Business Goa December 2020

DECEMBER 2020

VOL 6 ISSUE 12 PANAJI GOA

RNI No.: GOAENG/2015/59955

GOA’S ONLY BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INDUSTRY DOSSIER

STAKEHOLDERS SEEK MORE FROM DRAFT FENI POLICY SARAH TODD: CHEF, MODEL, ENTREPRENEUR, TV SHOW STAR

CII ANNUAL TOURISM SUMMIT

Christmas amidst a pandemic can still be merry, as some businesses are showing that the season can be enjoyed differently, the ‘new normal’ way

AMIN LADAK INTERVIEW

SHEFALI CORDEIRO STARTING YOUNG

KISMOOR

BON APPÉTIT

WAKAO FOODS GOAN BRAND

NEWS VIEWS ARTICLES INTERVIEWS PROFILES FOCUS ANALYSIS OPINIONS EVENTS FEATURES

PANAJI Mascarenhas Building, No. 36, MG Road, Ozari, Panaji, Goa 403001 Tel.: 222 43 43 PORVORIM Nova Cidade Complex 7 & 8, Porvorim, Penha de Franรงa, Goa 403521 Tel.: 241 54 80 MAPUSA No. 5/6, Coscar Corner, Next To State Bank of India, Tali Wada, Behind Union Pharmacy, Mapusa, Goa 403507 Tel.: 226 25 68 VASCO 1 & 2, Mamta Apartments, Opp. Karma Empress, Mundvel, Swatantra Path, New Vaddem, Goa 403802 Tel.: 090495 53336 MARGAO Florida Building, 3 & 4, Abade Faria Rd, Margao, Goa 403601 Tel.: 270 60 15

CONTENTS Cover Story 12

Christmas amidst a pandemic can still be merry, as some businesses are showing that the season can be enjoyed in the ‘new normal’

Focus Goa: Tourism 18

CII’s Annual Tourism Summit puts forth its Tourism Policy Dashboard 3.0 which details critical areas that needs attention

Focus Goa: Feni 20

12

The draft Feni Policy by the Goa University evokes more expectations by stakeholders

Focus Goa: Elections 22

Zilla Panchayat elections sees BJP winning 33 seats out of 49 seats, while Congress lags way behind with just 4 seats

Starting Young 24

Shefali Cordeiro, architect and owner of Line and Dot Studio on designing modern, contemporary spaces

34

32

Enterprise 28

41

Corporate Deck aims to bring together professionals through their boutique workspaces and meeting rooms

Goan Brand 30

Wakao Foods offers a range of naturally, grown, plant based products in ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook forms

Professional Dossier 32 38

24

As a model, mother, chef, cookbook author, restaurateur and star of TV shows, Sarah Todd has a finger in every pie

30

Interview 34

Chairman of Goa Management Association, Amin Ladak speaks about his plans for the organisation

Lady Power 38

Dr. Prita Mallya, Principal of Shree Damodar College highlights her journey from a school teacher to Principal

28

Bon Appétit 56

Kismoor, a resto-bar, is a tropical paradise, foodie’s delight and music lover’s haven

56

COLUMNS

48 Beyond Classroom

52 Money Matters

49 Uncomplicate Business

54 Ad-Venture

Dr. Pradeep Salgaonkar speaks on the importance of communication in companies and ways of getting it right Sunil Dias explains the seven steps while planning a meeting to making it more efficient and effective

50 Corporate Citizen

Daniel Albuquerque explains a case which India lost at the International Arbitration Tribunal and deals with the legally thorny issue of retrospective financial legislation

04 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

VB Prabhu Verlekar explains the concept of ‘Faceless Assessments’ for filing of Income Tax without any human intervention Prabhkar Mundkur speaks on how Covid-19 has affected the advertising industry and how advertisers have been forced to re-think their strategies

06 Editorial 08 Corpo Scan 36 Campus 37 BookShelf 40 Real Estate 41 Tribute 42 Event 43 Technology 44 Biz Bytes 58 Newsmakers 58 BG Quiz

EDITORIAL Lib-Day Ideas DECEMBER 2020 Publisher & Editor Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Co-Publisher & Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly Advisory Board Datta Damodar Naik Ralph de Sousa Dr. Vivek Mendonsa Rajiv D’Silva Swapnil Kamat Business Head Annalise Gouveia Chief Reporter Sybil Rodrigues Admin & Accounts Ashok Kolvekar Distribution & Logistics Mayur Santinezkar Contributors in this Issue Daniel Albuquerque Dr Krishna Gopal Rajanala Prabhakar Mundkur Dr Pradeep Salgaonkar Sunil Dias V B Prabhu Verlekar

Editorial, Advertising & Administrative Office

Business Goa

409, Citicentre, EDC Patto Plaza, Panaji, 403001 Goa India Tel.: 0832-2437822 Email: businessgoa.media@gmail.com Unsolicited material may not be returned. The opinions in columns and other stories expressed in Business Goa Industry Dossier are not necessarily that of the publishers and the Publisher/Editor shall not be held liable for any inaccuracy or otherwise.

While great care is being taken to ensure accuracy of information, the publishers are not responsible for omissions or incorrect information. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers.

As Goa steps into the 60th year since its liberation from Portuguese yoke in December 1961, people have witnessed a sea change in its economic landscape.

Once a feudal economy, largely dealing with agricultural produce and commodities, and later iron ore and manganese mining, the State has transformed itself into a tourism hub. The services sector – travel, hospitality, events, technology – is the wave that will catapult Goa to the next level.

With big brands like Marriott, Hilton, Taj, Leela, Radisson present in Goa, sharing their international best practices, Goa’s performance is sure to be elevated to a global level.

We also have a buzzing restaurant culture, with hundreds of shacks and fine dining options, along the coastline and in towns across the State.

The manufacturing sector led by national giants like Zuari Agro Chemicals, MRF, Ciba Giegy and local companies like CMM and ACGL brought in industrial change.

The pharma sector was buttressed by Goan industries like Wallace Pharmaceuticals, Geno Pharma, Indoco and Glenmark.

International names like Sanofi Aventis and Wyatt Pharma also helped to bring in global benchmarks to the State.

Trade grew along with revenues. From being small pasarkars (shopkeepers), Goans now have multi-brand malls and multilocation superstores. We also have a robust automobile dealership network with the best, and most-aspired-for, brands available across the State.

The banking sector will tell you that the State has first-world indicators and lifestyle.

Despite the 8-year financial drought brought in by mining closure, many local banks have stood their ground.

In all this, Goan youngsters upgraded themselves with education – especially higher education and professional training – and gave life to the vision spelled out by Goa’s first Chief Minister, late Dayanand Bandodkar.

Now, 60 years later, Goa is on the cusp of

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly change.

A large part of the State is a safe haven for digital nomads and creative professionals. The pandemic has made geography irrelevant. Top professionals and C-suite occupants are making Goa their home and would prefer to work from here.

This will be a challenge to the demography because, let us admit, Goans, more often than not, are possessive of their land and view neo-settlers with a sense of suspicion and aloofness.

We are left with little choice but to change with changing times.

I have said this in the past, and I reiterate, that Goa needs to bank on its home-grown startups to take it to the next level. Apart from a few events to show that there is something transpiring on the startup scene, nothing of real value seems to happen on the ground.

Many techpreneurs are struggling for want of funds, mentoring and government support. In these times, when every State in the country is looking at its startup ecosystem as a harbinger of change and employment generation, our government seems oblivious to the crying needs of startups and is moving far away from its stated goal to make Goa one of the preferred destinations in Asia to house startups.

While we may provide a cocoon to startups from across India to make their home in Goa, it would be dangerous to ignore the needs of our local startup founders.

Associations like GCCI, GSIA, CII and others have been crying hoarse to look at the ‘ease of doing business’ ranking in the proper spirit of the term and not just the point system that would inch the State up or down in the rankings.

These are precarious times for industry and startups to fend for themselves, and we have to ask our government to pull out all stops to support businesses, like it has never before. This would be a great thing to do with the funds the Centre will send Goa’s way to celebrate 60 years of liberation

Printed, published and owned by Harshvardhan V. Bhatkuly and printed at Elegant Offset Printers, D2-31, Tivim Industrial Estate, Karaswada, Mapusa Goa 403526 and published at 409, Citicentre, EDC Patto Plaza, Panaji, Goa 403001. Editor: Harshvardhan V. Bhatkuly

06 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

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2 Departments introduce auto-renewal facility to stimulate ‘Ease of Doing Business’ In order to promote ‘Ease of Doing Business’ for industrial units in the State, the government has introduced auto-renewal facility in two key departments – Labour and Legal Metrology.

Auto-renewal facility in the Labour Department will now be available for registrations under three labour laws. These include the Goa, Daman and Diu Shops and Establishments Act and Rules, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 and Rules and Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 and Rules.

The services of these Departments are mostly availed by the local units.

The facility is for those establishments that have

obtained their registration certificates or licences through online mode and whose data is available in the system.

The notification states that once auto renewal is complete, units will be issued a digital certificate that can be downloaded by logging onto the labour department portal under the log-in credentials of the applicant.

In case of auto-renewal facility in the Legal Metrology Department, it is under the centralised inspection of the State’s single-window system.

The centralised system saves industrial establishments from being subject to repetitive inspections for compliance under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and Rules, says a press report

The Tourism Department has begun conducting physical checks to ascertain if all hotels that have commenced operations have necessary approvals to resume. Teams formed by the Department are examining if prior permissions were obtained by them and show cause notices were issued to those that did not, said Tourism Director Menino D’Souza.

D’Souza stated that the action has been initiated after it was brought to their notice that some hotels are taking bookings illegally. Under the Disaster Management Act, which has been in force owing to the pandemic, hotels desiring to resume their activities afresh need to give an undertaking that they will comply with standard operating procedures (SOPs) for hotels issued by the Central as well as the State governments. Only such hotels are given permission.

As many as 1,131 hotels have been given permission

by the Department so far.

D’Souza said that the Tourism Department is required to share data on hotels that have begun with the District Collectors. He said no complaints were filed against hotels for flouting SOPs, and in fact, all are enforcing the norms. Nilesh Shah, president of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), as well as other hoteliers had stated that bigger hotels, mostly starred, have been able to sustain themselves as tourists preferred them due to the perception that starred hotels will not compromise on SOPs. A hotelier said that initially, though they suspected that many would start operations without taking permissions from the Tourism Department, it is not so. “Very few have done it and they are mostly with poor visibility, the smaller hotels.

More importantly, hotels are not willing to take the risk when tourists’ inflow is less,” he said

Tourism Department to turn heat on hotels operating without permission

08 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

Mining firms seek legislative remedy Even as the State government has been pushing for auctioning of iron ore mining leases, Goa’s mining industry empasised on a legislative ‘cure’ for early resumption of mining. The mining industry’s push for a legislative solution came to the fore at a joint meeting held in New Delhi, which was attended by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant.

Dr Sawant, Chief Secretary Parimal Rai, Advocate General of Goa Devidas Pangam, representatives of the Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association and other stakeholders from the mining industry held detailed discussions with Union Mines Minister Prahlad Joshi and Union mines secretary Anil Kumar Jain on the ways to resume mining operations.

At the joint meeting, GMOEA representatives stressed that the government should go for a legislative remedy for early resumption of mining activities.

GMOEA stated in a statement released after the meeting that it made submissions at the meeting,

seeking a legislative ‘cure’ for mining resumption.

GMOEA stated that the Union Mines Ministry will evaluate all options for early resumption of mining. It is pertinent to note here that a few days back Dr Sawant stated that the government has been working on options like auctioning of mining leases or formation of a staterun mineral corporation for early mining resumption.

After discussions on the mining imbroglio, Joshi suggested to the Goa government to send its proposal, which will be considered positively by the Centre

Goa bags ‘Best Performing Small State’ Award from India Today Group was done by India Goa has won India Today Group during Today’s award as the his tenure as the ‘Best Performing Chief Minister.

Small State’ besides He further stated being ‘Best State that he dedicates in Tourism, these awards to the Infrastructure and people of Goa and Economy Sectors.’ congratulates them Chief Minister for their support Dr. Pramod Sawant and cooperation said that he was to the government delighted and proud Dr Pramod Sawant for achieving this to announce that milestone. “With continued Goa has topped the list as support and cooperation of the ‘Best Performing Small the people our State shall State’ in the 19th edition of continue to prosper and scale the annual State of the States greater heights,” he said.

Survey 2020 by India Today The Chief Minister said Group. that the government has Dr. Sawant stated that the begun various programmes assessment of performance under ‘Swayampurna Goem’ was done from April 2019 to initiative, which will help Goa March 2020 and expresses his to become self-reliant happiness that this assessment

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Goa Government reworking labour rules in line with central laws The State government has begun the process to tweak the labour rules based on the three new labour laws enacted

by Parliament, said Labour and Employment Secretary Sanjay Kumar. He stated that the State government plans to digitise the entire labour department by integrating the Goa Labour Department platform with the Central Department.

Kumar, while speaking at the day-long webinar organised by the Confederation of Indian

Industry - Goa, said that the Goa IT department is already working on the back-end systems for the State portal.

“We were prepared for the new rules and the IT backbone was ready,” Kumar said. “The question is to bring the new rules as early as possible. We have to reframe them, considering the central legislation and we are working on that.” Kumar said that the Goa government had already amended the labour laws and extended benefits to local industries well before the

Goa’s mining review petitions to be examined by Supreme Court in January

The Goa government’s review petitions against the Supreme Court’s judgment shutting down all iron ore mines in the State since March 2018 have come on board for examination on January 21.

All four review petitions filed on November 19 and 20 last year, as also four review petitions of Vedanta filed this year, have been clubbed together for hearing in a detailed order passed by the Bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee, while deferring the hearing of Vedanta Limited’s case to February 4.

The order says: “Let the review petitions be circulated in Chambers on 21 January

2021.” The review petitions are usually examined in the chamber and the judgment is pronounced without allowing the lawyers of the parties to argue.

The State government’s petitions challenge the judgment passed by a 2-judge Bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta on February 7, 2018, quashing renewal of all 88 mining leases.

The government and Vedanta Limited have made Goa Foundation, Rama Ladu Velip and Sudip N Tamankar as respondents as their petitions resulted in the order resulting in the shutting down Goa’s mines for the second time

Read the Voice of Business in Goa www.businessgoa.in

10 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

Centre introduced the new laws. Parliament had passed three labour code bills – the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020; the Industrial Relations Code, 2020; and the Code on Social Security, 2020 – as part of much-needed labour reforms.

“A lot of clarity will come once the rules are put in place. Labour laws have not been been looked at for many years. This is a step in the right direction of amalgamating the labour laws into four labour

codes,” said Director, Human Resources for India and SAARC at Commscope India, Ravi Rebello.

CII-Goa Chairman Blaise Costabir said that the new labour codes have a lot of benefits for the private sector as the labour norms are expected to be uniform across States. “What we have to look for and ensure is that States do not run away with their own rules. The IT platform will not only keep things online but will also keep everybody in line,” Costabir said

Task force in place to introduce Covid-19 vaccine in Goa

The Goa government has constituted a block task force headed by a subdivisional magistrate for the introduction of Covid-19 vaccine.

The nineteenmember task force will monitor progress of a database of beneficiaries in the preparatory phase to be shared with the district authorities for upload on Cowin software.

Other tasks under this phase will involve ensuring training of human resources on Co-win software, monitoring progress of key activities such as micro planning, communication planning, cold chain and vaccine logistic planning as well fixing accountability for each task. It will undertake planning and mapping of vaccination sessions wherein healthcare workers will be vaccinated during the 1st phase of Covid-19 vaccine roll out. Further, it will identify vaccinators across government and private sectors to minimize disruption of routine immunization services while introducing the vaccine. The task force’s responsibilities will also include mapping human resources across departments that could be deployed for vaccination sessions for verification

of beneficiaries, crowd management and overall co-ordination at the session site. The implementation phase will begin upon the availability of the vaccine. It will have to monitor the rollout of vaccine in the block for progress made and resolve bottlenecks. It will also have to arrange manpower as well as infrastructure including vehicles, if needed, from the district and other departments for implementation and monitoring while seeing that there is a minimal disruption of other routine health services during the roll-out.

The task force will have to ensure that every session of vaccination is supervised.

Implementing communication plan while addressing the local context and also dealing with rumour mongering, if any, by using local influencers including religious leaders to counter misinformation; will form part of the job.

It will have to keep information, education and communication (IEC) material pertaining to covid-19 vaccination is displayed at prominent places and at sessions’ sites as also to ensure that incentives to people engaged in Covid-19 vaccination drive are disbursed on time

COVER STORY

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Christmas amidst a pandemic can still be merry, as some businesses are showing that the season can be enjoyed differently, the ‘new normal’ way

aster, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Diwali have all gone by and like everything else in 2020, they’ve felt really different. Now Christmas is here... And let’s face it; it’s going to feel different, too.

It can be disappointing to be unable to celebrate Christmas with all the usual effects, but it’s okay to grieve the loss of normal.

Goa which was the epicenter of India when it comes to Christmas and New Year celebrations has toned down its usual glitz and glamour when it comes to celebrating the season.

After a year of battling coronavirus and financial losses, families are anxious to get together again and celebrate. While the usual hustle bustle in the markets may be missing, a few hotels have gone all out and have held tree lighting ceremonies and the annual cake mixing functions.

Some luxury hotels have gone ahead and have planned a curated list of experiences and events in order to add to the merriment of the season, keeping

all safety precautions and procedures in mind.

Once a part of a Goan Christmas celebration, one wants to partake in it every year. What with the pandemic around, beach side luxury villas, bungalows and apartments all over Goa, have thrown open their doors and are welcoming people to the State offering discounts and attractive packages. Thanks to the ‘Work from Home’ culture, more and more people are coming to Goa in order to enjoy a Goan holiday away from their homes.

