. The initiative demonstrates the efficacy of drones in various agricultural applications and highlights the numerous benefits they offer to farmers across all districts in India.

The Directorate of Agriculture in Goa warmly welcomed Garuda Aerospace and expressed its intent to collaborate with the company in conducting the Drone Yatra. This collaboration signifies a joint commitment to harnessing cutting-edge technology for the betterment of agricultural practices in the state. Through their innovative technology, farmers can now utilize Nano Urea spraying, maximizing efficiency, and productivity. The Drone Yatra in Goa is specially tailored to empower farmers with knowledge about the latest advancements in precision agriculture. By utilizing Nano Urea spraying through Kisan Drones, farmers can optimize the use of resources, minimize environmental impact, and ultimately increase their yield and income. The drone Yatra will be conducted in 100 villages in the period of one month.

Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO, Garuda Aerospace, expressed his enthusiasm, stating “We are delighted to conduct the Drone Yatra in the state of Goa. Our mission is to empower farmers with cutting-edge technology that will drive sustainable agricultural practices and boost productivity by enhancing the lives of the farmers. Advanced drone technology will play a crucial role in conserving resources, optimizing land use and contributing to a more sustainable future for India’s agricultural sector. Recently Garuda Aerospace has secured an order of 400 Agri Kisan Drones from Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) and the company’s order book currently tallies to 10,000 drones for this year.”

Shri. Ramkumar, Vice President of Agriculture and Government Affairs, Garuda Aerospace, stated, “Garuda Aerospace’s Drone Yatra in Goa promises to be an educational and inspirational event, offering farmers invaluable insights into the limitless possibilities that drones can unlock for their agricultural operations.”

Garuda Aerospace’s Drone Yatra is promoting sustainable agriculture practices across India.

Goa  – Vedanta Sesa Goa as part its youth & sports development initiatives, has organised a series of football pop-up camps between 15-19 Jul 23 with great enthusiasm and success at the Ideal High School, Piligao and Sri Mahamaya High School, Maem, which witnessed participation from over 150 students ranging from grades 1 to 10.

These camps by Vedanta Sesa Goa have been designed to provide young football enthusiasts the opportunity to hone their skills, foster love for the sport, and engender confidence and competitive spirit. The camps aim to nurture talent, promote teamwork, and inspire a passion for healthy physical activities among the youth.

During the three camps held so far, the participants were provided expert guidance under the keen and watchful eyes of experienced coaches. The participants were engaged in various football drills and exercises, focusing on developing essential skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting. The coaches also imparted valuable insights into the game, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, discipline, dedication, and sportsmanship.

The football pop-up camps are part of Vedanta Sesa Goa’s commitment to supporting youth development, promoting physical fitness, and nurturing talent at the grassroots level. These camps have received all round & enthusiastic support from the community as well as from the community leaders including Mohini Jalmi, Sarpanch, Piligao, Ramchandra Garde, Chairman, Ideal High School, Dnyaneshwar Gaonkar, Head Master, Ideal High School, Piligao, Mr Krishna Chodankar, village Panchayat Member, Maem.

Vedanta Sesa Goa extends its heartfelt gratitude to Ideal School, Piligao, & Sri Mahamaya High School, Maem for their support and collaboration in making these football pop-up camp a resounding success. More such camps are scheduled, and Vedanta Sesa Goa invites all interested individuals to participate and make the most of this unique opportunity.

Goa : Vedanta Sesa Goa has always been committed to supporting the youth of state of Goa through quality skill training programs and believes in providing equal opportunities to everyone. In line with the same, Vedanta Sesa Goa announced few significant initiatives including financial assistance to the Sai Nursing Institute at an event held in Sanquelim, in the distinguished presence of Dr. Pramod Sawant, Hon’ble CM of Goa, Mr. Navin Jaju, CEO- Sesa Goa, Vedanta Limited, Ms. Leena Verenkar, Head ESG, Vedanta, Sesa Goa, Mr. Saptesh Sardesai, CEO- Value Added Business, Vedanta Limited, Mr. Pandurang Kurtikar, Chairman of Sai Nursing Institute, and other dignitaries.

The company handed over a demand draft of Rs. 60 lakhs to the management of Sai Nursing Institute with the aim of upgrading the education facilities for the benefit of the aspiring youth across Goa wishing to pursue a career in the paramedic field.

