One of Goa?s oldest IT startup, Androcid, is covering major milestones on the work front, discovers Shoma Patnaik Recently IT company, Androcid, founded by Prajyot Mainkar, was in news for a significant achievement in its repertoire of products. The startup built an app for Grozip, a company from Odisha that facilitates B2B and B2C delivery of products in major cities of India. The app caters to online delivery of milk. Using the app Grozip tied up with�a milk co-operative, viz. the Orissa State Cooperative Milk Producers? Federation ( OMFED)�to train four lakh dairy farmers on digital literacy and deliver their milk and milk products at consumers doorsteps. For Goans the app and its use is too distant to be interesting, but for Androcid, a local firm operating out of an office in Panjim, it is a major accomplishment. To Mainkar the Grozip app is important for a reason. It is the first Goan app developed within the state to become a part of Alibaba Business School?s E-founders Fellowship programme mentored by Jack Ma, the Chinese business magnet and founder of Alibaba, he reveals. ?It is important to us because it is totally made in Goa, developed out of our company premises and by local IT engineers.? Mainkar says that, it is first time wherein a company from the state has built something that has undergone the fellowship program of�celebrity achiever-Jack Ma. Elaborating on the app, he says that it is a logistics channel will help to train four lakhs dairy farmers on digital literacy. Using it farmers in milk co-operatives located in various parts of Odisha will be able to undertake delivery of milk at just Rs99 per subscription. Mainkar?s bigger aim in life is to use technology to build products that solve daily problems faced by masses and the Grozip app is bang on. It is a mass product used by humble dairy farmers in Odisha.� Elaborating on the app development, he says that, it took around two months to build the entire technology and a team of three worked on the project. ?We are looking to scale up the technology as we are finding a huge demand potential,? he says. In IT circles, Mainkar is known as the Android man of Goa for being one of the first few to work on Android based applications and nurturing the local IT startup community. He founded� Androcid in 2012. The company mainly works in mobile design and development. The team comprises 16 engineers recruited from local engineering colleges. ?In seven year of existence we have developed over 150 apps for domestic and foreign clients,? he says. ?It?s been a good 2018 and we wish to continue the same synergy in 2019,? he adds. He discloses that, emerging technologies will play important role in 2019 and the company would aim to develop products using latest technologies. Androcid was one of the winners of the 2017 CM?s Startup award, instituted by EDC. Besides catering to B2B and B2C clients the company, is also known for the Unexplored Goa app that was developed as a part of its community engagement initiative. The Unexplored Goa app has over 5000 active installs and using it one can�choose from over 300 services. Listing a service on the app is free.�?Shops and sService providers can also list their services. The�Androcid�team verifies the details and puts it live on the app.�It is to make people digitally aware by providing a medium to showcase their services online. Not just�a taxi, but they can even list their shops and establishments. Users can post services and this will allow people who are in professions such as plumbing, carpentry, etc., to go digital,? explains Mainkar. He adds that, within the Unexplored Goa app, there is a facility which helps travelers with information about the latest events in the locality. Androcid�had also�run Goa?s largest crowdsource campaign during demonetization as ATM Finder. A community minded person himself, Mainkar� is also the chairman of the GCCI?s IT Committee. He discloses that, the company is the only IT company in the state whose three apps have got selected in Facebook?s FB Start Program. While several Goan IT companies have changed location to metro cities, Mainkar says that, he is satisfied to be operating in the state. ?From the customer point of view our location is a bit of a problem at times,? he says, but adds, that Goa?s reputation as a destination for IT startups is getting better over the year. ?In future we may even move outside if necessary but Goa will remain the headquarter of our company,? he swears. He adds that, information based apps that specilise in daily problems have a great future as people increasingly need real-time information at all times.