Individual bakeries and budding home bakers who made the best possible use of time during the lockdown, have upped their skills and are offering personalised Christmas hampers in order to spread the joy of the season.

While the usual merry making and revelry will be missed, one can still make the most of the holiday season, with small intimate gatherings at various hotels celebrating the festivities.

12 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

The wise thing to do right now seems to be to plan a Christmas that can’t be shaken or stirred by the temperaments of the virus. Quiet, socially distanced, and intimate with more of nights in than nights out, is what will define Christmas this year.

Whatever December may bring, one thing is that it can’t steal is the spirit of Christmas. Just as we’ve adapted to a lot of what’s being called ‘the new normal’ we will also adapt to new ways to celebrate Christmas. And it will continue to be as heart-warming as ever.

Much as it’s going to be a Merry ‘Christ-mask’ from our home to yours and with ‘Wish we were Christ-masing together’, you all are essential to us. While all we want for Christmas is a vaccine, we are definitely dreaming of a better Christmas.

Here’s wishing our esteemed readers and advertisers a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2021

@businessgoamagazine

Christmas Wonderland at Fortune Miramar

I

mmerse yourself in the colours and chronicles of Christmas this season at Fortune Miramar as the hotel is all decked up with a host of events to ensure that you have a jolly good time. So put on your dancing shoes and wear your masks as this season, Fortune Miramar has left no stone unturned to ensure your safety and well-being as you revel in style.

In view of the pandemic, Fortune Miramar have invested strongly to attain the highest hygiene standards are followed across the property, that ensures the wellbeing of all its guests. From automated thermal scanners, multiple sanitisation stations, Contactless Check Ins to QR Based Self Service and Socially Distanced Sitting at the Restaurants and introducing a very popular multi-course fine dining home delivery service.

You can kick off your Christmas celebrations by making your very own and fully customisable Christmas hampers and gift them to your loved ones, this merry season. Choose from Fortune Miramar’s wide selection of seasonal goodies such as Christmas cakes, cookies, wine, chocolates, tarts, pies and more. These hampers are available from 15th December onwards.

Spread the Christmas Cheer by swaying to the melodious voices of young serenaders as they sing carols spreading love, joy and peace.

The upside-down Christmas Tree displayed at Fortune Miramar

Sip on mulled wine and enjoy decadent plum pudding as you listen to the carols from 20th December, 6.30 pm onwards.

Christmas Eve Dinner Celebrate the birth of Christ with near and dear ones; strengthen bonds with family and friends over a four course, sit-down Christmas Eve dinner.

Choose from a selection of delicious appetizers, warm soups, scrumptious mains and decadent desserts. For just Rs.1000/- plus taxes on 24th December 2020, 8 pm onwards. Listen to the foottapping beats by Agnelo.

Outdoor alfresco seating is

also available.

Christmas Lunch Enjoy a spirited Christmas, four course lunch with friends and family on 25th December 2020. Feast on a choice of appetizers, soups, mains and desserts while listening to live music by Ashley Afonso at just Rs. 1000/- plus taxes, 12.30 pm onwards. Outdoor alfresco seating is also available.

New Year’s Eve Welcome the New Year in splendour with a lavish New Year gala dinner on 31st December 2020. Feast on a large buffet spread featuring an array of cuisines from

across the world with live stations of fresh seafood, succulent meats, carving stations, choice of Western, Mediterranean, Asian, Indian main courses and delectable desserts for just Rs. 2,500/per head, plus taxes from 8 pm onwards. Dance to live music by the popular Entre Nos which include the talented musicians Omar, Nadia and Selwyn; Nini de Sousa will also feature making it a fabulous night that you would not want to miss to ring in the new year. Outdoor alfresco seating is also available.

New Year’s Day Make the first day of the year marvellous by indulging in an irresistible four-course New Year lunch on 1st January 2021. Rest assured, you will have a marvellous time as Angelo will keep you entertained with his popular beats. Request for your favourite songs and sway to the rhythm, at Rs. 1000/- plus taxes at 12.30 pm onwards.

Outdoor alfresco seating is also available.

Fortune Miramar has built a reputation by providing world-class service and exceptional meals and beverages catering to your every need. Right from value pricing, to valet parking, 24hour dining at their acclaimed multicuisine restaurant and their hospitable staff.

Fortune Miramar has taken a revolutionary step of combining luxury with affordability

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 13

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Grand Hyatt Goa rings in the festivities with its annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony I t’s the most Jaco Le Roux, General Manager wonderful time of the year, and Grand Hyatt Goa greets the festive season with its annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony by the side of the 17th century chapel at the Resort.

Set along the lawns of the Resort, the celebration marked the launch of the ultimate goal for Care and weekly Sunset BBQ, a Compassion is to help kids barbeque affair with magical live a normal life like any sunsets, sundowners, live other privileged child in terms music and great food and of education, food, health, drinks, every weekend. care and love. Each child The ceremony also played came along with their artistic host to the kids from Care impression of what Christmas and Compassion Goa, based means to them; of which the at Santa Cruz, a safe home best four received goodies to for kids coming from not so share and take back home. fortunate backgrounds. The Over the last couple of years,

the team at Grand Hyatt Goa has helped the kids become a part of a much bigger family at the Resort. The dreamy evening was elevated by young kids with their melodious Christmas carols, while DJ Alina set the perfect mood for the rest of the evening. The ceremony progressed with an evening of gastronomical indulgence, where guests

were treated with a menu that was curated and personally prepared by Jaco Le Roux, General Manager; who spent most of the evening cooking and serving guests alongside the chefs by the BBQ pit.

The annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony marks the beginning of the festivities for the Grand Hyatt Goa for December 2020

A festive affair has come to town at IHCL, Goa

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evel in the festive fervour with an assortment of traditional Christmas delights, an array of exquisite gift hampers and a plethora of gourmet celebrations at the iconic beach resorts and landmark city hotels of IHCL, Goa. Join in the celebration as the Christmas Festivities unfold a curated list of experiences and events bringing together an exciting blend of fun and merriment.

Share the spirit of giving as you choose from a host of special curated gift hampers filled with the goodness of the

festive season and a variety of all-time favourite Christmas delights including the traditional Christmas Plum Cake, Plum Pudding, Stolen Bread, assorted Christmas Cookies, Santa Chocolates and much more.

An array of authentic festive preparations from across the globe come together at IHCL, Goa’s award winning all-day dinning and

14 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

speciality restaurants, s h o w c a s i n g signature Christmas preparations from across the globe amidst yuletide celebrations and picturesque backdrops.

Plans commence at Taj Hotel & Convention Centre, Goa, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa Goa, Taj Fort Aguada Resort &

Spa Goa, Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa Goa, Cidade de Goa - IHCL SeleQtions Goa, and Vivanta Goa, Panaji

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Christmas goodies at Monginis

CMM ARENA’s Christmas Offer

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ew Millennium Bakers, manufacturing franchisee of Monginis having state-ofthe-art bakery at Verna, with a network of 70 cake shops in Goa, Sindhudurg and Karwar have introduced an amazing range of specially made Christmas goodies at an absolutely affordable rate.

It includes rich plum cakes and fruit cakes, special occasion cakes, biscuits, X’mas theme gateaux, cup cakes,

chocolate confectionery and other X’mas goodies and Christmas Hampers which can make perfect corporate gifts as also gifts to friends and relatives.

New Millennium Bakers has achieved 85% of preCovid sales and the firm has not terminated the services of any employee during lockdown period as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

16 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

MM ARENA, Goa’s largest retailer in furniture, appliances and décor has announced its Christmas promotions in store from December 3rd.

Your entire home appliances, furniture, furnishings and décor are under one roof from economic to premium range with easy payment options including easy finance.

CMM ARENA products are stable, durable, have value

for money with assured after sales service. Offers include free lounge chair with TV or sofa sets, free bar stool with refrigerator, free chandelier with bedroom sets, free 18 piece dinner sets with dining sets, up to 55% off on work from home furniture and more. Best price guarantee and assured gift with every purchase. CMM ARENA also has an online presence @ cmmarena.com

FOCUS GOA / TOURISM

business-goa

Revamping Tourism Ideas for India

CII’s Annual Tourism Summit puts forth their Tourism Policy Dashboard 3.0 which details critical areas that needs attention

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By SYBIL RODRIGUES

he unprecedented COVID-19 induced crisis has led to a shutdown of the travel and tourism industry; and has placed significant pressures on the entire economy. CII estimates suggest that the entire value chain linked to travel and tourism is likely to lose around 5 lakh crore or US$65.57 billion, with job losses reaching 2 crores in the sector. The coronavirus puts a furrow on the Indian tourism industry, as domestic and international travel plans are shrouded with a veil of uncertainty. In this growing time of uncertainty, it is imperative that a new-normal for the tourism industry is establishment. A model needs to be fabricated that inculcates multiple dimensions of the proposed new-normal, with the revival of the sector at the forefront along with the efforts of industry and government.

The CII Annual Tourism Summit, held recently, provided the necessary platform for all the stakeholders of the industry to converge, and help create a blueprint for the post COVID-19 world. There have been curated sessions that plan to refurbish certain locations while creating a best practices model that can be followed to help India stimulate its domestic tourism, while envisioning a future that will help drastically increase our international tourist footfall and put India back on the map.

Addressing the inaugural session of the CII Annual Tourism Summit, Dr. Pramod Sawant, Chief Minister of Goa highlighted that the State has launched a new Tourism Policy which will help the government push the systematic development of the sector. “This Policy

has been framed to offer the unique Goan experience to visitors by presenting a mix of holistic, natural and cultural locations and attractions.

This Policy will be the backbone for crucial decision of planning, development and marketing. Goa is also working on creating a robust system where small hospitality players can be brought under a single portal to help boost ease of doing business.”

Puneet Chhatwal, Chairman, CII National Committee on Tourism and Hospitality and MD & CEO IHCL, expressed that five broad areas need to be addressed to build a stronger more sustainable and resilient tourism economy; “Reopening the tourism economy, restoring traveler confidence, relooking at infrastructure and hygiene, rebuilding destinations and rethinking the travel and tourism sector in the long run.”

Deep Kalra, co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Tourism and Hospitality and Founder & Executive Chairman, MakeMyTrip stated that reopening of the tourism economy will not happen without assuring traveller confidence. “While there exists demand today, more has to be done to improve confidence. One of the biggest silver linings seen is how closely the industry has come together and

18 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

imperative that the tourism industry be brought under the “concurrent list” by amending Schedule VII of the Constitution of India. This will help elevate the sector to a priority one on the national agenda.

“This Policy has been framed to offer the unique Goan experience to visitors by presenting a mix of holistic, natural and cultural locations and attractions. This Policy will be the backbone for crucial decision of planning, development and marketing” DR.PRAMOD SAWANT Chief Minister, Goa

how well public and private partnership has responded to this crisis.”

The CII Annual Tourism Summit was witnessed by more than 800 delegates and the release of the CII Tourism Policy Dashboard 3.0 which details the critical areas that needs attention to help build a cohesive and robust industry.

(Excerpts from the Summit) The need for Tourism to be brought under the Concurrent List In order for these sector specific measures to reap the benefits that are desired, it is

Provide Export Status for Tourism Earnings Tourism Exports be treated at par with other exports and services and such transactions may be zero rated for GST without stopping the flow of input credits.

Conferring Infrastructure status to hotel industry As the industry is highly capital intensive and construction of a medium sized new hotel project may require a massive capital investment, the hotel industry should therefore be declared an infrastructure industry under section 80IA/IB of the Income Tax Act 1961.

This would enable the hotel industry to avail all benefits that are available to other sectors of infrastructure such as airports, seaports, power projects etc. The hotel industry should be granted infrastructure status under Income Tax Act as well as in RBI definition.

Declare hotels capex above Rs.25 Crs. capex (excluding land) as infrastructure.

Creation of an Empowered National Tourism Board with Private sector involvement

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and Professionals It is suggested that an independent empowered National Tourism Board (NTP) is formulated: • An empowered Board to be set up with members of the Government/ Private sector.

• Recruit professionals from private sector with skill sets and market salaries.

• Role to create short to Long term strategies for Tourism India.

• Think of out of the box ideas to create market driven opportunities for the various constituents of the industry.

• Creation of one central body that provides all the land & project approvals and hence facilitating concept of “Single Window Clearance.”

• Simplify the licenses and approvals for hotels.

Developing Tourism through Port/Cruise Infrastructure, Aviation, Improved Road & Railway Connectivity and Infrastructure Development • Cruise Infrastructure: To build on this market, India will need to develop infrastructure, create a viable

“While there exists demand today, more has to be done to improve confidence.

One of the biggest silver linings seen is how closely the industry has come together and how well public and private partnership has responded to this crisis”

DEEP KALRA

Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Tourism and Hospitality; Founder & Executive Chairman, MakeMyTrip

tourism experience and streamline their regulations based on international standards that will adhere to the expectations of cruise passengers and lines.

Developing a successful cruise-tourism eco-system is fundamental for this segment to thrive.

• Aviation: Direct Connectivity and Availability of seats is required and there is a need to ensure that Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASA) should deliver the necessary capacity to achieve visitor arrivals targets. Also, there should not be any capacity constraints otherwise airfares would be expensive, and seats will be not be available – especially during the times that people want to travel – in that case tourists will simply choose another destinations.

• Improved Road Connectivity: Transport infrastructure is the lifeline of any economy. It improves the efficiency and productivity of a nation, while allowing for inclusive growth by connecting urban and rural areas. Transportation issues often affect a nation’s progress in tourism as it hinders the footfall and arrival of tourists owing the uncertainty that arises from moving between destinations. In this regard, road connectivity is one of the fundamental components to a successfully developed tourism market.

Tourism planning hinges on the connectivity of different sites to create circuits that are accessible.

It is primarily responsible for connecting tourismgeneration regions and welldeveloped road infrastructure plays a significant role in the competitiveness of the economy.

• I n f r a s t r u c t u r e Development: While CII is against conversion of Industrial land to other purposes, RIICO industrial plots falling in industrial areas situated in middle of

present railway stations needs to be improved.

“Reopening the tourism economy, restoring traveller confidence, relooking at infrastructure and hygiene, rebuilding destinations and rethinking the travel and tourism sector in the long run”

PUNEET CHHATWAL

Chairman, CII National Committee on Tourism and Hospitality; MD & CEO IHCL

the city where hardly any industry is in operation due to transport problems, pollution and land price problems; in such industrial areas, tourism should be allowed to develop with units like, hotels, resorts, and convention centres etc. It Hence, it is requested that all benefits shall be given to all kind of tourism units which are given to general industries such as industrial tariff for electricity supply.

Tourism should be allowed on RIICO industrial land. For Goa, there is a need to have jetties to encourage water sports and other basic amenities such as waiting halls, parking facilities at tourist places in the State.

• Improved Railway Connectivity: All major railway platforms through which international tourists travel need to have international standard washrooms and to keep them clean international passport holders to be allowed. Better connectivity can be leveraged to promote rural tourism. The towns and cities should be connected via railways, with good stations and ticketing facilities available at all places.

Infrastructure of some of the

Measures to stimulate domestic demand • Leave Travel Allowance (LTA): As per the current rules; LTA can be claimed for travel fare or tickets within India only. Expenses incurred for accommodation, or any other fee is not eligible for exemption. To incentivise domestic tourism, government may modify the rules and allow citizens to avail LTA benefit on domestic tours including travel fare or tickets and accommodation for a period of two years.

Government may like to have an upper ceiling (if required).

• A 200 percent weighted exemption of all expenses to corporate on all domestic conferences.

GST measures • GST: The current rate of taxation on MICE, (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions), business makes the Indian environment less competitive. It is imperative that the government provide a zero-rating GST for MICE. This should be further expanded to the exports of goods and services to further strengthen India’s competitiveness in a global scale for a period of two years.

• GST on Domestic Tours: It is suggested that the government provide a zerorating GST for bookings made on domestic travel and tours for a period of two years.

• GST: Extend or create new temporary exemptions or reduction of taxes i.e GST rates on accommodation, hotels and restaurants; at least for a period of two years.

• Waive off of Entry ticket waive offs: The monuments; museums; heritage tickets; national parks under the purview of any government arm may consider waiving off the entrance ticket, waive off for all Indian citizens for a period of two years www.businessgoa.in

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 19

FOCUS GOA / FENI

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Stakeholders seek more from Draft Feni Policy The Draft Feni Policy by the Goa University falls short of stakeholder expectations

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By SYBIL RODRIGUES

he latest draft Feni Policy prepared by Goa University, has disappointed shareholders yet again, as it does not offer proper guidelines to the industry, which is struggling to make a mark in the bigger market.

When the draft was submitted a year ago, members of the All Goa Cashew Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association had a series of meetings, clearly explaining what was lacking in the Policy. But the fresh draft hasn’t incorporated their suggestions, which has upset the members.

Later, the Association dashed off a letter to the Excise Commissioner, outlining its suggestions.

A year ago, when a draft of Feni Policy prepared by Goa University was first examined by feni stakeholders, they stated that it lacked the spirit to take the industry forward.

The draft policy spoke more about the history of the feni industry and processes involved, rather than pointing out the best practices that could be followed to take the industry forward.

The main objection by the Association to the latest draft, which it has stated in its letter, is that agricultural practices for various species have not been considered. It only focuses on cashew nuts, which are of no interest to the cashew feni industry.

‘Urrak’ the first distillate of cashew juice is available for a limited period. The Policy has completely missed out on it even though it is bottled as a brand of cashew distillate.

The letter further pointed out that a blueprint for promotion of feni, both domestically and overseas, finds no mention of the practices that presently limit market access for cashew feni.

Excise Commissioner Shashank Tripathi said

“Departments like Tourism should be catalysts to catapult the equity of Feni.

