GOA: Goa gets the IT music

For 450 years the Portuguese ruled Goa. Began when Vasco De Gama, an intrepid Portuguese mariner, discovered the sea route to India and landed at Calicut in May 1498. 

Twelve years later Afonso de Albuquerque, a daring soldier, conquered Goa. And so began an era of changing fortunes and attitudes, of splendour and greed, pomp and misery, the tyranny of conquerors and the compassion of missionaries, the daring of adventures and the abnegation of martyrs. 

The Portuguese did not quite realize four centuries later that they had overstayed their welcome and that it was time for them to leave Goa and allow it to be re-united with India. Eventually, they were ousted from Goa, after an armed action ordered by the Government of India, on 19th December 1961.

One of the positive and noteworthy aspect of Goa's development during last 30 years has been the major transformation of Goan society from a feudal agrarian economy to a modern industrial State. 

The migration of non Goans to Goa and Goans to foreign countries is a phenomenon which has lubricated the wheels of economic development in Goa. One of the impressive features of Goa is that it never had the oppressive levels of poverty that prevailed in the rest of the country. More than 50 percent of the Goan population lives in urban areas and with a high per capita income. The percentage of the Goan middle class is considerably larger than that of any other state in India. 

Goa can boast of its people already having a literacy level amongst the highest in the country, which has given rise to trained and skilled manpower. 

Goa has one of the most tension free social environment in the country. The peaceful and friendly ambience is one of the most important reasons why the entire tourist industry has flourished in Goa. Behind the social peace lies the social and political integration of the people. There are no major ideological rifts that can create social cleavages in Goa and the Goans maintain a social and political equilibrium which has grown out of a sense of realization that ultimately the future lies in working together regardless of religion, caste or creed. 

Goa is the youngest state of the union of India having been liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961. Located on the west coast of India, Goa is strategically positioned. To the north is Sindhudurg district - Maharashtra, to the east is Belgaum district - Karnataka. To the south is Karwar district - Karnataka and to the west the waters of the Arabian Sea. 

The population of Goa is estimated to be around 1.2 million with nearly 59 percent of the population living in the rural areas of the state and the remaining 41 percent in the urban areas. Goa enjoys a literacy rate of 76 percent as against the all India literacy rate of 52.2 percent. 

The post-liberation development of Goa, has been spectacular. From mining alone, the industrial activity of the State has diversified into tourism, electronics, automobile accessories, pharmaceuticals, agro chemicals, etc. Giant strides have been taken in education, communications, housing and other spheres. Goa's quality of life indicators, its high per capita income, are eloquent testimonials to the remarkable all-round evolution of the State in a relatively short time span. 

The State is well-developed all over. Every village is connected with good roads and provided with electricity, tap water supply, educational facilities, shopping facilities, etc. 

Industrial development is uniform all over the State. Goa has 14 Govt owned industrial estates all over the territory in addition to private industrial purpose. Each of the State's thirteen tehsils (revenue centers) have an industrial estates, an industrial training institute, higher secondary level education facilities, etc. 

There are about 130 major industries already established in Goa. It boasts of over 5500 small-scale units, 50 percent of which are in the organized sector and the rest are in cottage and tiny industries category. 

Goa is often referred to as the investor friendly paradise. Indeed private entrepreneurs are discovering exciting avenues in Goa. There is a compelling attraction about Goa that no other state in the country can easily match. And there is a plethora of opportunities waiting to be tapped in the industry and service sector. 

Goa is rich and diverse in its natural resources base in the form of land, a disciplined work force, and an efficient communication system consisting of a 100 percent network of roads, with access to the remotest interior rural areas. Goa today has a full-fledged Internet connectivity, offering electronic pathways that form an essential infrastructure, frequently satellite-based, knits companies together. 

Goa has a natural port in Mormugao, as well as six minor ports, which have tremendous potential to improve trade facilities.

The State will be front runner in the development of the Indian economy due to the vast hinterland that it commands.

Today the State can be proud of the progress made in different areas like tourism, electronics, pharmaceuticals and agro-chemicals. It makes a substantial contribution of foreign exchange through mining and tourism to the national exchequer.

Goa has a number of industrial estates already set up. A variety of industries have flourished and currently the Government is planning to set up garment, electronic and software parks with satellite uplinking facilities. 

Goa has excellent infrastructure facilities available for fast paced growth and development of the State. Compared to the National pattern of industrial power consumption, the share of the industrial sector in the Goa power pie is much larger. The power supply situated is therefore more than comfortable for industrial users. Goa's per capita power consumption which is 690 kwh is good indicator to current power supply situation. Goa has sufficient water for domestic as well as industrial uses.

