This is a list of notable people from Goa, India. This list includes Goans and persons of Goan origin. The names are arranged in alphabetical order in their respective categories.
Bruno Souza (born 1925), Indian architect who was part of a group of architects who aimed to redefine the essence of modern architecture within the context of India.[1]
Gerard da Cunha, Goan origin, founder and principal architect of the architecture firm Architecture Autonomous. An alumnus of the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi, he is known for utilizing locally available materials and traditional construction techniques in harmony with its ecosystem[3]
Frederika Menezes, Goan author, poet and artist. She is best known for her book, Unforgotten (which was a love story for young adults, published in 2014). A poem of hers, The Different Normals, is yet to feature in English textbook of the Goa Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE)[10]
Laxman Pai, Indian artist and painter. He was a principal of the Goa College of Art, a post he held from 1977 to 1987. Pai was a recipient of several awards, including India's third highest civilian honour of Padma Bhushan, awarded by the Government of India.[12]
Mario Miranda (1926–2011), famous for his cartoons in The Illustrated Weekly of India; Padma Vibushan awardee[13]
Prafulla Dahanukar, Indian painter, a leader in modern Indian art who also helped and influenced many young artists in India.[14]
Subodh Kerkar, Indian painter, sculptor and installation artist, and founder of the private art gallery Museum of Goa. He is known for his artworks and installations.[15]
Tony Fernandes, Malaysian founder of Tune Air, owner of budget airline Air Asia. Father originally from Goa.[23]
Vasudev Salgaocar, Indian businessman, and the founder and chairman of the V. M. Salgaocar Group of Companies, active mainly in iron ore mining, but also in coal mining and wind energy[24]
Peter de Noronha, Goan origin, businessman and civil servant of Kanpur, India. He was knighted by Pope Paul VI in 1965 for his work for the Christian community in India.[28]
Bernardo Peres da Silva, of Neurá; appointed Prefect of Estado da Índia Portuguesa in 1835, the only Goan to hold a post equivalent to a Governor-General[32]
Rajendra Arlekar, 30th Governor of Bihar and 21st Governor of Himachal Pradesh[33]
José Gerson da Cunha (1844–1900), historian and Orientalist; wrote the first book on history of Bombay, The Origin of Bombay (1900), published by the Bombay branch of the Royal Asiatic Society[37]
Fitz R S de Souza, Goan origin, barrister-at-law and PhD from London; important figure in African politics; participated in Kenya's struggle for freedom[43]
António Fortunato de Figueiredo (1903–1981), conductor, violinist; founder-director of the Academia de Música (now Dept of Western Classical Music, Kala Academy); founder-director of the Orquestra Sinfónica de Goa (Goa Symphony Orchestra).[60]
Anthony Gonsalves (1927–2012), violinist; taught R.D. Burman and Pyarelal Ramprasad Sharma (a member of the Laxmikant Pyarelal team) and worked with most of the legendary composers of the 1950s and 1960s[61]
Mary D'Souza Sequeira became the First Indian Woman to Qualify for an Olympics at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics competing in the women's 100 and 200 metres race.
Lavy Pinto reached the semi-final of the men's 100 meters Race at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, the best ever performance by an Indian till date.
Neville D'Souza from Assagao scored a Hattrick in the quarter-finals against Australia as the Men's Football Team stood Fourth in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Fortunato Franco From Colvale was part of the Indian Men's Football team at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Anthony Francis Coutinho competes in the men's 4 × 100 metres relay, reaching the semi-final at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics
Stephie D'Souza competes in the Women's 400 meters Race of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Edward Sequeira from Arpora competes the Men's 5000 meters Race in the 1972 Munich Olympics
Dr Vece Paes was Part of the Men's Hockey Bronze Medal-winning team though He did not play a Match at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
Mervyn Fernandes was part of the Men's Hockey Team which won the gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He also was part of the Team at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympics.