This should have been done keeping the grassroots stakeholders’ interests in mind, like Brand Amul has done with milk” MAC VAZ

President, Cashew Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association

that he has heard the Association’s views and that the Department is open to including the suggestions put forward by them.

A joint meeting of Association members, Goa University research team and the Excise Commissioner was held later.

“The Association has sent a mail about its suggestions.

Minor changes need to be done in the Policy and after that it will be sent for government approval,” said the Excise Commissioner.

The Association, however, has different views and feels that the changes suggested are not minor.

20 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

Mac Vaz, Founder President of the Cashew Feni Distillers and Bottlers Association says, “This initiative kindled by then Excise Commissioner Menino D’Souza had a motive to celebrate the ‘Vocal for Goa’s Heritage Local’ spirit, something India is chanting nowadays. Unfortunately the document that came out from the University was academic and ambiguous in nature and for me was a disappointment.

As Feni is synonymous with Goa’s culture, there should have been clinical pointers to opportunities and some do’s and don’ts that stakeholders and Departments of Goa

should use as a guideline.

Departments like Tourism should be catalysts to catapult the equity of Feni. This should have been done keeping the grassroots stakeholders’ interests in mind, like Brand Amul has done with milk. On hindsight, I personally think it would have been pertinent to give this project to individuals like Prahlad Kakkar or Shatbhi Basu, who have experience in positioning and brand building. To conclude one of feni’s biggest crippling factors is our Indian colonial hangover mindset. If feni had origins in the white world, our Indian consumers would have been more welcoming towards it, fortunately and ironically it is the western markets who are welcoming feni and this is reflected in the demand and export of our Big Boss brand” Meanwhile Gurudutta Bhakta states, “The policy will enhance the brand value of feni and Goa encouraging quality produce which will be accepted worldwide ultimately benefitting the ‘bhatikar’ and ‘render’ in terms of economic returns.”

He further states that the draft was shared with all of them and their suggestions have been incorporated thereby making it a complete package policy.

Cashew feni was awarded Geographical Indication Registration in 2009 as a speciality alcoholic beverage from Goa, described as a colourless, clear liquid that when matured in wooden barrels develops golden brown tint. This designation was achieved through the efforts of the Goa Cashew Feni Distillers & Bottlers Association and the Department of Science, Technology & Environment of the Government of Goa. The application of a G.I. for coconut feni has yet to attain fruition

FOCUS GOA / ELECTIONS

business-goa

BJP wins big in Zilla Panchayat Elections

Zilla Panchayat elections sees BJP winning 33 out of 49 seats, while Congress lagged way behind with just 4 seats; and AAP opened its political account in Goa with 1 seat in Benaulim

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By SYBIL RODRIGUES

low 56.82 per cent voter turn-out was recorded in Zilla Panchayat elections held in 48 constituencies in Goa this month. The Goa State Election Commission (SEC) said that there was 58.43 per cent voting in North Goa district and 55 per cent in South Goa district.

A total of 7,91,814 voters – 3,85,222 males and 4,06,592 women – were entitled to vote and 2,27,916 male and 2,21,972 women voters exercised their franchise.

Out of 50 ZP constituencies, polling did not take place in two. Polling was cancelled in Navelim due to the death of a candidate, while in Sancoale, the BJP candidate won unopposed.

The BJP, Congress and AAP have officially fielded their panels for the elections being fought on party symbols.

This was the first election in Goa since the coronavirus pandemic began. Polling

22 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

BJP won 32 seats, Independents 7, Congress 4, MGP; 3 while NCP and AAP won 1 seat each in all 48 ZP constituencies was held successfully in a well-organized and peaceful manner in all the 1,187 polling booths.

For coronavirus-positive voters, the slot between 5 pm to 6 pm had been reserved. Altogether 31 coronavirus positive persons voted in PPE kits: 15 in North Goa and 16 in South Goa. The results, declared two days later,

saw the BJP sweeping the elections, by winning 33 out of 49 seats while the Congress performed miserably with just 4 seats.

To sum it up, the BJP won 32 seats, Independents 7, Congress 7, MGP 3; while NCP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 1 seat each.

AAP won its first-ever seat in an election in Goa, where the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is aiming to contest on a majority of constituencies in the 2022 Assembly Elections. Goa has a 40-member Assembly.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant expressed happiness over the BJP’s poll performance in the rural belt. “I humbly bow down before the people of Goa for the trust they have reposed in the Bharatiya Janata Party as well as the Govt of Goa working under my leadership. Let us shape a glorious and Swayampurna (self-reliant) Goa by taking ahead the same trust and confidence,” he tweeted

STARTING YOUNG

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SHEFALI CORDEIRO

Connecting the Lines and Joining the Dots

Shefali Cordeiro, architect and owner of Line and Dot Studio highlights her architectural journey and designing modern, contemporary spaces

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By SYBIL RODRIGUES

hefali Cordeiro spent her childhood surrounded by her cousins and a large, loving family where she was never held back from pursuing whatever interested her.

An alumnus from Sharada Mandir School, Miramar and St. Xaviers Higher Secondary School, her love for math, history and art made her take up architecture as a career.

After completing her B.Arch, she worked for two years and then qualified for a J.N. Tata scholarship to do a one year’s Masters in Florence, Italy in Interior and Furniture Design. A voracious reader, Shefali has varied interests and loves to draw, paint and listen to music. Anything related to art grabs her interest and travelling is her passion.

She elaborates on choosing Architecture as a

Shefali Cordeiro

career and opening her own venture ‘Line and Dot Studio’.

“The highlight of my early childhood was the road trips that my parents took us on to different parts of India enabling us to imbibe the vast cultural heritage that is India.

Later when we were of age to appreciate the historical monuments and culture we did a few trips abroad which really opened my eyes to a global world beyond just being Goan and Indian.” On completing her degree in Architecture, she worked for a couple of years with Studio 13 Architects, which has a strong modern and clean style of design.

She developed an interest in interiors and furniture design through working on her projects. She decided to pursue her Masters in Furniture Design and

24 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

Perfect Cup is a popular cafe at Miramar, Panaji

Interiors in Florence, Italy and on her return back to Goa, Shefali opened her own studio. “I chose to launch out on my own as against being employed so that I could explore my creativity and retain my independence. It was a risk I took but 3 years down the line I feel that it was definitely worth it.”

Shefali then goes on to talk about her marquee projects, since she opened her studio.

“One was the mess quarters of the Coastguard, a revamp of the boat of Paradise Cruises, Perfect Cup and interiors which I did in collaboration with my cousin along with a number of apartment interiors and Airbnb interior projects.” In each of these, her aim was to introduce a more modern contemporary feel to the spaces with pops of colour everywhere, influenced by the

modernism and minimalism in design and subtle aesthetic that she experienced in Italy and Europe during her masters course and travels.

Shefali explains some of the projects in detail. “Perfect Cup was the exact blend of spaciousness, clean lines and contemporary colours and materials that we envisioned from the start and managed to create a large expanse of windows, with high ceilings to have that outdoorsy feeling while being indoors. I had the opportunity to work on a small revamp for the Swiss Chapel in Mapusa, wherein we changed the look and repaired the roof without disturbing the old aesthetic.”

Another interesting project that she has worked on was a renovation and interior extension for the Shanti Niwas Social Service Society where

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she had to do a total overhaul of the roof which had half the wood eaten through. “For this particular project with budget constraints we had to come up with interesting solutions to cut costs and work creatively within the existing footprint to add more functional spaces for the nuns.”

Shefali adds that whenever she takes up a project that she designs, everything is done by her. “Right up from the tiling, electrical fittings to the wall finishes and furniture in the interior projects; are custom made to fit the space and requirements of the clients.”

Shefali’s design philosophy is influenced in part by her vibrant surroundings and in part by the philosophy “Less is More” coined by Mies Van de Rohe. “In all my designs I attempt to merge clean modern lines with vibrant accents. I apply this to each project and streamline the

vast information I receive from a client to achieve clutter free, contemporary spaces.”

In the first three years, having been more focused on interior and renovation projects, Shefali follows a lot of Indian architects and Interior designers who are coming up with interesting detail work and modern spaces. “Aamir Hameeda, Essajeess Atelier, Design n dukaan, are some of the designers that I draw my inspiration from.”

Like every other line of business, Shefali has had her fair share of challenges.

“In this field, maintaining a balance between work and personal life is a challenge by itself. Initially in the first two years I would get calls at all hours of the day from clients and contractors which left me with very little time on the weekends. So I had to make a decision to draw the line somewhere keeping my

“Perfect Cup was the exact blend of spaciousness, clean lines and contemporary colours and materials that we envisioned from the start and managed to create a large expanse of windows, with high ceilings to have that outdoorsy feeling while being indoors. I had the opportunity to work on a small revamp for the Swiss Chapel in Mapusa, wherein we changed the look and repaired the roof without disturbing the old aesthetic” Sundays free so that I have time to rejuvenate for the week ahead.

A big challenge is also learning how to deal with

clients, estimates and co-ordinating with the contractors. I have realized that an essential part of my work is co-ordinating the financials without negatively influencing the aesthetic” Throughout her journey, right up from starting the studio till date, her family has been very supportive and encouraging. Shefali says, “I often consult them and use them as a sounding board for my designs.” Regarding her future plans, Shefali looks to expand her experience in mixed used spaces and change the narrative of design into something that is not constrained by traditional commercial/residential divisions.

Shefali concludes with a message to aspiring architects.

“Be true to yourself, enjoy your work and be sensitive to the client’s needs” www.businessgoa.in

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SHIPPING

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CHOWGULE SHIPYARDS

29th Export Vessel Delivered to Netherlands-based Wijnne & Barends

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howgule Shipyards, part of the Chowgule Group, announced that it has successfully delivered India’s first vessel in the export market since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The general cargo vessel, named ‘Lady Hedwig’ for Netherlands-based client Wijnne & Barends is 98.2 m in Length Overall, 13.4 m in breadth moulded, 7.8 m in depth and has a draft of 5.6 m. This is the third from a series of six vessels ordered by the client and the shipyard is proud to build Ice Class Swedish Finnish 1A quality vessels for world market, again a first of its kind from India. The vessel has sailed from Goa on her

Arjun Chowgule

maiden voyage. Commenting on the development, Arjun Chowgule, Executive Director, Chowgule & Company Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are proud to be the first in India to achieve this feat since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our team worked relentlessly

towards building the vessel before the set timeline and ensured that its delivery is not affected despite the pandemic. In the absence of OEM service engineers due to COVID-19 restrictions, our team performed the tasks of commissioning equipment themselves, supported remotely by OEMs. This achievement reiterates our focus on being a serious player in the international shipbuilding market we will continue to work on delivering such world-class vessels in future too, in line with our Prime Minister’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

Chowgule Shipyards had started in the year 1950 with

importing barges for the transportation of iron ore along rivers from the mines to the Vasco harbour. A year later, the Group established a ship repair yard, which grew in scale to a full-fledged shipbuilding facility by 1968.

Since then, buoyed by growing demand, the company has built over 177 different vessels at its two shipyards.

Today, the company has shipyards at Loutolim and Rassaim; an independent plate and pipe preparation facility at Gadegally; and a large storing space at Verna in Goa. The shipyards adopt 3D modeling, detailed production drawings, no green concept, and advanced modular construction methods. Chowgule and Company entered the export market in 2005, and currently has 29 of its (multi-purpose) MPP cargo carrier vessels sailing with European clients on international voyages.

Chowgule and Company had recently partnered with Denmark’s Tuco Marine Group for manufacturing advanced patrol boats in India

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ENTERPRISE

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CORPORATE DECK

Connecting working professionals through co-working spaces

Mangirish Salelkar speaks on his venture, Corporate Deck, which aims to bring together professionals through their boutique workspaces and meeting rooms

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By SYBIL RODRIGUES

orporate Deck offers a digital platform for startups and SMEs to expand global business affairs by providing premium virtual office addresses, productive co-working spaces, business development support and remote business incorporation.

The brainchild of techpreneur Mangirish Salelkar, Corporate Deck strongly believes in providing premier co-working spaces to today’s mobile and flexible workforce. Mangirish elaborates on the Corporate Desk concept. “We strive to bring to you the best affordable workspaces and meeting rooms that can be reserved on monthly basis. Our sole purpose is to bring together the community of working professionals, fuel them with inspiration and connect them through positive and energetic coworking spaces. Our Virtual Office Facility is designed for local and international businesses and entrepreneurs to have their company registered at our premises or just have a virtual presence at our locations,” says Mangirish.

The USP of Corporate Desk lies in its infrastructure. They don’t intend to have contemporary workspaces with lazy bags and high chairs. Their boutique workspaces will have a friendly yet positive environment which will boost the productivity of their clients. They aim to project themselves as a pocket-friendly co-working office space providing the basic amenities to the clients that are willing to get on to their Deck.

Mangirish speaks on coming up with the concept. “During the lockdown, 28 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

“Corporate Deck provides one-stop solutions to budding entrepreneurs who can opt to have a plug and play office space and also have a virtual address facility along with business incorporation support” MANGIRISH SALELKAR Founder-CEO, Corporate Deck

majority of employees were working from home. This gave no physical separation between work and leisure time to the employees and eventually this led to the loss of productivity and communication.

Therefore, we thought of coming up with a co-working space in Margao and Panjim that will give the clients more networking opportunities, increased productivity and increased creativity.”

Furthermore, many places in Goa face internet issues and power cuts which have an impact on their work. Corporate Deck ensures high-speed internet facility to their clients and a power backup along with other basic facilities that one would require at the premises. Another plus point is the location in the city, which makes it a hassle-free travel to their

premise.

Regarding growth plans that he envisages for Corporate Deck, Mangirish says that although the venture is just two months old they look forward to setting up more franchises at different locations in Goa, India and abroad.

“We are looking at good premier office spaces with a good parking facility, rich infrastructure, basic amenities on deck and positive vibes. We’re working on an online portal to make it an easier and hassle-free experience for people to register with us and book our services directly.”

Mangirish says that they have inquiries coming from different people including students. “There are freelancers and other professionals travelling far off distance to their work. Some of them face travelling issues, internet issues, power failures and other problems which have led to business losses in different ways.

With Work From Home, many find it difficult to handle their personal and professional life under one roof, they just need a place to plug and play and that’s where we come into the picture.

Having our premises in Margao and Panjim makes it a center point for the people travelling to/in Goa; and hence we already have clients with us in such a short time since we launched the Deck. We also had inquiries for virtual addresses. Local and International businesses and entrepreneurs can use our Virtual Offices for business registration purposes or to just have a virtual presence at our locations. Mangirish further states why one should opt to get on the Deck.

“We provide a one-stop solution to budding entrepreneurs who can opt to have a plug and play Office Space and also have a Virtual Address facility along with Business Incorporation support.

Corporate Deck has co-working space in the form of hot desks, private babins and meeting rooms which are all ‘Vastu’ compliant.” Margao having incubation centers that focus only on startups was the ideal place to have the Corporate Deck. “There were no options available for freelancers, students and individual professionals. We have seen a huge demand by people from Ponda, Quepem, Cuncolim, Majorda, and even Canacona showing interest in our Margao deck,” Mangirish says with confidence

GOAN BRAND

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WAKAO FOODS

The ‘Healthy’ Fast Food Startup

Sairaj Dhond highlights his entrepreneurial venture, Wakao Foods, which offer a range of naturally, grown, plantbased products in ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook forms

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By SYBIL RODRIGUES

lawyer by education and an entrepreneur by passion, Sairaj Dhond is the Founder-CEO of Wakao Foods, a new-age food production company.

Hailing from a lineage of business experts, Sairaj had a natural inclination towards entrepreneurship from a young age. A serial entrepreneur at heart, Sairaj believes in a diverse business trajectory with ventures across various sectors of the market.

Staying true to his vision, he has now entered the F&B space with his debut project, Wakao Foods, a sustainable food brand that offers handpicked natural food products that are healthy, tasty and cruelty-free.

With early schooling at Sharada Mandir High School, followed by the Mushtifund High School, Sairaj went on to complete his LLB (Hons.) from the V M Salgaocar College of Law in Panaji. Sairaj began his professional journey with a year-long stint in criminal litigation but soon defied his academic led profession in pursuit of his true calling – entrepreneurship. In 2014, he started his venture under

the banner of Dhond Group Green Infra LLP specializing in lighting and solar solutions. The company, in its six years of existence, has successfully branched into multiple verticals from lighting and solar solutions to real estate restoration and now the food and beverage industry.

Sairaj elaborates on getting into the food startup space. “The food startup space always excited me. The lockdown gave me the perfect opportunity to dwell deeper into it. That’s when I came across this fruit that was to be the superfood of the world ‘Jackfruit’. Its nutritional value and meaty texture literally blew me away. I realized that we were sitting on a huge opportunity, which needed to be explored.”

Wakao Foods has a delicious range of the Wakao Jack Meat which is curated to suit different tastes – from meat lovers to fitness enthusiasts there is something for everyone.

The ready-to-cook varieties include the Raw Jack, that can be used as a meat substitute in any recipe for a decadent vegan alternative and the Jack

30 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

Burger Patty, that makes cheat meals healthy in a never seen before avatar. The ready-to-eat varieties include the Teriyaki Jack, that is perfectly paired with a slider or as a frankie to

“The next step is to grow our footprint across various cities and expand our offline presence through some strategic tie-ups. We are also looking at starting our own Wakao Boutique Retail food chain across the country” SAIRAJ DHOND

Founder-CEO, Wakao Foods

enhance its flavours; the BBQ Jack, that makes for a mouthwatering filling for wraps; and the Butter Jack, that is the goto choice to whip up a quick meal along with a side of some steaming rice.

He then goes on to speak about the idea of market penetration, his strategies to make people aware of their products and get into the market space. “Educating the people about our product is our number one goal. This is as good as an invention and therefore we would have to put in that much more effort in educating and informing the public. We are running a strong social media campaign which is educative as well as informative and is engaging a large part of our clientele.”