To cater for the future requirement the state Government has initiated the Selaulim Water Supply project. The Telecom facilities in Goa are on par with other metro cities in the country. Optical fibre provides high speed access to a wide range of Internet related services from e-mail to the www. Goa is the second State of the Country to achieve 100 percent automatic telephone system, with a very good network of telephone exchanges. 

Goa is linked by rail to all the major towns. South central railway and the introduction of Konkan railway will help the flow of traffic both passenger and as well as goods immensely. 

Goa enjoys the unique benefit of having a well developed internal water transport network formed by a grid of navigable rivers. This offers industries a most economical mode of transport for their goods and raw material throughout the State. The barges that ply the internal water network are swift, efficient and most important, reliable.

Major Resellers

Santan dias

Alpha computer systems

Aue marie building

Mangor hill

Goa

Tel: 403802

Mahesh S Kamat

Electronic Data Systems

Bainginim

Old Goa

Goa

Tel: 284370

E-mail: eds@im.eth.net

MK Saraswat

Sancoale Technologies

Opp Municipal Garden East

PB 109

Goa: 403802

Tel: 512651

Fax: 511751

E-mail: tech@sancoale.com 

Vinay Mahmbre

Impact Computer Services

G-7 Shrinivas Chambers

ST Jerome Road, Cross SBI Road

Mapusa

Goa: 403001

Tel: 263257

Manoj L Naik

DCM Data Systems Ltd

477 Khandiwada

Curchurem

Goa: 403706

Tel: 653291

E-mail: MANOJNAIK@REDIFFMAIL.COM 

Dhiren Mehta

Compuserve

115 Sirsat Building

Mapusa

Goa: 403507

Tel: 232079 / 70

E-mail: san_cs@satyam.net.in 

Bobby

Microciti

S-16, Ground Floor

Gharse Towers

MG Road

Goa

Tel: 424195 / 96

E-mail: microciti@im.eth.net 

Aldrin Dias

Computer Embassy

B-1, Loyala Housing Society

Ambajim Fatorda Road

Fatorda

Margao

Goa

BM Prabhu Desai

Ameya Computers

13/14, Sapna Arcade

Malbhat

Margao

Goa

Tel: 710114/710874

Fax: 738760

E-mail: BHAI@GOATELECOM.COM 

Mariano Souza

Soutech Systems

First Floor, Melquiedes Bldg

Vasco Da Gama

Goa: 403802

Tel: 501732/517611

E-mail: soutech@goatelecom.com 

Dhiren R Mehta

Magnamious Systems Pvt Ltd

Second Floor, Gautam Bldg

Opp Centurion Bank

MG Road

Panaji

Goa: 403001

Tel: 232071/424183

Fax: 232029

E-mail: MSPLGOA@GOATELECOM.COM 

Dhiren Mehta

Compuserve

115 Sirsat Building

Mapusa

GOA: 403507

Tel: 232079/70

E-mail: san_cs@satyam.net.in 

Agnelo Dsouza

Asic Technologies

Pelican Aparments, XA-1, First Floor

Left wing, Altinho Road

Panjim

Goa: 403001

Tel: 424291/428829

E-mail: asictec@goatelecom.com 

Priyaratha N

Allied Computers

213/A, Second Floor, Govinda Bldg

Panjim

Goa

Tel: 422721/226366

E-mail: npriya@yahoo.com 

Yogesh Palan

Avon Computers

Rosematias Chanber, Ground Floor

FL Gomes Road

Vasco Da Gam

Goa: 403802

Tel: 515050/517151

E-mail: avon@goatelecom.com 

Agnel Desa

Artek Systems

Vishal, Dr Braganza Pereira Road

Flat # 3, Ground Floor

St Inez

Panjim

Goa

Tel: 228204

E-mail: nel@goatelecom.com 

Avadhut Dhond 

Computer Source

7, Ground Floor, Shambhavi Appt

Dada Vaidya Road

Panjim

Goa: 403001

Tel: 221860

E-mail: csource@goatelecom.com 

Lenny Dcosta

Computer Time

S-1, Professional Center

Second Floor, Souza Towers

Opp. Municipal Garden

Panjim

Goa: 403001

Tel: 228467/222006

E-mail: ctime@goatelecom.com 

Aldrin Dias

Computer Embassy

B l, Loyala Housing Society

Ambajim- Fatorda Road

Margao

Goa

Tel: 727627 / 720037

E-mail: computerembassy@usa.net 

Steven Gomes

Cybernatics Computer Service

Off # 117, First Floor

Damodar College Rd

Margao

Goa: 403601

Tel: 711864

E-mail: stevengomes@goatelecom.com