Vedanta Sesa Goa also initiated a special awareness drive across the Goa state in order to reach out to the aspiring female candidates and motivate them to pursue their careers in technical skills such as fitter, diesel mechanic, electrician, machinist, and instrument mechanic. To further encourage them, the company announced a special scholarship scheme for the first 100 girl student applicants who will enrol in these technical courses, including all ITIs in Goa.

Speaking during the event, Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, applauded Vedanta Sesa Goa and said, “I congratulate Vedanta Sesa Goa for supporting Sai Nursing Institute, which is imparting quality paramedic training for the aspiring youth across Goa state. I also commend Sesa Goa’s efforts to encourage and support girls to excel in technical education through ITI courses and pursue career options in various industries. I urge all the aspiring girls across Goa State to grab this opportunity and utilise this platform to shape their future. I am sure this step will contribute towards our vision of “Swayampurna Goa’.”

Mr. Navin Jaju, CEO, Sesa Goa, Vedanta Limited, said, “Sesa Goa believes in equal opportunities as the foundation for progress in the digital age. We are excited to introduce a new course Computer Operator & Programming Assistant (COPA) exclusively for women at Sesa Technical School. And by way of offering scholarships, we are encouraging female students to enroll in technical courses across all ITIs in Goa. Furthermore, we are resolute in our support for educational institutions like Sai Nursing Institute, as we recognize the significance of skilling the youths for achieving vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Swayampoorna’ Goa “

During the event, the CSR annual report of Vedanta Sesa Goa for the financial year 2022–23 was also unveiled by the Hon’ble Goa CM and CEO of Sesa Goa, Vedanta Limited, along with other dignitaries. The annual CSR report outlines the company’s major community development initiatives and their socio-economic positive impacts on the communities.

Vedanta Sesa Goa remains committed to empowering communities and fostering sustainable development through its diverse initiatives. The company’s scholarship scheme, annual CSR report, and promotional activities for women-centric technical education courses exemplify Vedanta’s dedication to creating opportunities, supporting education, and nurturing talent in Goa. Vedanta Sesa Goa has been imparting quality skill training to the youth across Goa since 1994 through its Sesa Technical School. Till now, over 1700+ students have passed out of this institute with almost 100% success rate in placements in top-notch companies.

The sessions, thereafter, commenced with News18 Network presenting, ‘Future of Creativity’ moderated by Rohit Ohri Chairman & CEO – FCB Ulka with panellists, including Anusha Shetty – Chairperson & Group CEO – Grey Group India, Josy Paul – Chairman & Group CCO – BBDO, T Gangadhar, Co-Founder and Group CEO Quotient Ventures, and Dheeraj Sinha – CEO & Chairman – Leo Burnett & BBH. Firstly, the session focused on the future of creativity, which lies in the seamless integration of technology, empowering individuals to explore new horizons and redefine traditional boundaries, ultimately revolutionising the way we express, communicate, and experience. Gangadhar made a very interesting note about technology and our place wherein creativity is involved, “It’s not man v/s machine, it is man with machine. You need technology to run your data but you need a human mind to add value to it.” Dheeraj on the other hand stated, “We believe that this is the best time to be in the business. Today, you have such a huge palette to play around with v/s images and copy that could be played around with back in the day. Creativity is the power to solve problems, which we have done, but now, imagine adding data and technology to it! The possibility is limitless!”

Secondly, the panel also discussed the importance of hiring capable talent that will only raise the bar of creation. To this end, Dheeraj rightly mentioned, “There is no future for business if there is no future for this talent.” More importantly, Anusha highlighted an opportunity, stating “With every change we witness, finding talent to embrace new changes, is getting more complex.” Josy made a statement regarding talents and searching for the right fit for an agency, saying, “A talent should be a combination of a visionary, missionary, and an artist!”

Finally, Rohit also probed questions on the structure that organisations need to put in place to enable creativity. The panels gave informative insights regarding structure requirements of an organisation and the need to rework the idea of hierarchy.