Wakao Foods has entered the market through

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three different avenues.

Firstly, through the online medium – their website www. wakaofoods.com, where the customers can place their orders at the touch of a button and it would be delivered to their doorstep across India.

The products are also available on Amazon and Flipkart.

On the offline front, they are available in over 20 stores across Goa and are looking at expanding to other States, too. Thirdly, they are available through their HoReCa partners and their products can be experienced through some delectable dishes at one’s favourite restaurants and cafés across Goa. Wakao Foods are also supplying to some of the best caterers who would be preparing some lovely dishes from Wakao Jack meat at special functions.

As of now, Sairaj and his company are self-funded and do not have any investors on

board. But with the growth possibilities and multiple markets that the brand is looking into tapping, they may have to look at joining hands and strengthening the team soon. “We have already been approached by a few private investors who have shown keep interest in coming on board, but we are yet to look in that direction,” says Sairaj.

Sairaj aims to establish his brand in the Goan market as a target for the first year in business. He plans to start moving in few other metro cities across the country. “We look at growing our reach in the HoReCa segment quite a bit and collaborating with various hospitality brands.

Exports are also something that we are working very hard towards.”

Sairaj highlights the challenges encountered by him in setting up the

Wakao Foods has a delicious range of the Wakao Jack Meat which is curated to suit different tastes, from meat lovers to fitness enthusiasts, there is something for everyone business. “Setting up a brand from scratch is never easy.

One of the challenges was to get on board multiple agencies from different parts of India remotely and then to coordinate with them to get the desired results.

Contrary to the general opinion, we actually did not find it too cumbersome to get all the requisite permissions for setting up the business. In these COVID times, the biggest challenge was travelling and having physical meetings. In the

last few months I had to travel extensively taking all safety precautions to remote villages in Kerala and Goa to set up our raw material procurement and supply chain, this was indeed an experience of a lifetime and an unseen challenge.”

Regarding his future plans, Sairaj says, “The next step is to grow our footprint to various cities and expand our offline presence through some strategic tie-ups. We are also looking at starting our own Wakao Boutique Retail food chain across the country. My aim is to take this superfood literally from our backyard to the rest of the world and therefore exports will be one of our major focus areas. We will strive hard to persuade every restaurant across India to someday have a vegan section on their menu,” says Sairaj emphatically, about the path ahead for Wakao Foods

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 31

PROFESSIONAL DOSSIER

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SARAH TODD

“Women possess unbelievable inner strength” As a model, mother, chef, cookbook author, restaurateur and star of TV shows, Sarah Todd has a finger in every pie. She speaks on her rise from a contestant in MasterChef Australia, her first restaurant in Goa, Antares Restaurant and Beach Club and her recent stint on the AO Chef Series ‘The Perfect Serve’ You started your career as a model. What made you want to become a professional chef?

I did not have a clear idea of what I wanted to do when I left school. During the first year, I held down five jobs!

Modeling was an ‘accidental career’. I was in the audience at a fashion show in Sydney when I was approached by someone in the industry who suggested I contact a model agency. I was offered a contract on the spot. I was exposed to a world of travel and experiences that I had never dreamed of. During this time, I also studied various creative fields such as photography and makeup artistry, still searching for a career that I could be passionate about.

After my son was born, I developed a love of cooking.

It was during a particularly monotonous modelling job in London that I decided to enrol in Le Cordon Bleu. I gave myself a year to make it in the culinary world and threw myself into it wholeheartedly.

How did MasterChef Australia happen for you?

I had not watched many episodes of MasterChef Australia, but I followed some of the past contestants and marveled at their success stories. I loved the camaderie between the contestants and the support from the judges.

I decided to give it a go and sent off my application. Never in my wildest dreams, did I expect to get a call.

I flew to Australia for the audition in 2013 and a few months later, I was notified that I had made the top-50.

What brought you to India and made you pick Goa as your second home?

I prepared Aloo Gobi on one of the earlier episodes of MasterChef Australia. I

Most interesting thing that you learnt from your travels in India and what attracted you to the culinary culture here?

Indian cuisine varies from State to State, even village to village. I have been welcomed into the homes of locals who have generously shared recipes and meals with me. I marvel at the history of food and how home cooks can perfectly balance a meal with their advanced palates and vast knowledge of spices. The people of India are generous, especially with their time.

I feel truly blessed to be welcomed with open arms by a country that I call my second home.

Chef Sarah Todd

instantly received a lot of love and following from Indians from all over the world but particularly in India. For this reason, I was keen to explore this country which had always been on my bucket list. I booked cooking demonstrations and appearances over a two-week period in Goa, New Delhi, and Mumbai. I felt an instant connection the moment I landed in Goa, “the pearl of the orient”. The relaxed tropical vibe reminded me so much of my home state of Queensland (Australia) and I could see myself spending quality time in Goa. What inspired you to open Antares in Goa?

32 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

“I am trained in French culinary techniques.

However, I have drawn inspiration from the robust flavours of Indian cuisine. My signature cooking style is an eclectic mix of modern, French and Indian” When the opportunity arose to open a restaurant in Goa, I initially thought it was crazy.

It was not until I visited the site, high on a sloping cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea, that I could envisage it. I truly believe there is no better place in Goa to witness a sunset.

What is the best and worst part of owning restaurants in India?

The biggest challenges faced by you in the Indian culinary business?

Starting a business from scratch is difficult but doing it in a country where you do not speak the language is insane.

I struggled with being a boss and had to learn to trust my own judgment. My situation was unique in that – the build of Antares, from inception to the opening, was documented in the television series “My Restaurant in India”.

I developed my first menu in Melbourne and quickly tore it up after spending time in Goa to learn about the local produce and cuisine. My staff eventually learnt a little English and I learnt a little Hindi. However, they often laughed at my pronunciation.

Being away from my family was probably my biggest challenge. As time passed, the staff became family, my confidence as a leader grew and I now call India and Australia home.

How was the entire experience with the AO Chefs Series?

The AO Chefs Series is one of

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Australia’s most prestigious culinary events. It was an honour to be invited but also a little intimidating when you consider the long list of prominent international chefs from previous years. It took months of preparation.

My cooking style evolved during my time in India and I was nervous and excited to present it to the discerning guests at the AO Chefs Series.

It was also the first all-female line-up which included food stylist and Australian icon Donna Hay, Hobart restaurant Franklin head chef Analiese Gregory and Thai chef Duangporn ‘Bo’ Songvisava.

The exhaustive process to conceive, source and test our menus was captured in The Perfect Serve a fivepart documentary series. It follows us as we undertake the daunting task of serving five-course menus. Viewers get an insight into the behindthe-scenes preparations and follow the journey across different countries, cultures, and cuisines.

Your views on the AO Chefs Series on the side lines of the bustling Australian Open?

The Grand Slam season starts at the Australian Open in January. The buzz and excitement is palpable and there is something for the whole family from activities for the children to the dining experience for the adults. Oh, and of course, the tennis!

What’s your signature cooking style and interests?

I am trained in French culinary techniques.

However, I have drawn inspiration from the robust flavours of Indian cuisine.

My signature cooking style is an eclectic mix of modern, French, and Indian. I believe that food should engage all the senses, so plating is very important. I love making my creations look beautiful.

During lockdown, I spent time honing my photography

“Working with renowned chefs like Marco Pierre White, George Calombaris, Heston Blumenthal and Ranveer Brar are ‘pinch me’ moments. I love that they are willing to share their knowledge. In an everchanging world, I believe in the concept of constant learning and the need to expand our knowledge and gain new skills. As a female chef, I hope to achieve the same level of success one day so that I can inspire other aspiring female chefs” skills. I now pride myself in being able to cook, style and photograph my dishes.

Blumenthal, Marco Pierre White, George Calombaris and Ranveer Brar, as well as lifestyle and food brands such as Mercedes Benz, Curefit, CRKD, and Grey Goose amongst others.

Working with renowned chefs like Marco Pierre White, George Calombaris, Heston Blumenthal and Ranveer Brar are ‘pinch me’ moments. I love that they are willing to share their knowledge. In an ever-changing world, I believe in the concept of constant learning and the need to expand our knowledge and gain new skills. As a female chef, I hope to achieve the same level of success one day so that I can inspire other aspiring female chefs.

I choose collaborations carefully and I am proud to be associated with Mercedes Benz, Curefit, CRKD and Grey Goose.

Being a single mother and a boss

lady, what would you like to tell the ‘mompreneurs’ out there?

Women possess unbelievable inner strength, but it is inevitable that we have a sense of guilt when work takes us away from loved ones, particularly our children.

Overcoming this guilt has been my biggest challenge, especially in the early days.

It is important to master the art of work/life balance. I am still working on this but when I am with my son, he has all my attention. Now that he is a little older, he understands I must be away sometimes, and technology allows us to talk face-to-face.

As mompreneurs our blood, sweat, tears, heart, and soul go into making our business a success, but we must also take time out for ourselves. If we are happy and healthy, that will have a positive effect on our personal and business relationships

Who are your culinary muses that you draw your inspiration from?

When I visit a country, I like to eat where the locals eat. You will often find me at authentic eateries away from the tourist hubs. I draw inspiration from cooks and chefs cooking traditional recipes handed down from one generation to another.

How did your cookbook ‘The Healthy Model Cookbook’ come about?

As an ex-model and cook, I am often asked how I stay fit and healthy. I believe balance is the key to a good diet and healthy lifestyle, whether it’s food or exercise. Eating healthy is not just about eating salads. Food must be packed with robust flavours just as I believe exercise should be fun. It’s OK to indulge in something we love on occasion to prevent that craving.

Elaborate on your collaboration with renowned chefs like Heston DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 33

INTERVIEW

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AMIN LADAK

“GMA, a thought leader, is a strong platform to share management ideas”

Amin Ladak is a well-known personality in corporate circles of Goa. Having been a top manager at Larsen & Toubro to starting his own enterprise, he has recently taken over as Chairman, Goa Management Association. Ladak is very keen to increase quality membership and management quotient at GMA, as the organisation marches towards its Golden Jubilee

Virendra Acharya (V M Salgaocar & Bro Pvt Ltd), Dr. Saidas Khorjuvekar (Panduranga Timblo Industries), Prof. Venkatesh Naga (Goa Institute of Management), R.P. Hegde (Wallace Pharmaceuticals) and Deepak Bandekar (RNSB Group). All are very well qualified and excel in their respective fields.

Deepak Bandekar, Executive Director of Rajaram N S Bandekar Group has been appointed Vice Chairman of GMA. Nilesh Desai, Chief Manufacturing Officer of Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd is the Hon Secretary. Sunil Dias, Founder, iv Management Consultancy, is the Hon Treasurer in my team.

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

Tell us about your organisation, Goa Management Association Goa Management Association (GMA) is the local chapter of All India Management Association (AIMA). There are 29 chapters all over India and GMA is one of them.

GMA was established in 1975. It was purely a local initiative of the leading mining families of Goa – Dempos, Salgaocars, Chowgules, Timblos, Bandekars along with corporates like MRF and N D Naik. Representatives of these organisations were the initial leaders of GMA. We follow a two-tier leadership structure – the President is the titular head, while the Chairman of GMA is the executive head and chairs the executive committee.

Late Vasudeva Dempo was the first President, while Ashok Chowgule was the first Chairman of GMA. Back then, the organisation would function from the first floor of Dempo House; and subsequently the affiliation with AIMA was sealed.

GMA has been led by various corporate bigwigs from the State.

Your experience in the corporate sector and entrepreneurship over the years…

I started my journey with Larsen & Toubro Ltd., an engineering company. I joined them in the marketing team; but as an engineer.

After a small orientation of 4-5 months in Bombay, I was told to take up position in Goa. I was in Goa since 1974.

I have been posted in various other places like Bhillai, which is today Chattisgarh; and Vishakapatnam, on the Eastern coast of India.

Subsequently, I bid farewell to

Amin Ladak

L&T to join a multinational Swedish company, Svedala, which later became Metzo. I worked there for 5 years and later joined an American multinational for two years. I then ventured out on my own to become a dealer for mining and metallurgy equipment. I started representing some of the best names in the world.

In between, I took a sabbatical for about two years to set up a NGO in Mumbai. Then came in the mining boom between 2002 and 2012, in which I had a very good run. After 2014, I was only looking after the machines and providing my clients support when it came to supplying spare parts and occasional help when it came to troubleshooting problems related to the machines.

Who is part of your team and what strengths do they bring to

34 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

the table?

As Chairman, this year I have the support of immediate past chairman, Harshvardhan Bhatkuly.

Incidentally, I had put my foot down that I will not become Chairman way back in 2018; but come 2020 I had a feeling that I could do this with Harsh and other members of the Executive Committee wholeheartedly backing me. We have a strong team from the elected members – management consultant Sunil Dias, CA Rohan Bhandare, insurance advisor Vivekanand Phaldesai, corporate trainer Vishal Agarwal, travel entrepreneur Gajanan Kerkar and HR consultant G.B. Halkar in the individual category. The elected institutional members include Nilesh G Dessai (Zuari Agro Chemicals Ltd),

What are the various projects that you have envisaged in the near future?

From the time I took over as Chairman this September, we have already done 5 interesting programs.

Having been with GMA for some time, I have always had this feeling that we need to reach out more to the manufacturing sector, spread across the State. Goa has 11 industrial estates and some pretty good industries have come up there over the years. I want to tap managerial talent from these industrial zones to become our individual members and bring their companies on board as our corporate members. This will ensure that we have a wider and more inclusive selection of people when it comes to choosing our executive committee members in the future.

Explain to us the synergy between GMA and AIMA. AIMA is a very strong body and is headquartered in Delhi.

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They have been conducting excellent programs with a strong focus on management and industry. Big names from India Inc have held leadership positions over the years at AIMA. Harsh Pati Singhania, Director, J.K. Organisation and Vice Chairman & Managing Director, JK Paper Ltd is the President of AIMA; while Sanjay Kirloskar, Chairman and Managing Director, Kirloskar Brothers Limited is the Immediate Past President.

AIMA is in constant interaction and engagement with GMA and is always ready to support us when it comes to a management resource or events. In fact, every year, the senior leadership retreat of AIMA happens in Goa. This is a strong platform for us to share ideas and be privy to the policy concepts that are currently shaping the industry in the country.

What is your vision for GMA as it marches towards its 50th year in 2025?

GMA has to build on its rich heritage of leadership and industry connect. The excellent foundation that has been put in place by our former leaders for the organisation is a potent springboard from which we can build this organisation and take it to greater heights.

How has the pandemic impacted your interaction with members of GMA? The pandemic has shown us that distance is no longer an impediment to share ideas, with live video streaming apps like Zoom to keep in touch, all our meetings have gone hybrid, today. The personal touch though, is necessary for any human sequence to take place. We are looking forward to get

back to our normal physical meetings. At least some of our programs have to have the human connection and the most important thing that I need to do is have a members meet. This is my focus area – to bring members together for continuous engagement.

How is GMA’s relation with other trade and industry bodies and how would you like to build bridges with them?

We have an excellent relationship with other trade and industry bodies, and we share a lot of invitations to their business events; and as a member of some of these bodies I have been attending those programs, too. My continued focus is to work on this synergy and improve industry interaction and share new ideas, which is imperative in the new world order.

How are you building connect with the industry to further the aims and objectives of GMA? My desire is to connect with the industry to make corporate members for GMA. We are a body of managers and thought leaders. Many top CEOs and managers in various industries are from out of Goa. They also look forward to some sort of connect and avenues to engage with their management ideas.

GMA has a proven track record of organising industry focussed programmes and initiatives. Somewhere the managerial talent in Goa and GMA’s platform have to meet to create a strong synergy.

GMA also has a formidable educational representation and we are focussing on bringing in more managers from the pharma, mining and hospitality industry on board, and partake from their subject matter expertise

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 35

CAMPUS

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Championing healthy food at culinary contest by VMSIIHE

Divyang Training College at Sanjay Centre for Special Children

Chef Sebastian Breitinger, Prof. Irfan Mirza, Anirudha Sardessai and Edna Noronha

In honour of International Chefs Day celebrated each year, V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) held a culinary contest for aspiring chefs. Students of the institute as well as those of class XII Higher Secondary schools in Goa and other states across India could participate in the contest, showcasing their creativity and cooking ability.

Prominently making use of carrots and flax seeds in their culinary creations, students across the country participated in the cook-off and brought their creativity and talent to the kitchen table.

The winners were evaluated based on their innovativeness, food cost while focusing on making the dish rich in healthy nutrients.

In the VMSIIHE student category, the first prize was bagged by Nevan Fernandes, for his eye-catching dish ‘La Carotte’. “The competition really helped me in tapping into my creativity and finding an innovative and fresh idea to bring two great and healthy ingredients together and form a gourmet dish,” Nevan said.

Neston Fernandes bagged the second place for his visual plating and innovative recipe, ‘Wrap de Vegetal’. He said, “Preparing something healthy with two key ingredients which were carrots and flaxseed, was challenging. I tried out my recipe two times before my final video was shot so that I could provide the best version of the dish on the plate.”

The third-place winner

Anirudha Sardesai created ‘Carrot Fries with Flax Seed Sauce’. In the class XII category, a student of V. V. M. VidyaVikas Academy, Margao, Shreeja Gudi displayed her love for the culinary art by creating flaxseed tortillas and carrot falafels. The participants portrayed a great amount of talent and effort to come up with their own healthoriented recipes, creating a preparation video and taking aesthetic photographs. I was very satisfied with the entries that came in along the learning outcome that was felt from this initiative,” said Chef Sebastian Breitinger, Professor- Culinary Arts at VMSIIHE

Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant recently inaugurated Dnyanvardhini Divyang Training College at Sanjay Centre for Special Children, Porvorim which will provide a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree in special education for specially enabled children.

