GOA | October 16, 2026 — The ASSOCHAM Goa State Council hosted the "GI Conclave - Enhancing Protection & Promotion of Products with Geographical Importance" at Fortune Miramar, bringing together key policymakers, industry leaders, educators, Government Stakeholders, SMEs, and IPR and agricultural experts.

Key Highlights of conclave:

Release of Coffee Table Book: ASSOCHAM, in collaboration with knowledge partner Resolute4IP, unveiled an official Coffee Table Book detailing Goa’s Geographical Indications (GIs) at the hands of the Chief Guest.

• Chief Guest — Shri Subhash Shirodkar (Hon’ble Minister for WRD, Cooperation & Provedoria, Govt. of Goa) in his inspiring address urged youth and farmers to pursue agricultural entrepreneurship seriously and study the success models of the adjacent states to replicate in our state for business growth. He recommended growing high-value crops (e.g., brown rice) and preserving near-extinct organic heritage items like bhindachi sola and atmachi sola.He advised stakeholders to leverage state water infrastructure schemes and subsidies to commercialize GI products.
• Guest of Honor — Shri Nikhil Desai, IAS (Secretary, Dept. of Agriculture, Handicraft, Textile & Coir, Govt. of Goa). He emphasized cultivating local resources like coir and bamboo while scaling high demand produce (mango, jackfruit leather). In his special address highlighted the role of 3,000+ local food processing units in Goa  (many led by women) and called for greater supermarket access and export integration. He also stated that a pack house and agri-logistics facility will be established at Mopa Airport in December 2026 to boost Goan produce exports. He further stressed the need of establishing incubation centers and processing facilities in Goa for boosting GI and agro-food processing.

A high-impact panel discussion titled "Integrating Local Heritage into Hospitality: Building Direct Farm-to-Table Supply Chains for Goa’s GI Commodities & Agricultural Produce” engaged Industry leaders from TTAG, GCMA, NRAI & GCFDBA, explored avenues for connecting local producers with the hospitality sector. Demonstrating a strong support to local growth, the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) and the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI – Goa Chapter) completed a ceremonial handover of Letters of Intent (LOI) to the Directorate of Agriculture, Govt. of Goa. This initiative supports "GOA FRESH" launched on October 2nd under the Swayampurna Goa – Vocal for Local Program (SG-VLP) in the special presence of the Union Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development & Farmers Welfare, Govt. of India. The conclave also featured comprehensive technical sessions featured leading experts addressing critical themes.

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