Datta Damodar Naik

Datta Damodar Naik (born 30 December 1954) is an Indian businessperson and writer. He is the winner of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Konkani and is part of the Monginis group.

Early life Datta Damodar Naik was born on 30 December 1954.

In July 2026, a row erupted over an article on Shenoi Goembab written by him, leading to the withdrawal of his 1 crore donation to Konkani Bhasha Mandal and his resignation from the organisation, which was rejected.

Awards and accolades Naik was awarded the 2016 Sahitya Akademi Award in Konkani for his book, Jai ki Jui.

In January 2025, to celebrate his 70th birthday, he was felicitated at a function by politician and writer Shashi Tharoor, who presented Naik with a painting by artist Subodh Kerkar.

Personal life Naik is based in Margao. He is also a philanthropist and donated a sum of rupees one crore to the Konkani Bhasha Mandal.

Naik was also part of organisations and civil society movements such as Lokshakti. He also founded and convened the Dakshinayan Abhiyan in Goa.