“It gave me immense pleasure to inaugurate Dnyanvardhini Divyang Training College which shall provide a B.Ed degree in special education for specially enabled children. This is our government’s step towards empowerment of the divyang.

I am happy that both Diploma in Education (D.Ed) and B.Ed course started for them in my tenure,” Dr Sawant said after the inauguration event.

According to the State government, the B.Ed Special Education is a two-year academic degree course affiliated to the Goa University and approved by the Rehabilitation Council of India. The Goa government has also started 10 days special camp for disabled people in 12 talukas of the state in collaboration with the central government

BITS Pilani Goa team wins Gold Medal at iGEM 2020

Team BITS Pilani-Goa led by Ms. Shruti Sridhar, with Prof.

Sumit Biswas as the PI, won the Gold Medal at the iGEM 2020 Giant Jamboree on 22nd November, 2020. The Team also won special awards for the Best Software and the Best Composite Part.

Team BITS Pilani-Goa is the first ever BITSian team to participated in iGEM 2020.

The iGEM (International

36 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

Genetically Engineered Machines) Foundation is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to the advancement of synthetic biology. Each year, they host the iGEM competition, where they give 250+ student teams an opportunity to push the boundaries of bioengineering through designing, building, testing and measuring systems of interchangeable

biological modules with standard biological methods.

For iGEM 2020, BITS Goa focused on a problem plaguing the sugarcane industry: the problem of postharvest sucrose deterioration.

With an interdisciplinary team of twelve members from the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical branches, they came up with a solution — SugarGain, to help reduce the loss plaguing both the farmers and the mill owners. SugarGain contains genetically-engineered Escherichia coli that target the invertase enzyme responsible for this deterioration

BOOKSHELF

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Writer: AMRIT RAJ / Publisher: WESTLAND BUSINESS

INDIAN ICON: A CULT CALLED ROYAL ENFIELD

I

t’s been quite a ride for Enfield bikes in India, though, from its robust origins in the early 1950s to the rock bottom that was the 1980s. Come 1990, Vikram Lal of Eicher took over the brand and gave it a whole new lease of life.

Later, his son Siddhartha’s vision brought marketing and product together in a uniquely imaginative way, and catapulted the bike to the iconic status that it now enjoys. Today, Enfield has come to epitomize successful business turnarounds.

The book maps the trailblazing story of the brand, the company and most of all, the individuals who have made Royal Enfield what it is now – a premium homegrown consumer brand for the global markets. Besides spilling the beans on the “behind-thescenes takeover dramas” and

The book attempts to capture the nuances and the upheavals during the last three decades of the company the “bare-knuckled battle” to create the iconic brand, it is also the story of the clash of the old guard with the new leading to dramatic changes

in the business.

Touted to be “deeply researched and expertly narrated”, the book, according to publishing house Westland, is a worthy addition to the shelf of both business readers as well as Royal Enfield aficionados.

The book attempts to capture the nuances and the upheavals during the last three decades of the company, a time when the Eicher Group and its charismatic management leaders planned, executed, stumbled and picked themselves up to create one of the most iconic brands of India. For students of management, Royal Enfield’s story is many case studies wrapped into one. Chapters on how to rationalize assets and bounce back from the brink, how to benefit from the diversity of opinion that

a professional management brings to a family-owned business, how to go mass while staying within a niche that you own and how Indian businesses can successfully go global. The answers to all these questions are in the book, of course, from Royal Enfield’s perspective and its experiences.

Indian Icon: A Cult Called Royal Enfield by senior business journalist Amrit Raj tells the story of a brand and company, and most of all, of the individuals who have made it what it is.

Unusually for a business story, it reports the standoff between the old and new, baring the behind-the-scenes takeover dramas and the bare-knuckled battle to create the Royal Enfield: a premium homegrown consumer brand for the global markets

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 37

LADY POWER

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DR. PRITA MALLYA / PRINCIPAL, SHREE DAMODAR COLLEGE

“As teachers, we influence generations of youngsters” Dr. Prita Mallya, Principal of Shree Damodar College highlights her journey from a school teacher to Principal

D

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

r. Prita Mallya was born and brought up in Pune. Her father was a scientist at National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) in Pashan, Pune and her mother taught at the NCL pre-primary school. Her childhood was spent at the NCL colony amidst children and adults of all ages, where they screened movies at an auditorium every week and participated in the 11-day Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav programme every year. She did her schooling at St. Joseph’s High School, Pashan, Pune where she played field hockey and went on to represent her school, college and university as captain, as well as the State of Maharashtra in women’s hockey.

She completed her B.A. in Economics from Fergusson College and then joined the renowned Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics for her Masters in Economics and topped Pune University. At that time, the qualification for becoming a College teacher was a Master’s degree and an M.Phil degree in the subject.

She stayed on at Gokhale Institute for her M.Phil, which she completed with a UGC Junior Research Fellowship, and was awarded the Pune University prize for the ‘Best Dissertation’.

Dr. Prita speaks on what attracted her to teaching as a profession. “I think all children go through the stage where they want to become teachers – probably because that is one of the first professions that they come in contact with. For me however, it lasted. And it got reinforced when I joined college – we were already on the semester system and had regular internal assessments.

For all our courses we had an oral test for 5 marks.

Dr. Prita Mallya

I remember two of my Economics teachers telling me, during the course of the test, that I should do my MA in Economics and become a lecturer in a college.” Her parents, especially her father, was very particular that their daughters should have post-graduate qualifications and while her sister did her M.Sc in Chemistry, Dr Prita completed her MA in Economics. “Once I entered Gokhale Institute, there was no question – our Professors took it for granted that we would become teachers at the Undergraduate or Postgraduate level and/or researchers. And I think most of us did just that.”

Dr. Prita enjoyed her years as a teacher, meeting new students every year, seeing fresh faces, watching them in the corridors and outside, laughing and enjoying themselves. “I loved the actual act of teaching itself – introducing students to concepts and theories, giving them examples, demonstrating the relevance to real life, seeing the understanding on their faces, showing them that Economics is not difficult – I loved it. My

38 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

only disappointment is that in my 30+ years of teaching, I must have come across just 2-3 students who asked questions.

When students ask questions, especially uncomfortable ones, we become better teachers.” For her, class control was never an issue and says that one doesn’t need a loud voice to control a class.

“Make the class interesting, make sure that the entire class has understood, and you get everyone’s attention.”

She elaborates on her experience as a Principal. “As Principal, it has been a mixed bag. I went from teacher to Principal in the same College, with the same colleagues, some of whom were my seniors. For the first year or so, it was difficult to shake off the idea that I was no longer one of them; it was not easy to assert authority.

I must say that I have received tremendous cooperation from all my teacher colleagues and the non-teaching staff. We have implemented several new ideas and practices, some of which have meant more work for them, particularly the teachers, but they have done it all, without complaint

and with full enthusiasm and zeal. The amount of respect that you get in society as a Principal is truly amazing and very humbling. I would be lying if I said I do not enjoy that, but you also have to live up to the image that people have!”

When Dr. Prita joined Shree Damodar College in 1992, she had no thoughts of becoming the Principal. She was content to be teacher and given that her children were young, she wanted to spend as much time as possible, with them.

“After I completed my PhD, the then Principal appointed me Assistant Principal of the College – this was a position he specifically created to get me into administration and decisionmaking. In that position, I gained administrative experience, particularly in the College dealings with Goa University. Still later, I became the Vice-Principal of the College and learned more about the functioning of the College. When the Principal retired, I was selected to the post. As you can see, I have basically worked my way through the ranks” All through her life, Dr. Prita has admired different people along the way. “One is my English teacher in high school, Ms. Kiran Karandikar, under whose tutelage I learned the art of writing. My Professor at Gokhale Institute, Prof.

Neelkanth Rath, who insisted on conceptual understanding and strong fundamentals and lastly my late husband, Dr. Dayanand R. Mallya. He was the most resourceful person I have ever known; he was a dermatologist, but very interested in engineering, architecture and design, he was a vociferous reader and remembered that everything

www.businessgoa.in

that he read; he was fiercely independent, extremely progressive, and very unconventional. My husband was a pillar of strength and support.

He personally believed that everyone should be financially independent and not have to ask anyone for money – it is important for one’s dignity. ” Dr Prita also attributes her success to her peers and her seniors from whom she has learnt so much.

“Younger colleagues who willingly cooperated and collaborated with me and a large part of what I have been able to achieve, especially after becoming Principal, is because of the support from my colleagues.”

She concludes with a message to aspiring teachers.

“I would say that you should take up teaching only if you have the skill, if teaching excites you and if you really

enjoy teaching. To be an effective teacher, you have to have command over the subject, you have to be absolutely, 100% clear on your basics and fundamentals, regular reading and updating of knowledge are a must, communication skills are crucial, you should be able to engage the class and you have to have loads of patience.

Prepare for every class – whether it is your first, hundredth, thousandth or millionth–never ever go to class unprepared–it is very unfair to students if you don’t give of your best. Watch your behaviour, your actions – your actions speak so loud, students cannot hear what you are saying. As teachers, we influence generations of youngsters; more often than not, students themselves don’t realise and recognize the influence, but it is nonetheless there”

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 39

REAL ESTATE

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CD Times Square at Gogol, Margao

Commonwealth Developers Pvt. Ltd, Goa’s leading real estate developers have recently launched their project CD Times Square at Gogol, Margao. CD Times Square is an exclusive Commercial Project having shops, offices and a roof-top Restaurant.

Other ongoing projects include CD Picasso, comprising road front shops and spacious 2 & 3 BHK apartments, and CD Crescent Moon comprising 2 BHK apartments.

All projects are conveniently located in the

Datta Damodar Naik

Chairman, Commonwealth Developers Pvt Ltd

suburbs of Margao.

Commonwealth Developers Pvt. Ltd. have so far completed over 30 Projects during 27 years since its inception. CD brand stands for Credibility, Quality & Aesthetics

Prestige Group’s maiden Goa project awarded Prestige Group’s maiden Goa project has been awarded ‘Mixed-Use Project of the Year. The project, Prestige Ocean Crest, Dona Paula, consists of 106 apartments, seven shops, and one restaurant. Commenting on the recognition, Irfan Razack, Chairman and Managing Director, Prestige Group said, “We are very happy to win this prestigious award for our maiden project in Goa. We aim to build a landmark project in Prestige Ocean Crest and give our customers, partners and stakeholders something to cherish for a lifetime.”

He said that, interest in the project has increased among homebuyers in the State, as well as from other parts of the country and abroad.

“With markets recovering, we expect the inventory for the Goa project to go fast. We are currently holding virtual and in-person tours for our residences at the project and expect strong sales during the

Irfan Razack

Chairman & Managing Director, Prestige Group

festive season,” added Razack.

Prestige Group has introduced a number of customer engagement programs and digital innovations to build a more personalized connect with customers.

Through virtual site tours, video calls and innovative visualisation, the group aims to enhance the home buying experience for its customers.

The project construction has already commenced and is expected to be completed by February 2023

Vision Dempo launches ‘Bela Vista’ at Siolim

Vision Dempo Real Estate Developers, with over 15 years of experience in the real estate business, prides itself with creativity and top class amenities for both home buyers and investors.

Winning trust over the years with every home created, Vision Dempo has lately ventured into the pristine village of Marna in Siolim with their Project Vision Bela Vista. Featuring perfectly designed premium and spacious apartments of sizes 1, 2, 3 and 4BHK, this low density project boasts

Rajesh Dempo

Managing Director, Vision Dempo Group

of modern amenities with stunning views of lush green fields, swimming pool, etc. A well connected location with the most popular beaches of North Goa, educational institutions, convenience stores, health centers, restaurants, night life, and so on. Vision Bela Vista gives

40 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

you the best of urban luxuries in a peaceful rural ambience, with the ideal homes to live in, invest or for a perfect getaway!

“Despite the challenging times that the business fraternity find themselves in, we at Vision Dempo continue to strive forward with the launch of our new projects.

It is the trust of our buyers that help us gain confidence in launching new projects in up market locations such as Porvorim, Taleigao and Dona Paula in the horizon” says Rajesh Dempo, Managing Director, Vision Dempo Group. “Post-lockdown we have seen a surge in sales of our existing projects which is by itself a testimony of our quality product and record of timely project completion,” he opines.

Vision Dempo has witnessed an increased interest from property

owners where they have been approached to develop their properties. In these testing times, property owners are keen to go with reputed developers with a proven track record and Vision Dempo is up there on the list of such reputed developers who will complete the project on time, irrespective of the sales trend during the course of development. This gives the property owners the desired peace of mind that they look for when entrusting their properties in the hands of the developer.

With exciting times ahead, Vision Dempo looks to launch a number of projects. Vision Dempo’s social media handles on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will keep you abreast of their upcoming projects which will help you buy your dream home in Goa. Visit www.visiondempo.com for more details

TRIBUTE

@businessgoa

AISHA DE SEQUEIRA

Businesswoman, Investment Banking Leader, and ‘Daughter of Goa’ T

he death of Aisha de Sequeira, Morgan Stanley’s co-country head for India, has plunged Goa and the financial world into mourning.

Aisha passed away on 10th December at the age of 50, with her husband Roy de Souza announcing the news in a Facebook post. “Sadly my wife Aisha de Sequeira passed away early this morning in New York. She was a great person who was warm and loving. She enjoyed spending time with her sons Nathan (9), Alexander (9) and Erasmo (11).”

Aisha was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2017, and was undergoing treatment at the Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Centre in New York.

Aisha, whose business idol was Steve Jobs, hailed from a Goan family and spent over 25 years at Morgan Stanley, rising to be a senior mergers and acquisitions banker. She moved back to India in 2007, and later assumed the role of co-country head in 2013.

Under her leadership, Morgan Stanley worked on key deals with Facebook Inc. and Google’s investments in Jio Platforms, the digital arm of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries Ltd., among others.

Aisha was the granddaughter of Dr Jack de Sequeira, a politician and president of the United Goans Party, and daughter of Erasmo de Sequeira, a former Member of Parliament.

Aisha grew up in Goa, was schooled at Our Lady of the Rosary High School, and then went to Goa Engineering College (GEC). After attaining a degree in engineering, she went to Yale to study economics and public policy, but after auditing many courses, she decided to major in finance.

Aisha’s association with Morgan Stanley began

Under her leadership, Aisha’s team bagged $20 billion of capital for clients in India, and also provided advisory services for over $70 billion in M&A deals. She featured regularly on the Fortune India list of ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Business’ from 2012 to 2015 during her college days in the summer of 1994, when she joined the firm as an intern.

By the time she graduated in 1995, she was an associate.

A year later, she moved into the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) group.

Aisha met her husband Roy de Souza, founder of advertising firm Zedo and BreakBio, in 2005 and got engaged in 2007, which was also the year she moved back to India. In the next few years, she became a mother to three children, and in 2013, was appointed co-country head of Morgan Stanley in India.

In late 2007, Aisha moved back home to Mumbai to Morgan Stanley’s Investment Group, soon after the split of their joint venture with JM Financial. In that period of rebuilding, she was able to pilot Morgan Stanley into a dominant M&A and IPO franchise.

In May 2013, she was appointed as co-country head for Morgan Stanley in India, in addition to her role as head of investment banking in India. She worked on many landmark deals, but conversations with her tended to not be boastful, and this made her a lot more

endearing to clients.

Under her leadership, Aisha’s team bagged $20 billion of capital for clients in India, and also provided advisory services for over $70 billion in M&A deals.

She featured regularly on the Fortune India list of ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Business’ from 2012 to 2015.

Beyond the transactions and the big numbers, Aisha is perhaps the only investment banker who spent most of her time abroad to have returned to India in recent years, made a name not only for herself but also for Morgan Stanley, and garnered the franchise big transactions. Most, if not all, other investment bankers have all been India-based.

The fact that she was able to do that, despite having lived abroad for decades, stands testament to her ability to make meaningful and genuine connections with people across the spectrum of businesses.

She came to Mumbai to run Morgan Stanley’s investment banking business after it parted ways with JM Financial, after having worked with it in New York for over 20 years.

Never one to shy away

from speaking her mind, the finance graduate who was fluent in Konkani would say that a reputation takes generations to build but could be lost overnight, if one was careless. She was also quick to push those around her to achieve greater heights.

Following Aisha’s death, tributes came pouring in from Goan politicians, including Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Health minister Vishwajit Rane, and the business world.

Shrinivas Dempo, chairman of the Goa-based Dempo Group of companies, said: “Goa has lost an extraordinary daughter and the world of investment banking one of its finest souls.”

Humility, charm, intellect, integrity, competence, loyalty, and sheer goodness are difficult qualities to find together in an individual.

This is a particularly rare combination to find in the financial services industry for someone who has served in it for over 25 years.

If courage had a face to it, it would belong to Aisha.

Health challenge or not, she was clear that she was not going to let cancer define her or who she was

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 41

EVENT

www.businessgoa.in

DARE, DREAM, DAZZLE AT MRS WEST INDIA - EMPRESS OF WEST INDIA 2020 BY DIVA PAGEANTS Karl and Anjana Mascarenhas recently hosted the 3rd edition of Mrs West India - Empress of West India 2020 at a glittering Diva pageant that was recently held at Alila Diwa Goa

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n its 3rd year, the glittering finale of ‘Mrs West India Empress of West India 2020’ – Season 3, held at the Alila Diwa Goa, on 28th Nov 2020, truly transformed lives of all 47 finalists, from ‘Ordinary to Extraordinary’. These ladies who represented the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa, displayed tales of valour and courage. This platform elevated ordinary women onto the big stage – Women Empowerment in its truest sense.

Vinay Aranha, MD, The Rosary Foundation presented this grand event, held in association with Jehangir OraCare Dental Centre. The Chief Guest for the evening was Shripad Yesso Naik, Union Minister for Defence of State. This mega-show was conceptualized by DIVA Pageants.