After this insightful knowledge session, we were introduced to yet another interesting one, titled ‘Brand Love Suffering At The Altar Of Short Term Sale’ presented under Industry Conclave powered by ABP News & Zee TV. The moderator of this session was none other than Anuradha SenGupta, Independent Journalist, and the panellists included Hemant Malik – Divisional Chief Executive – ITC’s Foods Business & Member of Corporate Management Committee of ITC Ltd, Rohit Kapoor – Chief Executive Officer – Swiggy, Prabha Narasimhan – MD & CEO – Colgate-Palmolive India Ltd. The session emphasised the importance of brand love as it creates strong emotional bonds with the audiences, driving customer loyalty, advocacy, and higher engagement, resulting in sustained business growth and a competitive edge in the market. The panellists also discussed the technological advances that have taken place over the last few years and the cyclical impact it has on the audience and in turn, the brand and love for it. Having said that, there was an agreement that the fundamentals of brand love largely stay the same.

Hemant, in answer to Anuradha, said, “It’s a great time for marketers, today! We are all enabled because we are able to make decisions with utmost clarity. However, while data helps you, it also makes you vulnerable.” Rohit, with regards to synergy between teams and departments at the brand’s end, said, “CEO and creatives have too much distance between them. This needs to be corrected.”

The session ended on with Anuradha asking each panellist about their expectations from agencies. Each one unanimously agreed that they need to keep learning from and being challenged by the agencies.

Converting the learnings into dividends, from the first year of the association, with The One Show, The Advertising Club has once again collaborated with the global partner, taking the ABBY Awards to global standards of excellence and recognition. A total of 3,301 entries received this year from 181 creative companies and 63 media agencies, as well as jury chairs have shown immense enthusiasm towards the awards.

Partha Sinha, President of the Times of India Group and President of The Advertising Club, shared that the festival is witnessing the democratisation of creativity this year. He said, “Creativity is no longer in the hands of a select few; we are seeing the celebration of that sentiment with this edition of Goafest. So, you will hear a lot about the future of creativity overall. Since creativity is the reason we are in this business, we are celebrating it with full gusto. Overall, we are extremely happy with the response we have received with the number of entries this year; a whopping 3,301.”

Prasanth Kumar, President, of the Advertising Agencies Association of India and CEO, South Asia, GroupM, said that the constant at the festival is to make it more interesting and progressive. He stated, “The future of creativity is here. We need to realise that this industry is a large ecosystem, which is why we also need that kind of representation. With Goafest, this year, we have done exactly that in terms of categories and an industry-wise representation, including entertainment and tech. We have more than 50 sponsors for Goafest, this year; we are deeply grateful towards their unflinching support and belief in us.”

Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman, Goafest 2023 Organising Committee, stated that there are more than 60 speakers and 11 masterclasses this year. “You must also note that all the masterclasses are absolutely packed! We’ve also had to request a couple of speakers to retake a class on Day 3. We are working on building a festival that is a central event for the entire industry, which is why we’re beginning with Advertising Rocks, an Industry Musical Contest on Day 3 of Goafest.”

Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India & Chairman, The ABBYs Award Governing Council, said about the awards this year, “This time, and in future, we are committed to working our way to match and surpass our game in accordance with ABBY One Show. We are extremely proud that this is our second year of association with One Show. You all will witness our hard work and commitment towards ensuring the quality of awards and the diverse jury that adorn Goafest this year.”

During the event, Union Minister of State Shri. Ashwini Kumar Choubey emphasized the importance of maintaining the delicate balance present in nature. He remarked, “It is important to maintain the delicate balance present in nature. One must return to it as much as one takes away from it.” Stressing the significance of conserving biodiversity, he stated, “Conserving biodiversity is key to maintaining balance in nature.” He further highlighted the need for people’s participation in achieving success in implementing the provisions of the Biodiversity Act 2002, saying, “It is important to not only spread awareness but also ensure people’s participation to make the idea behind these provisions a success.”

Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey informed the audience that so far 2,67,608 People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBR) have been prepared in the country, by  Biodiversity Management Committees entrusted with the crucial task of documenting natural resources and traditional knowledge associated with them. He also mentioned the progress being made in digitizing the People’s Biodiversity Registers, transforming them into e-PBR.

Furthermore, he highlighted the significance of the concept of “Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE),” introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in Glasgow on November 1, 2021. This concept calls upon individuals and institutions globally to promote mindful and deliberate utilization of resources to protect and preserve the environment. The Minister pointed out how exercises such as preparation and updation of PBRs are also an integral part of the philosophy of Mission LiFE.

Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant expressed his pride in Goa being chosen as the site for launching this national campaign. He acknowledged the remarkable efforts of the people of Goa in preserving biodiversity and emphasized the role of local communities in achieving success in this sector. He stated, “The successes of Goa in this sector are the successes of the enthusiasm of the people at the ground. Government can only support local communities in their endeavour to preserve biodiversity, and therefore, every success belongs to the community.”

In addition to the campaign launch, an exhibition showcasing unique products from each Biodiversity Management Committee was inaugurated during the event. The occasion also witnessed the distribution of special awards for the Best Biodiversity Management Committee in North and South Goa, the Green Journalist Award, and individual contributions to preserving biodiversity.

About People’s Biodiversity Register

The People’s Biodiversity Register serves as a comprehensive record of various aspects of biodiversity, including the conservation of habitats, preservation of land races, folk varieties and cultivars, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals, micro-organisms, and the accumulation of knowledge related to the area’s biological diversity. As per the Biological Diversity Act 2002, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) are created for “promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity” by local bodies across the country. BMCs have been constituted by the local bodies in the States and Union Territories and are entrusted with preparation of the People’s Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), in consultation with local communities.

The Goafest Organising Committee is pleased to announce that India Today Group Aaj Tak and Disney Star have come on board as ‘Co–Presenting’ Sponsors of Goafest 2023, South Asia’s apex industry event that celebrates milestones in the media and advertising industry. The definitive annual festival for the advertising, marketing, and media industry which attracts over 2000 industry professionals, is scheduled to take place on 24^th, 25^th, and 26^th May 2023 at the Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, Goa.

Proudly supported by our esteemed sponsors – SonyLIV, JioCinema, News18 Network, Dangal TV, Zee TV / ZEE5, Silver Push, Convosight, Zee News, Hindustan Times, ABP News, Viacom18’s Sports18, The Hindu Group, Flipkart, Times Network, Dailyhunt, B4U, Tata Motors, Anymind Media, Inmobi / Glance, Sri Adhikari Brothers – Mastiii, The Times of India, TV9 Network, Criteo, OMS Digital – A part of the Times Group, Rajasthan Patrika, Mathrubhumi, Amazon Ads, Warner Media, MIQ, Sakal, Shemaroo, Avinashi Ads Outdoor, Eenadu, Vserv, IDPL, Vijayawani Dighvijay, Google, BigFM, Malayala Manorma, Radio City, Surewaves, Party Smart Himalaya, Dainik Jagran, MakeMyTrip, Sakshi, Amar Ujala Publications, Pudhari, AdOnMo, Ad Sydicate, Dainik Savera.

Speaking about partnering with Goafest 2023, Dinesh Bhatia – Group CEO, India Today Group said, “Goafest presents an opportunity for us to deepen our engagement with the industry. As South Asia’s largest festival for the creative sector, the undeniable growth and significance of this event inspires us. As partners, we eagerly await to welcome our industry once again as we celebrate the boundless potential of media and creativity in shaping the future.”

 “Disney Star has always stood for inspiring a billion imaginations. And Goafest celebrates creativity bringing together India’s finest creative minds. We are delighted to partner with them and stage this inspiring festival of creativity,” added Minakshi Achan, Head-Network Brand & Creative Communications, Disney Star.

Prasanth Kumar, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India and CEO, South Asia, GroupM, said, “We are delighted to welcome India Today Group Aaj Tak and Disney Star, as our co-presenting sponsors to Goafest this year. Over the years, Goafest has become synonymous with creativity, innovation, and excellence, making it the perfect destination for brands to associate with and showcase their offerings. We look forward to successful partnerships with all our sponsors as we work towards creating an unforgettable experience for everyone present.”

Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman, Goafest 2023 Organising Committee said “It is our pleasure to welcome Disney Star and India Today Group Aaj Tak as the Co-Presenting Sponsors for Goafest 2023. We are delighted to see how Goafest has strived to create a platform of unique opportunities for brands to align themselves with the media and advertising fraternity. We welcome all our sponsors on board and hope these partnerships inspire creativity, drive innovation, and elevate the industry as a whole.”