José Gerson da Cunha, Goan physician who achieved international renown as an orientalist, historian, linguist and numismatist[95]
Acacio Gabriel Viegas, medical practitioner who was credited with the discovery of the outbreak of bubonic plague in Bombay, India, in 1896.[96]
Jaime Valfredo Rangel, Goan doctor, Director of Tipografia Rangel (Rangel Printing Press), President of the Municipal Council of Bardez (Mayor of Bardez) and a delegate to the International Labour Organization for Portugal.[97]
P. D. Gaitonde, surgeon from Goa and an active participant in the Goa liberation movement. Along with Antonio Colaco, Gaitonde was nominated by the President of India to the 3rd Lok Sabha in 1962, following the incorporation of Goa, Daman and Diu into India on 19 December 1961.[98]
Alvaro de Loyola Furtado, social worker, historian, journalist, medical practitioner and humanitarian. He was described as a leader among men, a man of great integrity and honour.[99]
Bhau Daji, Indian physician, Sanskrit scholar, and an antiquarian.[100]
Francisco Luís Gomes, Goan physician, writer, historian, economist, political scientist and MP in the Portuguese parliament. A classical liberal by political orientation, Gomes represented Portuguese India in the Cortes Gerais (parliament) from 1861 to 1869.[101]
Miguel Caetano Dias, medical doctor best known for his roles as chief of health services in Goa (Estado da Índia Portuguesa) and director of the Medical School of Goa (Escola Médico-Cirúrgica de Goa).[105]
P S Ramani, Indian neurosurgeon and writer from the state of Goa. He is known for his work in Newcastle and his neuro spinal surgery technique of "PLIF". He is currently the senior neuro spinal surgeon at Lilavati Hospital, Mumbai.[106]
Vincent Alvares, medical practitioner and chemist of his Majesty John V of Portugal. In 1713, he accompanied the General of the Arraial of Ponda, Antonio do Amaral Sarmento, to Sunda in Kanara.
M. C. Albuquerque, Indian physician. She was medical superintendent of the Vanivilas Women and Children Hospital in Bangalore, from 1937 to 1948.[107]
Wilfred de Souza, surgeon and politician from Goa, India. He served as Goa's chief minister on three occasions when he was a member of the Indian National Congress and the Goa Rajiv Congress Party, during his third tenure[108]
Mortó Dessai, medical analyst of Goan origin who worked in Goa and Portugal[109]
Otelo Saraiva de Carvalho, formerly a Portuguese military officer, was the chief strategist of the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Lisbon; was born in Lourenço Marques (now Maputo); Mozambique of some Goan ancestry
Pratapsingh Raoji Rane, longest serving Chief Minister (15 years and 250 days), longest serving MLA (1972–2022) and oldest speaker in Goan assembly history at (73 years) in 2012
Shamrao Madkaikar, was a freedom fighter and a leader of Communist Party of India from the Indian state of Goa. Madkaikar established the Gomantakiya Tarun Sangh in 1937 at Margao.
Shashikala Kakodkar, only woman Chief Minister and the youngest (38) serving Chief Minister
Shripad Naik, longest serving MP from Goa and the current MP of North Goa
Armando Menezes, Head of the Department of English St Xavier's College Bombay; Principal of Karnataka College Dharwad; Under-Secretary Education, Government of Maharashtra[112]
Climax Lawrence, most capped Goan International footballer and AIFF Player of the Year, 2005
Dilip Sardesai, former Indian international cricketer. He played Tests for the Indian national team as a batsman, the first Goa-born cricketer to play for India, and was often regarded as one of India's best batsmen against spin, although Indian batsmen have been known to play better against spin
Comedian Selvy, (1974–2022) playwright, singer, director and producer from Goa. Regarded as one of the greatest Konkani comedians of his generation.[122]
Edmer Barreto, Indian writer, director, and actor who primarily works on the Konkani stage.[123]
Hortencio Pereira, is a Konkani stage actor from Goa, India. He is a lyricist, writer, actor, comedian, and singer.[122]
John D'Silva, is an Indian Konkani actor, playwright and director. D'Silva is the first tiatrist to enter the Limca Book of Records in 2010 for acting, writing, directing and producing 25 tiatrs having a double alphabet in their titles.[122]
M. Boyer, is a writer, director and producer from Goa. He has produced over 35 plays, participated in more than 5000 performances, composing and singing over 1000 songs.[122]
Kamlakant Chari, Indian scenic designer known for his work on the Konkani stage.[124]
Mario Menezes (1960–2022), Indian actor, director, writer and prominent tiatrist. He primarily worked on the Konkani stage and was the vice president of Tiatr Academy Goa.[122]