All 47 finalists were expertly groomed for four days, in different aspects of the pageant – introduction, voice modulation, stage presence, Q&A – under the expert guidance of Karl and Anjana Mascarenhas of DIVA Pageants.

Mahek Chahal (actress), Bruna Abdullah (actress), Dr Suhani Mendonsa (event

Yashoda Powar (3rd Runner Up), Anshikaa Arora (1st Runner Up), Vibhuti Pandey (Winner) and Shweta Jain (2nd Runner Up)

management and influencer), Gwen Dee (designer), Dr Vivek Mendonsa (Lawrence & Mayo) were the judges for the evening.

Popular TV actor, Aman Yatan Verma, wowed the audience as he anchored the grand show with aplomb.

The finalists showcased their impeccable grooming, carrying themselves with confidence and grace, towards winning the crowns. The judges surely had a tough time in zeroing in the 8 best amongst the 47 semi-finalists, from the two categories – Silver (age 20 to 36) and Gold (37 and above).

The Title Winners were

42 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

All 47 finalists were groomed for 4 days, in different aspects of the pageant – introduction, voice modulation, stage presence, Q&A – under the expert guidance of Karl and Anjana Mascarenhas of DIVA Pageants Vibhuti Pandey in the Silver Category and Chaitali Vaidya in the Gold Category. The runners up were Anshikaa Arora, Shweta Oswal Jain and Yashoda Pawar, as 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Silver Category, while Bandana Dua, Sunita Kulkarni and Jayashree Bawankar bagged the 1st, 2nd and 3rd runners up place in

the Gold category.

Four ‘International Queens’ who were crowned at the glittering event are Ashwini Kurhade, Varsha Bhavsar, Sujata Yande, Pratima Jadhav.

The coronation of Prachiti Punde as Mrs Universe AustralAsia 2021 was one of the highlights of the evening.

She will be representing India, under DIVA Pageants, for the prestigious ‘Mrs Universe 2021’.

Pooja Singh, ace choreographer stole hearts with her amazing sequences and show direction; and Cynthia Furtado composed and sang the awesome ‘Mrs West India’ anthem. This event was co-ordinated

by Farha Anwar, Shradha Ramdas, Neha Chauhan and Mrunali Tayade.

The winners walked home with their gorgeous crowns, cash prizes and gifts from Modasutra, Lawrence & Mayo, Deesha Chocolates, Plus Beverages, Aura Around, B-Diva and Auric.

Mrs West India Empress of West India, the brainchild of Karl and Anjana Mascarenhas best exemplified the DIVA catchline: Dare, Dream, Dazzle”

TECHNOLOGY

@businessgoamagazine

ASIER SOLUTIONS

Experiencing Technology through Innovation Sunaya Shirodkar speaks on her recently launched Robokits which aims at helping students to experience the practical aspects of science, technology and develop various skills

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By SYBIL RODRIGUES

SIER, which means ‘the beginning’ in Spanish, is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) based ed-tech company which aims to foster innovations through technology and focus on the same. The company imparts practical knowledge through their first commercialized educational DIY kits ‘ROBOKITS’ which has variants in itself and through various workshops and training.

Sunaya Shirodkar, founder of this tech business, possesses a postgraduate degree in electronics and telecommunication engineering, backed with an experience of 7 years in teaching in an engineering college. She has mentored 20 BE Projects in the fields of robotics, IOT, and antenna design and has been honoured with the Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Award at the educator’s commendation ceremony for her contribution towards nation-building.

Recently, she has been appointed as the ‘Mentor of Change’, at Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog, Government of India; and has conducted over 50+ workshops in Robotics and IoT, training over 750+ students in the State.

Sunaya commenced her venture, Asier Solutions almost 3 years back wherein she would conduct a session on robotics for children on weekends. As a teacher, she always felt that engineering students needed more of practical knowledge to understand concepts and thus got her venture registered last year in July. Her company has launched Robokits, a robotic kit, using which a child will be able to build different robots and will aid a child to make projects that aim at solving real world

Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant unveils Robokit with Sunaya Shirodkar

Sunaya says her inspiration for business comes from a vision to make the country self-reliant in terms of skilled labour in the technological field. She aims to develop creative thinking and logical reasoning skills in the youth, who she feels are the nation builders of today problems. Asier offers STEM learning activity kits for kids from the age of 4. These educational kits are designed to supplement the formal science and engineering lessons.

They provide

holistic learning which keeps a child engaged and concentrated towards science and engineering lessons. The STEM kits are fun, affordable, engaging, and designed to instill a passion for learning and creating.

“Kids can build their own robots with much functionality, using the building parts in the kit.

There is a manual that comes with a detailed description about each component. There is also a QR code attached to each of the components that links them to the site which provides an explanation about each of the components/ modules that they are using.

A video link that can help them to understand how the module works and how they

have to use it for building their robot is also present.

This will help the students to learn, practice and get help at their own pace,” says Sunaya.

Moreover, these kits consist of challenge cards which will ensure that the fundamentals of robotics are learnt well by a child. Asier’s Robokits come in 3 variants from Robokit Beginners to Robokit Pro. Students can program their creations with an easy to learn approach that requires no prior experience in programming. Children will be able to strengthen their fundamentals in the field of robotics and programming.

The Robokits were launched by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and he spoke about how Robotics STEM (a part of National Education Policy 2020), could enhance the learning outcomes of students by integrating classroom transactions and competency based learning. He further stated that building robots will help a child to learn computational thinking and focus on solving fundamental, real world issues.

As of now, Sunaya plans to make her products a success in the Goan market and then go on to scale it on a national level. Sunaya says her inspiration for business comes from a vision to make the country self-reliant in terms of skilled labour in the technological field.

She aims to develop creative thinking and logical reasoning skills in the youth, who she feels are the nation builders of today.

Asier’s kits will be available in book stores, stationary shops and children stores.

As a mentor of change, Sunaya plans on taking demo sessions in schools all over Goa in the future

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 43

BIZ BYTES

@businessgoa

TNS Jewellers honours young scholar Rubiya Shaikh “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” “The sky is the limit” so on and for forth, are the quotes that a little girl from Vasco kept coming across in the books that she read, which kept her motivated throughout her journey to ace some of the most competitive entrance examinations. A young girl with a big dream, Rubiya Shaikh’s academic journey is truly a remarkable and replete with a series of achievements.

From placing 2nd in Goa in SSC, (CBSE Board at the Navy Children School Vasco; when she missed 1st place by just 1 mark!) to being awarded ‘Super Student of the Year’ in the 11th standard in the PCB stream by Mushtifund Aryaan, to cracking the tough JEE mains as well as JEE Advanced exams and being offered a seat at IIT Kanpur for Aerospace Engineering – the brilliant scholar’s star continues to shine bright.

To top it all, Rubiya aced the competitive NEET 2020 exam for entrance into medicine and achieved 1st place at the

Nikunj Gupta, Rubiya Shaikh, Pravin Zantye (MLA of Mayem) and Mac Vaz

All Goa level.

There doesn’t seem to be an exam that this brilliant mind cannot crack! At the recently conducted NTSE (National Talent Search Examination) and KVPY (Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana) scholarship exams, Rubiya passed with flying colours. Rubiya is aspiring to be a doctor and is studying rigorously to reach her goal while giving sufficient time for other activities and her hobbies.

Rubiya has been an allrounder. From academics to co-curricular activities, she has been rolling in trophies after trophies. A good debater and public speaker, Rubiya

has brought home many titles and awards, including the First Runner Up trophy in All Goa debate competition held by Youth for Tomorrow – Adventz Group; and 3rd place in elocution by JCI. She has bagged awards at State level as well as at South India level in painting competitions and won several gold medals answering the Olympiad exams. In today’s highly competitive world, Rubiya has metamorphosed, just like a jewel is formed under pressure, into a youth icon of Goa. “TNS Jewellers takes

Hemant Kaul invests in VANS Skilling and Advisory

GoaMiles set to expand business to Pune and Mumbai

Parashar Pai Khot

GoaMiles, the app-based taxi operator has decided to expand its taxi service to Mumbai and Pune from January 2021. Director of Operations (GoaMiles) Parashar Pai Khot said that the firm will continue to look for Goa-based drivers in the neighbouring metros, too.

Pai Khot said that roughly 500-700 jobs will be open and

they are also contemplating to advertise in the Maharashtra newspaper seeking drivers.

Their preference will be Goans who are living there and could apply for jobs with them in Mumbai and Pune.

The operations in the two neighbouring metros will be handled from Goa, as per Pai Khot. Locals will be hired to work in the back office and call centre.

A graphic designing team and software personnel will also be appointed.

Presently, travelers going outside the State have the option of booking a GoaMiles taxi. With their operations starting in two cities, visitors travelling to Goa by road will also be able to book the service from the two cities

44 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

pride in awarding this title to Rubiya which was presented to her by MLA of Mayem, Pravin Zantye,” said Nikunj Gupta, Proprietor of TNS Jewellers.

Renowned Goan Tiatrist and composer Francis de Tuem and Mac Vaz (Director – Madame Rosa Distillery)convener of the selection committee were also present at the event at TNS Jewellers, Panaji.

“TNS Jewellers wishes this talented and inspiring young girl all the best for future endeavours. May she soar higher than an eagle in her academic journey, follow the career path she has been dreaming about and may bring laurels her family, State and country. If you know a lady or a girl child who does remarkable work and deserves to be honoured for work, then nominate them by sending in your entries to tnsdiamondsmumbai@gmail. com,” added Gupta

Hemant Kaul

A financial services veteran, Hemant Kaul has invested an undisclosed amount in VANS Skilling and Advisory, founded by ex-senior advisor at OLA Dr. Srinivas Chunduru.

Kaul was part of the initial startup team of UTI Bank (Axis Bank), and was instrumental in setting up its retail banking function. He was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Bajaj Allianz General Insurance until 2012. He is presently on the board of OLA Financial Services.

Vans Skilling and

Advisory, a platform for interim CXO services with eco system of products and B-school network, has recently closed a pre-series A round, attracting investors like Sujan Sinha, former MD and CEO of Shriram Housing finance, Sandeep Divakaran former CEO of OLA Fleet Technologies and many CXOs from several leading companies and partners from leading consulting companies as investors.

“Post Covid, we see a huge opportunity across organisations to be agile, cost focused and capabilities centric. With a unique model of a platform approach of Interim CXO coupled with a complete eco system of indigenously build products and B schools, VANS team is passionately driving the shift and are uniquely poised to cater to the entire value chain,” said Kaul about Vans Skilling and Advisory

@business-goa

SKAL INTERNATIONAL GOA BAGS THE ‘SKAL CLUB OF THE YEAR 2020’ AWARD

SKAL International Goa Team: (L to R) Babu Quenim, Charles Bonifacio, Menino Goes Proenca, Vivek Kerkar, Reshma Alves, Ernest Dias, Glafy Castellinho, Guitry Velho, Ashraf Ali Nizari, Karl Costa, Prasad Kanoth and Shekar Diwadkar

The 81st Skal World Congress was held as a virtual Zoom AGM meet recently where Skal International Goa (691) was announced as the ‘Best of the Best Winning Skal Club of The Year 2020’ amongst 350 + Clubs in 87 countries across the world.

The voting for the Award was made up of two parts – votes from each Club (60%) and votes from the Executive Committee Judges’ Panel (40%).

The Clubs receiving the most votes is named as ‘Skal Club of the Year’ and receives the Michael O’Flynn Perpetual Trophy, as well as

a free double registration for the 2021 Skal World Congress. The announcement made at the World Congress made it a proud moment for Skal International Goa (691) and India, as well.

Sk. Mario Sequeira was named for President’s Special Recognition Award by Skal International for his services to Skal International India.

Skal International Goa (691) has also received the Gold Award for Net Membership Increase in 2019. The Club has increased its membership by 26% since last year and continues to grow with quality membership.

Commenting on the Awards President Sk. Ernest Dias said “The entire team of the Executive Committee has worked tirelessly towards a well-defined goal of obtaining the ‘Skal Club of the Year Award’. It is indeed a proud moment for us all at Skal Goa and I am indeed blessed to lead this active and vibrant Club.

The Club certainly has a proactive Executive Committee who does not mind going the extra mile to achieve great things for the Club & our members. All their hard work has paid off and we have great plans for

the future.”

“Our events are growing even more popular and with an eye for details and event excellence we along with our sponsors provide must attend events each and every month. Care for our members and society is paramount.

They are our Skalleagues and Friends and we work with Oneness and Unity for the betterment of Tourism in Goa / India / World” added Dias.

Skål International Goa (691) is also the proud recipient of Skål Club of the Year 2020 and Young Skål Club of the year 2020 for the Skål Asian Area Region

Crown Goa: Crowning Glory of Panaji

The Crown Goa is a boutique hotel situated on a historic hillock in the centre of Panjim.

With two amazing restaurants for dining, the food at Crown Goa is bound to tingle all kind of taste buds. The poolside Hanging Garden Restaurant serves barbeque and Indian dishes with amazing river views. It’s an ideal place to enjoy some drinks and bites as you watch the sun go down behind the Mandovi or catch the city lights with cruises and casino ships adding to the charm at night, with their vibrant presence.

Harbour Cafe serves Italian, Goan, Continental and Indian cuisines. Savour the delicacies with probably one of the best spots to enjoy

a magnificent view of the Atal Setu Bridge. Crown Goa also offers banqueting services and is perfect to organize meetings, conferences, parties and weddings. They have a regal room, a river front banquet and the pool side available for hosting

events and gatherings. The banquets are equipped with professional essentials required for conference and seminar needs and makes for a great choice to organize events.

During these times of uncertainty with the

progression of the COVID-19 outbreak, The Crown Goa assures you that your safety and comfort remain their top priority. The Crown Goa is now open with reinforced work procedures, mandated hygiene and cleaning standards for all rooms and public areas.

In this challenging environment and beyond, the hotel has adopted a holistic approach and continues to review processes and procedures to ensure that all areas meet their stakeholders’ needs in real time. Commitment to safety and well-being of guests and employees is of utmost priority www.businessgoa.in

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 45

BIZ BYTES The Designer magazine launched by IIID Goa The annual magazine of the IIID Goa centre The Designer was launched recently at the Goa Marriott Resort, Miramar at the hands of Archana Deshpande.

A closed group event was held with Deshpande, founder of Pottery Den as the guest speaker. She spoke on pottery as a very interesting and fundamental art that takes life from earth, water, and dire.

Welcoming the gathering, Chairman Arch Siddharth Naik informed about the various initiatives undertaken by the Goa centre during

L to R: Arch Rajesh Kenkre, Chairman Arch Sidharth Naik, Chief Guest Archana Deshpande, Editor Arch Siddha Sardessai, Chairman Elect Arch Krishna Phaldesai and Hon Secretary Arch Sumedh Naik

these testing times. He congratulated the members for staying together while paying tribute to MC member

Keyur Desai who succumbed to Covid-19.

Speaking at the occasion, editor of The Designer Arch

Aim for Impact campaign by Tangentia

Global digital transformation company Tangentia announced its latest branding campaign: “Aim for Impact” in support of the global push for rapid digital transformations. The new campaign uses animal symbology to emphasize the need for adaptability and change.

‘Aim for Impact’ urges businesses to view and use the Covid-19 pandemic as an opportunity to achieve their full potential by adopting transformative technologies, such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The campaign, which was created by brand agency Dranding Consulting, celebrates animals and their survival instinct.

“Covid-19 has singlehandedly been the biggest influencer of digital transformation to date, and businesses that do not

@business-goa

“COVID-19 has singlehandedly been the biggest influencer of digital transformation to date, and businesses that do not adopt efficient and agile digital solutions will stand to lose out on future growth opportunities and run the risk of becoming stagnant or extinct” VIJAY THOMAS CEO, Tangentia

46 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

adopt efficient and agile digital solutions will stand to lose out on future growth opportunities and run the risk of becoming stagnant or extinct,” said Vijay Thomas, CEO of Tangentia.

“Our new go-to market strategy asks customers to AIM for more – to aspire higher, innovate faster, and to not be afraid to adopt new technology and processes to Make It Happen,” said Ashley Nathan, Director of Marketing, Tangentia.

According to Co-founder of Dranding Consulting, Floyd Tavares, ‘Aim for Impact’, was conceptualised keeping in mind the ethos of Tangentia, which provides its clients with solutions that build efficiency, accuracy, and agility, so clients are always ready to take on challenges and maximise business opportunities to create an impact” www.businessgoa.in

Siddha Sardessai highlighted the various features that were brought about to change the face of the magazine and bring the standard at par with any design magazine around the world. The magazine features the projects of 25 designers in Goa, 5 trade members and the events held in the year.

Chairman elect Arch Krishna Phaldesai proposed the vote of thanks. Arch Rajesh Kenkre and Nishita Magalhaes compered the event. Duclo Bhobo and Nexion were the sponsors of this event

Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems in Goa Luke Coutinho

Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems, a company that focuses on integrative and preventive medicine, disease and coaching has recently collaborated with conscious lifestyle store Saukhyam by adopting the shop-in-shop concept in to their business model. With its retail presence at Porvorim, Goa, Saukhyam has established a holistic and wellness product line that connects farmers and vendors across the country.

The collaboration aims to showcase a part of Luke’s Wellness Market within the store

BEYOND CLASSROOM / DR. PRADEEP SALGAONKAR

Communication with Customers

The writer speaks on the importance of communication in companies and ways of getting it right

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magine a world without communication and/or wrong communication all over, always. Visualize the chaos and confusion that would persist all around and the type of human behaviour that one would experience. The same is the situation of customers of those companies which do not communicate properly with their customers. Absence of communication and wrong communication, deliberately or out of sheer carelessness, both lead to chaos and confusion among customers, ultimately leading to customers’ dissatisfaction and annoyance.

