FATORDA: The Creative Community of Goa (CCG), a collective of creative professionals working towards positioning Goa as the Design Capital of India, hosted the 8th edition of First Fridays at Villtrans, Fatorda. The meet up was organized by the Startup and IT Promotion Cell (SITPC), the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa and ADI Goa.
The highlight of the event was a discussion on the proposed Design Policy for Goa, spearheaded by the SITPC, and the pre-launch of the CCG’s website, a platform for connecting creative communities across the state.
Opening the discussion, D S Prashant, CEO of the Startup and IT Promotion Cell, stated, “Nine months ago, we initiated efforts to strengthen the design community and develop a comprehensive design policy. Our goal is to unite as a team and attract like-minded companies to establish a presence in Goa. As part of the Government, we are focused on branding Goa as a creative hub and identifying the opportunities available here, while ensuring the ecosystem’s needs are voiced and addressed.”
Deepak Pathania, Chief Design Officer at Seahorse Air Limited (UK) and Director at Design Intervention (India), as well as a founding member of CCG, shared the journey of the Creative Community of Goa. He expressed, “In November 2023, we began discussions on the design policy, supported by the Startup and IT Promotion Cell, the Government of Goa. The aim is to tap into Goa’s creative potential, both as an economic and cultural resource, with the government’s vision to position the state as the Creative Capital of India. The CCG has laid a promising foundation, with a growing membership, the launch of its website featuring a unified database, and the development of a WIP document to identify the community’s challenges.”
The event space at Villtrans served as a great backdrop, featuring various drone models displayed as WIP (work in progress) for Deepak’s innovative project, the Seahorse H5—a low-flying VTOP rotorcraft designed by Seahorse Air Limited and being produced by Villtrans.
He further announced the pre-launch of the website, exclusively for community members to explore its features while it is still in the development phase. Expected to be fully functional by mid-October, the website has been programmed by Wendham Gray, designed by Saurav Roy, and conceptualized by Deepak Pathania.
He explained that the site will allow users to view by category or discover by region, helping individuals connect with like-minded professionals. The platform will also include recaps of past First Friday meet-ups, a Get Support section detailing state and national government grants and schemes, as well as private sector initiatives for the creative sector. Additionally, there will be open calls for collaborations, a “What’s Happening in Goa” section highlighting design-related events, and a community board for job postings. The directory of CCG members will further help strengthen collaboration and growth within Goa’s creative ecosystem.