Business Goa February 2017

February 2017

VOL 3 ISSUE 2 panaji goa

goa’s only business magazine

union budget focus nation

industry wish-list

RNI No.: goaeng/2015/59955

Postal license no.: G-2/RNP/Monthly/Goa-19/2015-17

www.businessgoa.in

industry dossier

Style Sutra Peek into the glamorous business of Archana and Sumeet Bhobe, owners of Snip Salons & Spas

focus goa

kaenat

Enterprise

kalakar

Goan Brand

glow paints industry

greco

Bon Appetit

News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features

CONTENTS Cover Story 14

Inside the glamorous world of Snip Salons & Spas – the entrepreneurial journey of Archana and Sumeet Bhobe

Focus Goa Industry Expectations 20

Government priorities change but Industry expectations largely remain same

Focus Goa Liquor Ban to Impact Goa 22

The Supreme Court ban on vending of liquor on highways and its impact

Focus Nation On the Growth Path 24 14

The Finance Minister, through this Budget, is paving India’s growth path, ensuring a formal economy and a tax compliant nation

Starting Young 28

36

Starting off at 17, Gohar Chanekar fulfils his interests for design through his venture, Visual Vibes

Enterprise 30

With a vast experience in mining and engineering, Kaenat Enterprise is passionate about machinery

32

28 30

Interview 32

In conversation with Dr. Nitin Upadhyay, on his international award winning research on Systematic Decision-Making Framework

Industry 34

Glow Paints focuses on delivering the best products at the best price

Goan Brand 36

Kalakar keeps Goan handloom weaving alive, with comfort wear

42 63

34

Lady Power 42

Ashwini Tarcar’s sweet recipe to success with Shree Foods

Professional Dossier 44

Dr. Vikas Panvelkar has global experience in the field of surgical cosmetics

44 COLUMNS

Bon Appetit 63

Greco at the Radisson Blu Resort Cavelossim; and Americana in Goa with Hillbelly’s all American Sandwiches

49 Antarprerna

56 Letter from America

50 People Tree

58 Money Matters

53 Good Company

59 HR Mantra

Nandini Vaidyanathan has an interesting take on the concept of ‘Glass Ceiling’

Kishore Shah in conversation with Nikita Araujo, a sports administrator from Goa

Swatee Shere Rane reviews the Union Budget’s cross-sectoral measures

54 Beyond Classroom

Health Care falling behind with soft skills, rues Dr Pradeep Salgaonkar

06 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

Tour the lesser travelled India with Pallavi Shah, says Jay Dehejia V B Prabhu Verlekar delves into the cashless shift in society, post Demonetisation RN Misra advocates the importance of a committed workforce

08 Editorial 10 Corpo Scan 38 Campus 38 BG Crossword 39 Hospitality 46 Shipping 47 Events 48 Biz Bytes 60 Fitness 62 What’s Up Goa 66 Goa Buzz 70 Newsmakers 70 BG Quiz Cover Pic: Nadia Dias

editorial

hbhatkuly@gmail.com VOL 3 ISSUE 2 panaji goa

RNI No.: goaeng/2015/59955

Keep the Faith february 2017 Editor & Publisher Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Co-Publisher & Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly Advisory Board Datta Damodar Naik Ralph de Sousa Rajiv D’Silva Swapnil Kamat Business Head Annalise Gouveia Reporters Alexia Fernandes Ankitha Joseph Ramrai Naik Admin & Accounts Ashok Kolvekar Sandra Dias Advertising Graphics Govit Morajkar Sanskruti Naik Distribution & Logistics Mayur Santinezkar Pritesh Naik Contributors in this issue Jay Dehejia Kishore Shah Nandini Vaidyanathan Nivedita Dempo Dr Pradeep Salgaonkar R N Misra Rohan Bhandare Swatee Shere Rane V B Prabhu Verlekar

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.

Editorial, Advertising & Administrative Office Business Goa 409, Citicentre, EDC Patto Plaza, Panaji, 403001 Goa India Tel.: 0832-6456555, 2437822

Email: businessgoa.media@gmail.com

The other day I had the opportunity of hanging around with a gentleman who has made it big in business. What is unique about his enterprise is that he has not just made it big against the proverbial odds; but he had the vision of doing what he did for twenty years.

And since I was privy to the vision pretty early on, I find it not just a commendable achievement and persistence of vision, but also a success story to get inspired from.

In my line of work, I meet dime a dozen people who fancy themselves as entrepreneurs.

There is a running joke between a columnist in this magazine and me, that people use the term ‘entrepreneur’ to describe what they are doing, to resist any further questions. As if entrepreneurism comes with a guarantee of economic moratorium. Even more astounding is if I meet the same person after a few months, he is on to something totally new to what he was impassioned when I had encountered him for the first time.

There is nothing wrong in course correction or spotting of an opportunity to change tracks – some pretty big business empires have been created due to a deviant turn or happenstance that the entrepreneur chanced upon. But what I described above doesn’t fit in that category.

Business success is a mix of too many variables – pitched against a constant, the time taken to achieve that success. What separates the grain from the chaff is a robust mix of a lot of attributes, prime among which is the faith you have in your enterprise. I know many people who enjoy walking into their workplaces in the mornings – for the sheer joy it offers them. The work itself is their reward.

Would you not think that this is a mark of success? Or then, despite amassing a lot of profits, there are still those grumps, who look at their enterprise as a load that heavies and slows them down.

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Having faith in one’s enterprise is not as easy as it sounds. Especially in a place like India, where entrepreneurial failure is accompanied by colossal social stigma. Where you are trained to take the safe exit that life offers you.

No entrepreneur worth his salt will tell you that his journey in business is comfortable – but he will, in the same breath, assure you that he would have it no other way.

