After tourism, Goa could become the design capital of India
Have you heard of micro-airline services? It’s an aviation service operated between a coastline and islands by a low-flying yacht. The five-passenger craft used for the service flies at a height of 15 metres above the sea level to take you from a coast to an island destination five times faster than public ferries, and at competitive prices with high-end ferry fares.
Imagine an air-yacht that could take you from Dona Paula to Divar island or from Panjim to Chorao island, and reaching these islands in the blink of an eye. Such a flying yacht could well be designed in Goa.
This is what Deepak Pathania, chief design officer of UK-based Seahorse Air Limited and director at Design Intervention (India), is envisioning for Goa.
Pathania, who is also the founding member of Creative Community of Goa (CCG), made a presentation of the flying yacht, Seahorse H5, at the sixth edition of First Friday at Sadhana Dell ‘Arte in Merces, two kilometres from the capital city, Panjim.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Startup and IT Promotion Cell (SITPC), the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), and ADI Goa, along with CCG.
The line of discussion at this meeting was to develop Goa as India’s design capital. Going by the State’s ideal environment to organically produce designers, it has all the makings of becoming one.
Undoubtedly, Goa has got a creative vein. It’s, therefore, no wonder the State has produced so many artists, designers and architects. Names like late Charles Correa (architect), late Mario Miranda (Cartoonist) and Late Wendell Rodricks (fashion designer) are famous not just in Goa but across the country.
The line of discussion at this meeting was to develop Goa as India’s design capital. Going by the State’s ideal environment to organically produce designers, it has all the makings of becoming one.
But, the fresh burst of creativity from the state could well have a technological twist. And so, we are looking at designs like low-flying yacht. Founder of Roy.Studio and co-founder of Switch Saurav Roy’s immersive dance installations and experiential design were equally stunning.
At the design conference, Pathania stressed on the significance of a design policy to “guide government interactions with the design community”. Essentially, CCG’s vision is to establish Goa “as a globally recognised design powerhouse”.
The Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Tuem holds the potential to mark the establishment of a Design Village, further contributing to the growth and recognition of Goa as a thriving creative centre.
Neville Noronha, OSD to the Minister of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication, Goa
Articulating how a Goa, with a creative-bend, would be in future, Neville Noronha, OSD to the Minister of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication, Goa, said, “We want to foster development of creative talent in Goa and encourage them to build their products here. Through initiatives like the Global Opportunities Aggregator (GOA), the Startup and IT Promotion Cell (SITPC) aims to harness the potential of creative talent by providing access to resources, mentorship, and collaborative opportunities”.
He further added, “The Electronic Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) at Tuem holds the potential to mark the establishment of a Design Village, further contributing to the growth and recognition of Goa as a thriving creative centre. We are also working on building more co-working spaces and progressing towards the Digital Nomad visa”.