Co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India and The Advertising Club, Goafest 2023 is scheduled to take place on 24^th, 25^th, and 26^th May, 2023 at Grand Hyatt, Bambolim, Goa. Delegate registrations and Abby Award entries are open. For details log on www.goafest.com

Gopalakrishnan, chairman of Axilor Ventures, was a chief guest at the annual convocation ceremony organised by the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) during which certificates were formally handed over to 480 students spread across five management programmes who completed their post graduate diploma in management. 

15 medals were awarded to students who made a significant mark in academics as well as extracurricular activities, while awards were also given to students with best academic performances in the respective programs. 

In his address during the ceremony, which was also attended by Ashank Desai, chairman of the GIM governing board and the B-school’s director Dr. Ajit Parulekar, Gopalakrishnan spoke about the rise of ChatGPT and the transformation which the AI chatbot was about to unleash worldwide. 

“It’s one of the fastest growing apps or tools ever. Within two months after its launch… GPT had 100 million monthly active users in contrast to Instagram which took two and a half years to reach 100 million users,” he said, adding that the chatbot was “evolving faster than any technology introduced or invented by humans to date”. 

“We are finding new capabilities every single day. Chat GPT democratised access to artificial intelligence machine learning models and helps with a wide range of tasks such as reading x-rays, essay writing, poetry, summarizing information and documents and testing code segments etc. It shows human-like capabilities, but at an amazing speed of response. Clearly this disruption will have a significant impact on every aspect of our life,” Gopalakrishnan said. 

Gopalakrishnan also said that disruptive technologies would transform India’s industrial landscape and help the country to accelerate its Gross Domestic Product. 

“I believe that disruptive technologies will transform all industries and this gives India an opportunity to accelerate GDP growth and become the second or the third largest economy in the world. A few IT companies have demonstrated this in the last 45 years. There is tremendous wealth to be made in India, as India grows to become a five trillion dollar economy or a 10 trillion dollar economy,” he said. 

Director Parulekar, who presented the Director’s Report on the institute’s performance for the last academic year, said that with the accreditation by the Association of MBAs (AMBA) from the United Kingdom (UK), GIM had joined an exclusive club of 296 institutions worldwide, which received the prestigious endorsement. After the IIMs, the GIM is the second institution in the country to be accredited by the Business Graduates Association, a UK-based global membership organisation of Business Schools. 

“This year, we received a record-breaking number of applications: 13,320 unique applications as compared to the year prior which was 8,730. This translates to a 53 percent increase in applications across all four full-time PGDM programmes,” he also said. 

15 medals were awarded to students who made a significant mark in academics as well as extracurricular activities. Awards were given for ‘best academic performance’ in the respective programs. 

Goa : The Goa State Higher Education Council, Directorate of Higher Education, and the Goa Government in collaboration with Newton School, a neo-university providing outcome-oriented education, successfully organized the Digital Goa Youth Summit (DGYS) in the presence of several luminaries. The event, held at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Panjim on Monday, 28th March, marked the launch of the Digital Goa Scholarship Program, which was initiated in October 2022. The program would help create a talented pool of tech professionals in Goa in collaboration with Newton School to eliminate geographical and financial barriers. Through this program, the Goa government and Newton School aim to provide over 10,000 Goan students with advanced industry-focused tech education for in-depth training and upskilling.

Dr. Pramod Sawant, the Hon. Chief Minister of Goa, Directorate of Higher Education, founders of Newton School, Siddharth Maheshwari and Nishant Chandra, along with tech companies like Zepto and Fampay, together with renowned personalities of the tech industry from Google and LinkedIn, graced the event. The event also saw entertainment performances from Goan students and popular social media influencer Sukriti Chaturvedi, with RJ Devanggana Chauhan hosting the event. The summit enabled over 5,000 students from across the state of Goa to discuss the latest trends and opportunities in the tech industry to envision the future of their tech careers. The Digital Goa Scholarship Program launched at this event will equip students pursuing Bachelor’s or Master’s in any background with the necessary skills to land high-paying jobs in top tech companies.

Founded in 2019 by Siddharth Maheshwari and Nishant Chandra, IIT Roorkee graduates, Newton School is bridging the gap between learners and jobs. Newton School offers skill-oriented and industry-focused tech courses to students and working professionals and helps them get placed as software developers and engineers, with their 2000+ hiring partners including companies such as Google, Zomato, Thoughtworks, Xiaomi, Flipkart, Deloitte, Meesho, and TCS.