Nevel Gracias (1964–2022), Indian actor, singer, composer, director, playwright, editor and diocesan priest from Goa. He predominantly worked on the Konkani stage and is best known for his lenten tiatrs.[122]
Pascoal de Chicalim, playwright and theatre director known for his tiatr productions like Devchaar (Devil).[127]
Prince Jacob, popular tiatrist and singer from Goa, India. He is "the most Famous man in Konkani Comedy".[122]
Roseferns, Indian actor and director who is a Konkani tiatrist. He popularly goes under the sobriquet King of centuries.[122]
Armand de Souza (1877–1922), founding editor of the Morning Leader in Ceylon; early freedom fighter; jailed by the British colonial government for advocating democracy, but was released following public protests; author of Hundred days in Ceylon under martial law in 1915;[130] father of Senator Doric de Souza (Professor of English) and the late editor of the Times of Ceylon, Tory de Souza
Chandrakant Keni, retired editor of Marathi daily Rashtramat and Konkani daily Sunaparant; former freelance journalist; was associated with the development of Konkani language; won Sahitya Academy Award for his book Ashadh Pawali[132]
Dom Moraes (1938–2004), won the American Press Club Citation for Excellence in Reporting, for some 20 articles he wrote for the New York Times Sunday Magazine; poet.[5]
Francisco Luís Gomes (1829–1869), Portuguese physician, politician, writer, historian, and economist.[5]
Frank Simoes, Goan advertising executive; author of Glad Season in Goa.[133]
Frank Moraes, editor of prominent newspapers in post-independence India, including The Indian Express[134]
Frederick Noronha, active in cyberspace and involved with e-ventures involving Goa, developmental concerns and free software.[135]
Frederika Menezes, Goan author, poet and artist. She is best known for her book, Unforgotten (which was a love story for young adults, published in 2014). A poem of hers, The Different Normals, is yet to feature in English textbook of the Goa Board of Secondary & Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE)[10]
Ian Fyfe (d. 2005), cricketer, coach and a sports journalist from Karachi, Pakistan.[136]
Ivo de Figueiredo (born 1966), Norwegian historian, biographer and critic of Goan origin[137]
J. Clement Vaz (1915–unknown) author of Profiles of Eminent Goans, Past and Present[5]
JoeGoaUk, pseudonymous Goa-based correspondent, photographer, photojournalist, and online activist[138]
Lambert Mascarenhas, author of the novel Sorrowing Lies My Land (1955); editor of the Goan Tribune; founder editor of Goa Today, former editor of The Navhind Times; won the State Cultural award.[5]
Leopoldo da Gama, Goan journalist and founder of the weekly Portuguese newspaper "A Convicção".[5]
Maria Aurora Couto, writer, academic and literary critic with books including Graham Greene: On the Frontier, Politics and Religion in the Novels, and Goa: A Daughter's Story.[139]
Olivinho Gomes (St Estevam, Goa, 1943—30 July 2009), eminent Konkani scholar and former acting vice chancellor of the Goa.[140]
Orlando da Costa (1929–2006), Communist Portuguese poet and writer of Goan descent, born in the capital of the former Portuguese colony of Mozambique, Maputo.[141]
Orlando Gomes (1925–2003), theatre critic and writer known for his previews, reviews and free advertisements for Konkani tiatrs.[142]
Ravindra Kelekar (born 1925), freedom fighter, writer and revivalist of the Konkani language.[143]
Sebastião Rodolfo Dalgado (1855–1922), from Assagão, linguist; knew Malayalam, Sinhala, Bengali, Kannada, Marathi, and Sanskrit; in 1892, he produced a Konkani-Portuguese dictionary and later a grammar[144]
Teotonio R. de Souza, historian, founder-director of Xavier Centre of Historical Research, Goa (1979–1994); Fellow of the Portuguese Academy of History; author of publications on Goan history and culture.[145]
Nilesh Naik (1970–1995), Goan environmental activist and farmworker; Goa's first environmental martyr[146]
Floriano Vaz (1963–1986), Indian writer and activist from Goa. First martyr of the scheduled tribe community who fought for the official status of the Konkani language during the Konkani language agitation.[147]
Dr. Rajendra Pandurang Kerkar, A renowned environmentalist and social activist from Goa, India, holds Master's degrees in History and Sociology and a Bachelor's in Education. He has received numerous awards for his tireless efforts in environmental conservation and social welfare, including the Wildlife Conservation Award and Green Teacher Award. Dr. Kerkar serves on various environmental committees, has authored several books on wildlife, environment, and socio-cultural heritage, and delivered over 7,000 lectures. His extensive work has earned him respect nationwide for his unwavering commitment to environmental conservation and social welfare.[148]
Neola Pereira, Indian environmentalist who is known for her participation in the #SaveMollem campaign[149]