Shekhar, a friend, was a victim of such ‘wrong communication’ and later ‘no communication’ from a reputed hypermart chain dealing in electronic goods. Here goes the plight of Shekhar, as narrated by him. Shekhar’s 32 inch LCD TV failed and he wanted a new TV. So he decided to visit this well-known and customer friendly hypermart in Goa, along with his wife. They saw all the available brands and models of TVs and decided to buy a 52 inch LG smart TV. The sales representatives checked for the stock availability at the local store, but since this particular model was not in stock at Goa, they checked for the availability at the Pune and Mumbai stores, where it was available. They told Shekhar that since the TV set will have to come from Pune, it will take one week’s time. As Shekhar already had another working TV in his bedroom, he agreed to the proposal. The sales representatives were quick to complete the billing formalities and Shekhar paid the entire cost of the TV. They again informed Shekhar that the TV will arrive directly to his residence within one week and the installation will be done within 24 hours, after that. That was very much fine with Shekhar.

One week passed and there was no sign of the TV, nor there was any information or update about the same. On the 9th day after the purchase, Shekhar tried to reach out to the store’s sales representatives or someone who would give him some information. But to his bad luck the phone call, on the only number that was printed on the bill, was answered by a customer care representative from Hyderabad. Upon inquiry this representative showed ignorance about the purchase. He kept Shekhar’s call on

hold and said he is connecting to the Goa outlet to get information about the purchase order. It was 9 minutes hold and the representative was back on the call saying that there is no response from the Goa outlet. So Shekhar asked what is to be done next, to which the representative said that he would book a complaint about same and that will be addressed soon. Shekhar was disappointed. He decided to visit the store personally and inquire about the TV. Next day, Shekhar came to the store and enquired with the sales representative about the TV. The representative took the bill, told him to wait and went to check for the delivery status on computer system on the other end of the store. Another sales person joined him. About 10 minutes passed and Shekhar was waiting to get some reply from the sales representative. But there was no sign. So he decided to walk up to them and inquired what happened? The sales reps said that there was a mistake from the Pune store. They have not dispatched the TV to Goa, rather they dispatched it to some other customer and now there is no stock of this model available with them or with Mumbai store. They further informed that they can adjust the money already paid towards any other model that is available with Goa store and the difference in price to be paid by Shekhar or they can order the TV model from Delhi store and that will reach Goa in about 12 days’ time.

Shekhar was totally disappointed and frustrated by now. He demanded that his money be refunded and that he wants to see the store manager.

The Problem This is a case of total communication failure at all levels of the organization

leading to a customer’s frustration. In the first place, this store communicated wrong information and gave false promises to the customer, which it did not even attempt to keep. Secondly, there was no attempt from the store’s side to follow up on the order and keep the customer updated about the status of his purchase. Third, the entire approach of the store and the sales representatives was not customer-friendly. Rather, a very careless and unprofessional attitude towards customers was displayed by this store; a ‘We don’t care about you’ type of attitude.

The Solution Success of most organizations lies in getting its communication with the customers right. Communication at all the levels and from all sources has to be right at all times. Customers believe and trust the inputs and information coming from an organization, and they expect that the organization adheres to what it communicates. If the store had promised that the TV will be delivered in seven days’ time, then the store should have ensured that the TV is delivered to the customer within this time, against all odds. And if it’s getting delayed due to some unavoidable circumstances, then proper advance communication should have gone to the customer.

Here’s what is expected from organizations in terms of their communication with customers: Be Truthful: Every word of communication to customers through all sources has to be truthful. Do not communicate, even by mistake, anything that is not true. Customers expect Continued on Page 55

The writer is a Founder Director, Saldots Academy; corporate trainer and facilitator; former chairman of Goa Management Association. Email: pradeepsalgaonkar@gmail.com 48 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

UNCOMPLICATE BUSINESS / SUNIL DIAS

7 Steps to a Great Meeting

The writer explains the seven steps while planning a meeting to making it more efficient and effective

W

e spend a good chunk of our professional life in meetings.

Meetings help people collaborate. They can increase innovation and creativity.

They aid information exchange. Leaders can’t communicate strategy without meetings. Considering their utility, meetings should give great returns on time invested in them. Instead, the returns are poor. A good proportion of meetings are a terrible waste of time. The pandemic has increased the amount of time we spend in meetings. We can plan virtual meetings at the drop of a hat. And we don’t have the constraint of needing physical presence of participants. So, the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the meeting pandemic!

How much time do we spend in meetings? A great deal! Bain & Company tracked the time spent on executive committee meetings in a large corporate. Their estimate was an eyepopping 300,000 hours of organization time! Microsoft estimates that 71% of meetings have no clear outcome. Doodle estimates US and UK businesses wasted half a trillion dollars due to bad meetings.

Surprising, only a few corporates focus on saving money by increasing meeting efficiency. Even while cost cutting remains a key focus area for them. So, how do we ensure that we waste less time on meetings? Use the 7 steps below while planning a meeting. It’s guaranteed to make your meetings more efficient!

Step #1: Check alternatives to a meeting A meeting is often looked at as the only solution to a pressing issue. A silver bullet which will solve the issue.

Sure, there are times when a meeting is the best alternative. Onboarding new joiners into an organization, for instance. Or brainstorming meetings.

Yet, in most cases, there are alternatives available. Alternatives which could improve outcomes. For instance, a call between two key people. Or a synchronous communication through written communication or a digital team collaboration tool.

We often hold meetings as an alternative to perceived idleness. ‘Let’s call a meeting – people don’t seem to be doing too much.’ Even if people aren’t doing too much, a meeting isn’t the solution.

An energy-sapping agenda-less meeting

will start switching off and stop contributing. Meeting outcomes are then based on the views of a few participants with the most energy. That’s not the way to reach the best outcome.

We often hold meetings as an alternative to perceived idleness.

‘Let’s call a meeting – people don’t seem to be doing too much’ might make things worse. Instead, spend the time on training or on team-building activities. Just be sure that everything done has a purpose and plan.

Step #2: Choose participants well Still feel you need to have a meeting after Step #1? Then the next step is to choose participants carefully. It’s easy to call everybody for a meeting. Even if you aren’t sure those participants will be relevant to the meeting. You never know when they might be needed, the thinking goes. Often, those participants are left twiddling their thumbs during the meeting.

Only invite those participants who certainly need to be there. For the rest, seek out information that may be required from them before the meeting. How do you know if you’re regularly choosing irrelevant participants? A great indicator is if everyone seems more interested in their phones than in the meeting.

Step #3: Make sure everyone knows what is getting discussed Once you have chosen the right participants, circulate the agenda. The agenda should be clear and succinct.

If there is any background reading material, circulate well in advance. If participants need to do something before the meeting, let them know. Make sure that the participants do what is expected before the meeting. Else it’s easy to spend an entire meeting going through the material instead of discussing it. That wastes the time of participants who have come prepared. More critically, it leads to sub-optimal meeting outcomes.

Step #4: No open-ended meetings Don’t keep a meeting open-ended.

Where you specify only the start time of the meeting. Or even if there is a closing time, it isn’t honoured. The only time open-ended meetings could work is for brainstorming. Yet even there it isn’t advisable. Beyond a point, participants

Step #5: Stick to the point People don’t like to speak about big and important things. We’re scared of embarrassing ourselves. Yet, we want to appear to take part and contribute.

Hence, there is a tendency to spend time on the trivial. The Parkinson’s Law of Triviality can dominate meetings.

Where the most time is spent on deciding the least important agenda point in a meeting. As Parkinson put it, “A decision about the construction of a new bike shed, will be debated for an hour and a quarter, then deferred for decision to the next meeting, pending the gathering of more information”. All while the more important points are glossed over.

Step #6: Make everyone participate “A meeting moves at the speed of the slowest mind in the room… all but one participant will be bored, all but one mind under-used,” Dale Dauten wrote.

At the other extreme, you have meetings dominated by a single person who wants to push through his agenda. With the other participants nodding (or phone tapping) along. Neither meeting is good.

Instead, get everyone to contribute.

Meaningfully. And if that doesn’t happen, retrace the steps above.

Step #7: Action points Even if you’ve had a great meeting, you lose it all without ending a meeting with identifying action points. And assigning people responsible for each of those action points. That makes the discussions taken at the meeting concrete. Else, you’re not too much better off than at the start of the meeting. And we’ve wasted everyone’s time.

Closing thoughts “Meetings should be like salt – a spice sprinkled carefully to enhance a dish.

Too much salt destroys a dish. Too many meetings destroy morale and motivation,” says Basecamp CEO, Jason Fried. Keep those wise words in mind while planning your next meeting. Or better still, your next alternative to a meeting

The author runs iv-advisors, a consulting firm helping businesses become bigger and better. Email:sunildias@iv-advisors.com DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 49

CORPORATE CITIZEN / DANIEL ALBUQUERQUE

Republic of India versus Vodafone Group Plc.

The writer explains the above titled case which India lost at the International Arbitration Tribunal and deals with the legally thorny issue of retrospective financial legislation and its implications on business in general and foreign investments in particular

P

rotection in respect of conviction for offences: No person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of a law in force at the time of the commission of the Act charged as an offence, nor be subjected to a penalty greater than which might have been inflicted under the law in force at the time of the commission of the offence reads Article 20 (1), part of Fundamental Rights enshrined in the Constitution of India.

In the post-independence era the legal admiration for India began with the highest esteem for the formation of the Constitution of India. It was followed by the global citation of Indian case law.

Experts have assessed that India has been losing its sheen in this field

The Vodafone Saga Vodafone India is a duly incorporated telecom company in India, with its headquarters in Mumbai since 1994.

However it is an Indian subsidiary of the Vodafone International Holdings of United Kingdom (UK) which challenged the Government of India’s retrospective taxation law in the International Arbitration Tribunal at The Hague. In 2007, Vodafone acquired Hutchison Essar for $11 billion. The Indian Department of Taxation issued a notice for $2.2 billion as capital gains tax. Vodafone argued that since there was no transfer of any capital assets situated in India, the question of capital gains does not arise. Further, the deal was carried forward entirely outside of India where the Indian Tax Authority had no jurisdiction. In the ensuing deadlock, Vodafone entered into litigation.

Cayman Islands. It does not consider Hutchison-Essar as resident in India for tax purposes since it is acquired by it, the parent body Vodafone International Holdings.

The legal argument of the judgment enunciated that it is based on the principle that a body corporate is a separate entity – not physical person but legal person – other than those who manage its affairs and the shareholders.

The court observed that “the corporate and tax laws, particularly in the matter of corporate taxation, generally is founded on the above mentioned separate entity principle, i.e., treat a company as a separate person. The Indian Income Tax Act, 1961, in the matter of corporate taxation, is founded on the principle of the independence of the companies and other entities subject to income tax (Para 65).” It is well settled in law that the parent and its subsidiaries are distinct tax payers. Taxes are levied on profits made by each corporate entity.

It is clear from the evidence provided that the concerned two companies conducted their business outside of India for tax purposes and no illegality is involved therein; they have no income or fiscal assets in India, and therefore no transfer of these assets has taken place. “Tax presence has to be viewed in the context of transaction in question and not with reference to an entirely unrelated transaction… Consequently, the demand of nearly Rs.12, 000 crores by way of capital gains tax would amount to imposing capital punishment for capital investment since it lacks authority of law and, therefore, stands quashed… (Para 188)”, the Court concluded. The judgment also embedded in it a time tested doctrine of ‘look at’ for the tax authorities which

Supreme Court Judgment, 2012 Vodafone challenged the verdict of the Bombay High Court which had upheld the position of the Indian Tax Authorities. Vodafone International, the appellant, held to its original stand, the business deal was struck offshore and that the demand for capital gains tax was unjustifiable. It challenged it in the Supreme Court of India. A three-judge bench, S.H. Kapadia, K.S. Radhakrishnan and Swatanter Kumar, delivered a unanimous judgment which was hailed as the landmark corporate judgment both in India and beyond.

Briefly, the facts of the case are as follows: Vodafone India’s parent company Vodafone International Holdings is a firm domiciled in the Netherlands for tax purposes. Similarly, its other acquisition Hutchison Essar Ltd is resident of

The columnist is a writer with Oxford University Press and a published author. Email: albuquerque.daniel@gmail.com 50 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

implied that, while investigating a case, one must bear a holistic perspective and examine the bigger picture and eschew narrow prejudice of imputing ulterior motives.

Income Tax Amendment Law, 2012 The Tax Authorities would have none of it. The aim was to recover taxes with interest and penalty, roughly amounting to Rs 20,000 crores. On 16 March 2012, under then Minister for Finance, late Pranab Mukherjee, an amendment to the Income Tax Act, 1962 was inserted which specified that income arising out of sale of shares or other interests in a company or entity had taken place outside India, and the value of the share or unit depended primarily assets in India is taxable.

Further, it is to be effected retrospectively from the inception of the law – 1962!

With that stroke of amended legislation, the above narrated landmark Judgment of the Apex Court became null and void. The Government of the day tried to convince itself, the opposition, the industry and the rest of the world by stating that it is trying to plug some loopholes and could dig out the unfair means used by the offshore companies.

The furor within the country and the outrage in the global corporate world was one of shock and horror. That this contributed among other glaring decisions for the eventual fall of the Government, is common knowledge.

Republic of India versus Vodafone Group Plc In April, 2014, Vodafone initiated international arbitration. After a delay on an agreed course of arbitration, the process commenced in 2016. In the meantime, Vodafone filed a second suit of international arbitration against which the Government of India appealed in the Delhi High Court, where it got overruled.

It held that it is for the International Arbitration Tribunal to decide. Vodafone further embroiled the Government of India with the breach of two Bilateral Investment Treaties (BIT) United Kingdom and Netherlands, respectively.

When the judgment was pronounced in The Hague on 25 September 2020 it was nothing different than what the

Supreme Court of India had so eloquently adjudicated.

India was also charged for breaching the international trade treaties. In addition, fines were imposed and costs of litigation were added.

India’s Legal Standing in the Comity Of Nations In the post-independence era, the legal admiration for India began with the highest esteem for the formation of the Constitution of India. It was followed by the global citation of Indian case law. Experts have assessed that India has been losing its sheen in this field. It received a mortal blow with the above cited retrospective or retroactive taxation law. Consequently investors are more than wary about the India Inc’s credibility to depend upon a stable tax regime and have announced plans to approach International Court of Law. Implications for International Trade and Commerce To expect returns on investments and increase value for the shareholders is the fundamental object of running business corporations.

Presently, the Government of India is trying to convince scores of countries on individual

basis that it will draw its policies carefully and will do its utmost to facilitate ‘ease of doing business’. However, economists, policy makers and legal minds are of the view that unless India buries the ghost of retrospective taxation law it cannot dream about multi-trillion dollar economy.

Retrospective Law and the Dilemma of Ethical Business It is a given that in criminal justice, retrospective laws are ipso facto illegal and ultra vires as is clearly amplified by Article 20 (1) of the Constitution of India, as stated above at outset.

However, in civil matters, for instance taxation, such an imperative expressly does not exist, but if any such attempt is made, it goes against the ethical practice of law. For the legal system is built on the principle of prospective law and never its opposite. The ethical dilemma generated by a retrospective legislation is as follows: On the one hand, an individual or a legal entity has the absolute right to enjoy the benefits of their property, trade and their proceeds, and on the other hand the State has every right to take its due through taxation

THE VOICE OF BUSINESS IN GOA DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 51

MONEY MATTERS / V B PRABHU VERLEKAR

Faceless Income Tax Assessments The writer explains about Faceless Assessments for filing of Income Tax without any human intervention with the help of state-of-the-art digital technology automated examination tools

T

ill the late nineties, each and every case of taxpayers were scrutinized for assessment. For this, on the appointed date, he or his representative was required to visit the income tax office with books of accounts and other records (usually tied up in a red cloth) and wait for his turn which could sometimes go up to late in the evening. The Officer would then check the hand-written records and after several hearings would always find faults to reject the books and make additions with large tax demands.

The only option available to taxpayers was either to go in appeal with uncertainty and costs or to settle with the assessing officer under- or- over the table depending on maturity and experience of the officer and negotiation skills of the tax consultant. However, there were honourable exceptions of honest intelligent officers who safeguarded the interest of the revenue and also taxpayers who would fight even for small additions suffering heavy legal costs, as a matter of principle.

Armed with the latest stateof-the-art digital technology, tools of data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, a revolutionary change is brought in by the Government of India by introducing Face-Less E-Assessment Scheme from 13th August, 2020, which does not require taxpayer to visit Income Tax Office or meet Income Tax officials for the purpose of assessment

Transaction Reporting This scenario started changing slowly.

Over the years, with the computerization of the Income Tax Department and the continuous up-gradation of technology.

The Income Tax law was also amended simultaneously from time to time making compulsory to quote PAN for bank accounts, investments, mutual funds, high-value cash, and financial transactions, purchase and sale of properties, vehicles, hotel and travel expenses, consumer goods, precious metal; TDS/TCS provisions were introduced for payments and collections; Mandatory furnishing of Annual Information Report (AIR) by various regulatory authorities like Registrar of Immovable Properties, Motor Vehicle Registration Department, Postmaster General, stock exchanges, depositories etc. The information based on PAN, AIR, TDS, and such other sources about different transactions made by a person at different times, at different places, and with different parties is collated and is available in a single database. Based on this, “Individual Transaction Statement” is prepared in respect to each person based on his PAN. These statements

New Faceless Assessment Procedure As soon as the tax return is filed by a taxpayer electronically, it is automatically processed and accepted, if there are no

are electronically linked with the data of return / assessed income and tax payments of the taxpayer.

Based on this data, the Department is able to build a 360-degree profile of every taxpayer with complete information of all his income and assets leaving very little scope for hiding or suppressing income.