As a part of the scholarship program, Newton School will conduct a 12-week Coding and Mindset Bootcamp. The Bootcamp will begin on March 31st and develop the aptitude and K-10 level of mathematics and logic required to learn programming. The workshops are designed for students to take up live projects while becoming a part of the larger coding community globally.

On finishing the bootcamp successfully, students will be able to enroll in its flagship 6-month long full stack development course free of cost and learn from industry experts hailing from Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, among others, with added focus on one-on-one training and mentorship. Students will get 100 percent placement assistance to skyrocket their tech careers with Newton School’s 2000+ hiring partners.

Goa’s Honourable Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant added, “I am happy that Goa State Higher Education Council, Directorate of Higher Education, Government of Goa, in collaboration with Newton School, is launching this scholarship program aimed at enabling Goan students to become tech experts. The scholarship will provide students with access to courses that will enhance their skills and make them industry-ready, thus enabling them to contribute to the growth and development of Goa’s tech industry.”

Speaking on the partnership, Nishant Chandra and Siddharth Maheshwari, Founders of Newton School said, “The Digital Goa Scholarship Program is a visionary project that aims to empower thousands of Goan students to pursue the career of their dreams. As the founders of Newton School, our vision has always been to bridge the skill gap in the tech industry by providing quality education to aspiring developers and working professionals. Our partnership with the Government of Goa is a milestone in our journey towards making India the Tech Powerhouse of the world. We believe that the Digital Goa Scholarship Program will not only benefit the students but also contribute to the growth of the tech industry in Goa. By producing a skilled workforce, we hope to attract more companies to invest in the state and contribute to its economic development.”

“We are confident that with the support of the tech industry, academia, and the government, we can make Goa a hub of innovation and technology” – Shri Prasad Lolayekar IAS, Director, Directorate of Higher Education

Goafest is the definitive annual festival for the advertising, marketing and media industry that attracts over 2000 industry professionals. The festival is an eclectic platter of knowledge, recognition, networking and celebration that makes each day at this 3-days event a remarkable experience. In addition to presentations and sessions by leading industry experts, Goafest 2023 will host a total of 10 knowledge-sharing masterclasses, the highest to date. The upcoming edition of the festival is also expected to have increased participation and presence from advertisers.

Announcing Goafest 2023, Prasanth Kumar, President, Advertising Agencies Association of India and CEO, South Asia GroupM said, “Goafest has cemented its position as the most admirable creative festival in South Asia that truly brings together the best of creative and marketing professionals. Our goal is to offer our industry colleagues three power-packed days of learning, engagement, interactivity and curiosity. We are confident that this year’s edition will be the biggest and best yet, leaving each attendee with valuable learnings and benefiting the industry as a whole.”

“Year after year, Goafest has evolved and innovated, making it the most relevant advertising festival in India. From knowledge-sharing sessions to exclusive speakers, we are certain of having guests from across the globe that will benefit the industry, especially younger professionals, this year as well. For the first time, various committees involving senior industry leaders have been formed thus making the event all-inclusive and broad-based for the entire advertising industry. We look forward to curating a festival that drives participation and empowers the fraternity thus positioning India as a sharper contender in the global advertising landscape.” added Jaideep Gandhi, Chairperson Goafest 2023.

Partha Sinha, President, Times of India group and President of The Advertising Club, further added, “We believe it is imperative that we celebrate the industry and Goafest enables us to do exactly this. The festival empowers the industry to push creative boundaries and think beyond existing possibilities. We look forward to another year of firsts at Goafest 2023 and encourage India’s creative economy to participate actively.”

Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar inaugurated a two-day Sensitization Workshop on ‘Issues relating to Empowerment of persons with Disabilities’ at Panaji in Goa today.
The workshop has been organised as a part of country’s first-of-its-kind inclusive festival ‘Purple Fest: Celebrating Diversity’ at Panaji .
The Purple Festival was inaugurated by Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant earlier in the day. The festival, organized for people with special abilities, aims to showcase how we can come together to create a welcoming and inclusive world for everyone.
More than 5,000 delegates from the country and abroad participating in the event. It will feature discussions, games, and other activities for individuals with special abilities. The festival will conclude on Sunday.