PANAJI: DevFest Goa 2024, the annual global event hosted by Google Developer Group (GDG), took place, bringing together a diverse community of developers and tech enthusiasts to explore the latest trends and advancements in technology. This year marked the 13th edition of the conference, with the Minister for Tourism, Information Technology, Electronics, and Communications Rohan A Khaunte, as the chief guest. The event offered an opportunity for participants to engage with a variety of open-source tools and technologies, focusing on key areas of growth and innovation.
The conference featured an impressive lineup of industry experts who shared insights across various topics. Vivek Yadav, Enterprise Solutions Architect at FlutterFlow and Google Developer Expert, explored how to unleash the power of FlutterFlow, guiding participants from development to product excellence. Aditya Thakur, Google Developer Expert in Dart, discussed the possibilities of using Dart on Cloud Run to help Flutter developers go full-stack. Biswanath Giri, Google Cloud Principal Architect at LTIMindtree, delved into the intricacies of GCP Networking, while Rivu Chakraborty, Kotlin GDE and Android Architect at Viacom18 JioCinema, examined SOLID principles and architectural decisions in app development.
Addressing the Rohan A Khaunte, emphasized Goa’s evolving identity in the tech landscape. “Over the past decade, we have worked to shift the perception of Goa from being merely a destination for sun, sea, and tourism to a hub of innovation and opportunity,” he remarked. “Our focus on governance, policies, and infrastructure has enabled us to bring essential government services online while building a robust Startup and IT ecosystem. By aligning industry and academia, we are reducing brain drain and creating opportunities for local youth, with the goal of achieving 100% employment for our college graduates.”
The day’s sessions continued with discussions led by other notable speakers, including Tarun Jain, Data Scientist at AI Planet and Google Developer Expert in AI/ML, who spoke on building autonomous agents using Gemini Pro. Sumit Kumar, Multi-Cloud Solution Architect, delivered a session on securing applications with Cloud Armor, while Adit Lal provided a guide to making Android apps safe and secure. Pawan Kumar, GDE Flutter and Firebase, discussed how GenKit AI is reshaping workflow automation and driving productivity, and Nitin Prakash, Senior Software Engineer at Upswing, shared insights into the latest updates in Android 15 for users and developers.
DevFest Goa 2024 saw participation from IT professionals across India, reflecting the growing diversity and inclusivity within the tech community. The event’s focus on bringing together different perspectives is key to driving innovation, as Goa continues to evolve into a thriving hub for startups, technology, and development.