(In fact, it is believed that in course of time, the Income Tax Department will be in a position to have a completely pre-filled income tax return form for benefit of taxpayers with provision for amendment, if necessary.)

Armed with the latest state-ofthe- art digital technology, tools of data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, a revolutionary change is brought in by the Government of India by introducing Face-Less E-Assessment Scheme from 13th August, 2020 which does not require taxpayer to visit Income Tax Office or meet Income Tax officials for the purpose of assessment. Personal assessment hearings, harassments, and bribery should now be history.

discrepancies (u/s143(1)). In case of any apparent mistakes in a tax return and Form 26AS, adjustments are made after giving opportunity to assesee for online clarification before raising demand/ refund.(143(1)(a). However, in case a discrepancy is noticed for underreporting of income, or omission of transactions, or for any abnormality, the case is automatically selected for investigation or best judgment assessment. (143(3) & 144) Under the new Faceless Scheme, assessments of such cases selected for investigation or best judgment assessment will be made in a very transparent seamless, painless and faceless manner without any human intervention with the help of state-ofthe-art digital technology automated examination tools without any human intervention, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Framework for Faceless Assessment For the purpose of faceless assessment, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has set up: • A National e-Assessment Centre (NEAC): For facilitating e-assessment and central control.

• Regional e-Assessment Centers (REAC): To conduct an assessment.

• Assessment units: For identifying points or issues, materials for determining any liability (including refunds), analysis of information, and other such functions.

• Technical Units: For technical support including legal, accounting, forensic, information technology, valuation, auditing, transfer pricing, data analytics, the management, or any assistance or advice on any other technical matter for technical units.

• Verification Units: For inquiry, cross verification, examination of books of accounts, witness, and recording of statements, and such other functions.

• Review Units: For reviewing the draft assessment order to check whether the facts, relevant evidence, and law and judicial decisions have been considered in the draft order.

All communications between the above units will be through the National Continued to Page 55

The columnist is a senior chartered accountant and a published author of various books on accountancy and taxation Email: verlekar@bsnl.in 52 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

AD-VENTURE / PRABHAKAR MUNDKUR

Covid-19’s impact on advertising

The writer speaks on how Covid-19 has affected the advertising industry and how advertisers have been forced to re-think their strategies

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things around the world.

It has dramatically altered the way we work, live and communicate. It has also affected advertising as an industry and as a creative function.

Firstly, there has been significant drop in advertising expenditure. Print advertising perhaps was the most affected as people were not reading newspapers, because of the fear of contamination.

Lockdowns disrupted the entire newspaper distribution system.

There is a rule of thumb that says advertising follows any rise or fall in GDP. The Indian economy is known to have shrunk 23.9% in the 2nd quarter of 2020 ending June 2020. After hitting $ 2.9 trillion in 2019, and predicting a $ 5 trillion economy by 2024, India’s decline was the worst among the world economies with the US contracting by 9.5% and Japan by 7.6%. The construction, manufacturing and transport industries were the worst hit. The full damage on the Indian economy is supposed to be even greater

“The pandemic will not waiver our commitment to purpose-led business, nor will it change how we position our brands.

More broadly, we are witnessing a change in consumer behaviour” CONNY BRAAMS

Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, Unilever

given the largely informal sector in the country.

Conny Braams, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, of Unilever which is one of

the largest advertisers in the world said this, “Unilever is guided by three beliefs: brands with purpose grow, companies with purpose last

and people with purpose thrive. The pandemic will not waiver our commitment to purpose-led business, nor will it change how we position our brands. More broadly, we are witnessing a change in consumer behaviour.

We know that life in the time of coronavirus is increasingly a life lived online which has led to an acceleration of digital adoption and e-commerce.

Time spent with certain media channels has increased during lockdown, so we are adapting to these changes,

The author is a veteran advertising person, and now a prolific commentator and writer. He spent 17 of his 42 years in advertising with the J Walter Thompson; working with them across 3 continents. He has also worked with Havas and Hakuhodo. He has recently started a videocast called ‘Turning Point’. Email: prabsy@gmail.com 54 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

@business-goa

shifting to a greater focus on in-home channels versus outof-home.”

As Braams says the change in consumer behaviour has been the biggest challenge for advertisers. For example we may have given up the handshake forever.

Suddenly, safety that was once considered a basic need in Maslow’s famous needs pyramid has become top-of-mind and a primary benefit that advertisers can offer. Others have depended on re-assuring consumers and helping them out of the depression caused by the pandemic.

Post pandemic advertising seems to have taken up the role of including mask wearing, sanitising and social distancing to keep in line with the times. But sometimes even the best advertisers do not depict the correct way of wearing masks as in this ICICI Lombard ad where the man in the commercial seems to be wearing his mask Continued from Page 52 e-Assessment Center for the purpose of evaluation under this scheme.

Process of the Faceless Tax Assessment The Scheme will work as under: The selected case with an identification number will be assigned to officers in different locations through an automated allocation system without human intervention.

For example, the case of a Goa assessee identified with a specific number can be assigned to an Assessment Unit in Assam for legal support; to a Technical Unit in Bangalore for examination; to the Verification Unit at Pune; and the draft assessment order may be reviewed by Calcutta Unit. In the entire process, no one will know the name or see the face of the Income Tax Officer of the Units, thereby preventing any possibility of

‘Indian style’ on his neck instead of covering his nose and mouth.

Some brands tried to be helpful to consumers empathizing with their condition during the lockdown. For example, one major impact on our lives was the closure of the salons which led Anand Mahindra to show his admiration for barbers on twitter.

Sunsilk one of the country’s longest standing brands tried to innovate by focusing on the work-from-

home culture. No haircuts meant that most women were struggling with their hairstyles so their commercial focused on the most sensible hairstyles to use during the lockdown.

Sunsilk showed a variety of hairstyles that could be used in the ‘My lockdown hairstyle’ commercial.

But whatever the appeal of the advertising one thing is certain; advertisers have been forced to re-think their advertising strategies.

Changes in media habits

Cases selected for investigation or best judgment assessment will be made in a very transparent seamless, painless and faceless manner without any human intervention

Continued from Page 48

influence or corruption.

In short, Faceless Assessments means dynamic jurisdictions, random allotment of cases, use of artificial intelligence and data analytics, team-based assessments, reply to notice electronically, no visits to the income-tax office, review before final order, and speedy completion. Thus, all scrutiny cases will be completed in a faceless way in a faceless environment, without any chance of bribery, thus providing giving relief to honest taxpayers and thereby helping ease of doing business and encouraging taxpayers to file tax returns voluntarily which at present is just 4% of the population

transparency and authenticity in an organization’s messages to them, either through advertisements or through its representatives.

And, they expect that the organization honours those communications.

Respect your customer: Understand, that a customer pays for the owner’s and employee’s salary. Customers visit a business because they believe that they will be treated with respect and their feelings will be cared for; that’s the minimum a customer expects from businesses.

Deceptive communication and false promises are a sign of disrespect to the customer and should be avoided always.

Follow up and provide continuous updates to customer: What is expected by customers is accurate communication from the organization. The status of what has happened about their

have also forced advertisers to change their strategies.

People, for example, spent more time watching TV and on digital media during the lockdowns.

The pandemic will transform advertising as much as it is transforming everything else like healthcare, travel and transport, restaurants, lifestyle businesses, and the way real estate and airconditioning systems are going to be designed in the future. After all, there is no knowing if and when the next pandemic might arrive.

Brian Wieser of Group M says “Companies will find that there’s never been a better time to pitch ideas that involve real transformation.

People will be more open minded and we’re going to see businesses find ways to push transformation even faster.

For corporate decisionmakers this is going to be radically cheaper than it was a few months ago” www.businessgoa.in

purchase or request and what is the future course of action taken by the organization.

Without communication and updates, a customer is confused and lost – leading to development of fear, anxiety and doubts in his mind.

Thus it is essential to provide continuous updates to the customer especially in remote waiting.

Promise only what you can deliver: It is unethical and illegal to promise what a business organization cannot deliver. To win customer trust and respect, organizations must only promise what it can deliver in the designated time period. Rather it would make better sense if the businesses can deliberately ‘under promise and over deliver’.

That will certainly make more customers happy and satisfied. C o m m u n i c a t i o n with customers is important, but getting it right is even more important for organizations to retain its customers

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 55

BON APPÉTIT KISMOOR

@businessgoa

Tropical State of Mind and Food

K

Kismoor, a resto-bar, is a tropical paradise, foodie’s delight and music lover’s haven

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

ismoor, a brand known for its authentic Goan-Portuguese and Indian cuisine, has launched a second branch, this time in Sangolda – and if one is craving for some drool-worthy and authentic Goan food; then this is a go-to place Located in Sangolda, the restaurant gives one a tropical garden vibe and is one of the most happening resto-bars that will take one’s quintessential Goan feeling a notch higher.

Owned by brothers Prasheel and Megh Netravalkar, the idea was to have a tropical gin garden set up along with a live cocktail bar, a food menu focused on

modern Goan and fusion cuisine and live music played every Saturday. Gin being their specialty, they have introduced a ‘Make your own Gin’ concept wherein one is presented with Gin and Tonic water along with an assortment platter containing slices of lime, tangerine, cucumber, along with spices like star anise, cloves, cardamom

Yakhni Pilaf

Butter Chicken

sticks, sprigs of mint and of course, salt.

The restaurant boasts of a bright outdoor area done up in tasteful shades of mint and white

with beautiful pathways, well kept garden and a set of swings to let one’s inner child blossom.

The bar menu has an array of cocktails, sangria, wine, gin, beer, whisky, vodka, rum, mocktails and shots.

With names like Flowers of Kismoor, Tropical Dreams, K-Lit, Chupa Chups Magic, Watermelon Friska, one is spoilt for choice. The Flowers of Kismoor was a smooth mellow cocktail while the Greater Dan was part of the ‘Make your own Gin’. It was paired with tonic water and flavoured with tangerine and star anise which made it an absolute delight to sip on.

Kismoor’s apertifs section has a wide variety of starters like the Veg Galouti Kebab, Chicken Croquets, Kombdi Chilli, Prawns Dangar, Fish Fry – try their Chonak, Calypso Cubes to name a few. The Calypso chicken is a dried fried chicken wrapped in a spicy blanket, while the Kombdi Chilli consists of tender chicken coated in a firesome blend of Goan and Chinese sauces, garnished with cilantro. The winner was the Prawns Dangar, which are crusty prawn cakes breaded with semolina and crisped fry in virgin coconut oil. The Prawns Dangar hits all the right notes and transports one into culinary heaven. If you want to have the best Prawn Dangar, this place is your best bet.

The mains menu lists mouthwatering names like Vegetable Caldin, Paneer Makhani, Chicken Mappas, Lahori Kheema and Alfredo Pasta. They have

56 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

@business-goa

a special section for rice dishes which features their famed Kashmiri Yakhni Pilaf, Chicken Fried Rice, Crabmeat Fried Rice and of course, plain Steamed Rice for those who’d like to have plain rice with an assortment of curries.

The highlight of Kismoor’s Menu is their heritage section which boasts of dishes like Chicken Cafreal, Squids Butter Garlic, Prawns Balchao, Sungta Peri-Peri, Tisryachem Sukhem and a host of other Goenkar staples.

The Kashmiri Yakhni Pilaf has a vegetarian and chicken option, which has fragrant; Kashmiri spiced basmati rice smeared in ghee with just the right amount of spices.

Considered to be one of their best sellers, the melt in your mouth dish is an experience to be savoured. Their Butter Chicken is described as Goa’s favourite butter chicken and true to its description it lives

Megh and Prasheel Netravalkar

up to its expectations. Tender pieces of chicken drowned in a rich buttery gravy, it leaves one’s taste buds craving for more. It was hard to pick a winner but both the dishes make for a perfect culinary couple and are a food lover’s delight.

No meal is complete without indulging oneself in some decadent desserts and one must savour their delectable delights. Kismoor has a small but tantalizing dessert menu. They have

the well known Portuguese dessert called Serradura, also known as the sawdust pudding which has alternate layers of crushed biscuits and whipped cream. For the chocolate lovers, there’s the Chocolate Fudge Brownie with a Nutella dip and the Double Chocolate Salami.

The Serradura emerged as number one in this category with the sinfully creamy dessert dancing on the palate and sending one into raptures of delight. Kismoor stays true

to its tag line of Wine, Dine and Laze. Savouring their lipsmacking food feels all the more enjoyable when seated in their tropical garden, grooving to some foot tapping music and just feasting under the starry sky or witnessing beautiful sunny afternoons.

Megh is a most gracious host and answers to his guests’ queries with the confidence that can only come from a restaurateur who knows his way around food. The servers are super polite and ever so eager to attend to their guests’ needs.

Good food is the ultimate satisfaction and Kismoor lives up to their reputation. One can indulge their inner foodie with an enticing selection of modern Goan cuisine and one will definitely keep coming back for more to this one-of-a-kind resto-bar over and over again www.businessgoa.in

DECEMBER 2020 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | 57

NEWSMAKERS Adv Shailendra Bhobe appointed Public Prosecutor in the High Court

Advocate Shailendra G Bhobe has been appointed by the Government to be the Public Prosecutor for the State of Goa before the Bombay High Court at Goa. Adv Bhobe, who graduated in 1992 from Salgaocar Law College, initially joined his father’s chambers and later went on to work with Sr Advocate Surendra Dessai.

An astute mind in criminal law, Bhobe has appeared in various high profile matters for the accused including politicians and even once a few Pakistani sailors who were apprehended off the Karwar coast in 1995.

He has appeared along with Sr Adv Mahesh Jethmalani in the defence of NSA accused. He has worked with and alongside several of India’s top criminal lawyers in the High Court and at the Supreme Court of India, as well.

“One of the reasons, why I took up the offer to be appointed as Public prosecutor was because my late father, G. U. Bhobe had once held it from 1985-1997. It is a challenge to step into his shoes, but it is also a great tribute to him,” says Bhobe

Purnima Desai honoured for her poetry by Diamond Book of World Records

Recently honoured by the Diamond Book of World Records, Purnima Desai participated as a poet in a nonstop poetry recitation programme organised in Marathi called ‘Vishwa Vikram Kavya Sammelan’.

The event was organised by well known Sahitya Sampada from PenRaigarh, Maharashtra. Desai was also presented with a medal for this world record poetry recitation event. She presented three poems Majhiya, Mi Pahilay and Sonpari. Purnima’s anthology of poems named; Ek Taras was published last year. She writes in Marathi, Konkani, English and Hindi. Purnima said that poems are an expressions of feelings, surrounding nature and the imagination. Also a stage and film artiste she has produced and directed a few short films such as Eke Daryadeger, Shanne, Baddi Gaddi and Change of Hearts and a drama Amhi Doghi. Presently she is working on two upcoming poetry books in Marathi and Konkani. In collaboration with composer Ajay Naik, she is also in the process of transforming her poems into songs

Juanv Amlapache wins the title of Mr Icon India

Juanv Amlapache recently represented Goa and won the title of ‘Mr Icon India’ as well as the ‘Best Healthy Hair’ at the Mr & Miss Icon India 2020, a national level pageant for both male and female categories held in October in New Delhi. Hailing from Manora, Raia, Juanv Amlapache has completed his Diploma in Food Production from Agnel Institute of Food Craft and Culinary Sciences, Verna. He is currently in his final year of B.Com at Shree Damodar College of Commerce & Economics Margao, and aspires to be a businessman in the future 58 | BUSINESS GOA INDUSTRY DOSSIER | DECEMBER 2020

www.businessgoa.in

Ajay G Menon appointed ‘Int’l Relations Advisor’ by Goa Institute of Management

Goa Institute of Management (GIM) has appointed Ajay G Menon as their ‘International Relations Advisor’.

Ajay is an entrepreneur and brings a wealth of experience to this role with his previous senior management assignments in Africa and the Middle East. He will be responsible for building the Institute’s International Intake Cell ground up and also forging tie ups with prestigious foreign

universities.

Goa Institute of Management, headed by Dr. Ajit Parulekar, has consistently been rated among the top-15 business schools in the country; and with this hire there will be a renewed focus on bringing diversity to the campus

Saloni Sakhardande awarded Amitabh Bachchan Scholarship at WWI

The prestigious Amitabh Bachchan Media Scholarship instituted by ace film producer, Anand Pandit was awarded to Saloni Sakhardande, a meritorious film-making student at Whistling Woods International.

The scholarship is awarded each year to deserving filmmaking student after a meticulous and exhaustive evaluation process. This includes their skills, creativity, imagination, art of implication, amongst other parameters.

This scholarship motivates them to strive harder to achieve the recognition. Whistling Woods International (WWI) has always believed in contributing towards the growth of hardworking and talented students through various initiatives.

WWI institutes scholarships in the name of legends like Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, along with Subhash Ghai Vidyadaan and Sunanda Murali Manohar scholarships, among others 138

1. Which motorcycle brand’s tagline is ‘American by birth. Rebel by choice’ ?

2. Aeroflot is the national airline of which country?

3. Nikkei is the stock exchange based in which city?

4. In 1952, which media mogul took over the reins of his father’s newspaper ‘The Adelaide News’?

5. Which logistics major was founded in San Francisco by Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn?

6. In 1988, which global CEO graduated with a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology in Karnataka?

7. ‘India Unbound’ and The Dharma of Business’ are books written by which famous business leader?

8. This company was founded in 1963 at Palakkad, Kerala

by TPG Nambiar 9. Identify this newsmaker Answers to BG Quiz 137: 1.Union Carbide 2. Indra Nooyi 3.

Dr Verghese Kurien 4. Narayan Vaghul 5. WIPRO 6. Dettol 7.

Delhivery 8. Tiffany & Co 9. John T Chambers Email your answers to businessgoa.media@gmail.com First all correct entry will get 1 year’s subscription to Business Goa

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