When you have faith in your business, you are mentally prepared to ride the rough waves that will come along. You will also go right ahead and do whatever suits your business, irrespective of what the naysayers warn you about. In my opinion, youngsters who band themselves as entrepreneurs, should go out and talk to established players in their domain.

Many of who, would love to regale you with their war stories. It’s a two way street. The hero gets to share his tale with interested youngsters, who in turn can file these nuggets as inspiration or case study. And no amount of reading can replicate this experience.

It is strange that our academic curriculum in schools is completely oblivious to the fact that many students will grow up to run their own businesses. It is also a rarity that children get acquainted with business basics in only a few ‘business’ communities in the country.

Which means that majority of them, who are out to eke a living doing trade and commerce have to self educate themselves, or pick up the ropes while in someone’s employ. Here again, comes the fact that with the given paucity of resources, one has to make that leap of faith.

Put your time, money and peace of mind on a business idea. Not just to make a living or make a killing, but to make your faith work.

Who said that entrepreneurism is for the faint hearted?

Printed, published and owned by Harshvardhan V. Bhatkuly and printed at Printek Printers and Published at 409, Citicentre, EDC Patto Plaza, Panaji - Goa 403001. Editor: Harshvardhan V. Bhatkuly

08 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

corpo scan

Bandhan Banks open branches in Goa

Bandhan Bank launched two branches in Goa located at Panaji and Margao.

The Panaji branch, situated opposite Dr Kedar Hospital was inaugurated by General Manager and officer-in-charge RBI Goa, Jaikish. The Margao branch is located at Pachecos Lotus City Centre, behind Margao Police Station.

With its head quarters in Kolkata, Bandhan Bank has two divisions – General Banking and micro banking, offering a range of retail financial solutions including a variety of savings and loan products.

The opening of the latest two branches, Bandhan Bank’s total network in India has

increased to over 700 branches.

Bandhan Bank presently has 3,459 contact points pan India consisting of 770 bank branches, 2416 door step service centres (DSCs) and 273 ATMs serving more than 9.8 million customers.

The bank has mobilised deposits more than `19,500 crore and its outstanding loan book stands close to `18,500 crore.

Bandhan Bank has a dedicated team of nearly 23,000 employees on roll.

Its public shareholders include, among others, international finance Corporation, an arm of GIC, the sovereign wealth fund of Singapore, and SIDBI

Airbus to set up MRO facility in Goa for EC725 choppers

European aviation major Airbus has chosen Goa to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for the EC 725 helicopter if it secures a pitched contract of over `2,000 crore with the Coast Guard.

The facility is planned as part of Airbus’ offer to equip the Indian Coast Guard with 14 EC725 for its Twin Engine Heavy Helicopter (TEHH) requirement. The MRO will enable a comprehensive Performance – Based Logistic (PBL) support service that Airbus is offering to the Indian Coast Guard to ensure maximum fleet availability of its EC 725.

The MRO activities would include the scheduled

Max Mall de Goa shopping festival at Porvorim

L to R: Shashank Mahatme, Bhuvanish Sheth and DJ Aneesh Gera

Max Mall de Goa shopping festival began on February 3, 2017 and will continue until February 26th. The winners of the grand prize will be announced on the first anniversary of the Mall on February 27th.

The prizes on offer are 2 Renault KWIDs, 10 Honda Navi bikes, a host of white good home appliances from

IFB, along with a host of other exciting prizes. At a function held at the Mall Atrium, Chief Operating Officer Jai Bhuvan Group Shashank Mahatme provided highlights of the festival, while director finance of JBG Bhuvanish Sheth declared the festival open.

DJ and youth icon DJ Aneesh Gera launched “Offersky” the Mall de Goa

10 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

mobile application which allow shoppers to browse through all the efforts from participating stores and eateries and also provide the clients exciting discounts.

Mall de Goa offers unlimited excitement, ample parking which can accommodate close to over 500 cars at a time, a multiplex, a choice of fine dining options, family entertainment, games and exciting customer engagement activities continuously for all ages.

The endeavour of Mall de Goa along with its partners and brands has always been to provide maximum benefits to their clients in terms of value for money.

The festival is a step ahead to all shoppers to indulge and be aptly rewarded

and unscheduled maintenance activities which come within the ambit of intermediate and depot – level maintenance also known as 2nd and 3rd /4th level of maintenance. The Green Field facility is expected to pave the way for an inflow of new military helicopter maintenance technologies and skill sets in addition to the creation of expert jobs in India.

Over 140 EC725 (now marketed globally as the H225M) have been ordered so far by France, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Kuwait and Singapore.

80 aircraft are currently in service

Filing of VAT returns extended to Feb 17

The last date for the filing of quarterly returns for the quarter ending December 31, 2016, has been extended to February 17 in an order issued by the Commissioner of commercial teaxes under Sub rule (1) of Rule 23 of the Goa Value Added Tax, Rules, 2005.

Irrespective of being a regular or composition dealer, the quarterly returns are to be filed by February 2017, for the quarter ending December 2016. As mentioned in the section 55 of the Act, failure to file returns will draw further penalties.

According to the condition to clause (iii) of sub rule (2) of rule 11 of the Goa Tax on Luxuries Rules, 1988, the Commissioner of Commercial Taxes directed that the returns by registered hoteliers of proprietors under section 13 of the Goa Tax on Luxuries Act 1988 shall be acknowledged beyond January 30, 2017 without payment of penalty for the quarter ending December 31, 2016

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corpo scan

Fifth year of the Harley Owners Group rally to be held in Goa

Harley-Davidson, the renowned motor-cycling brand will be hosting its biggest Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally from 16th to 18th of February 2017 in Goa. 3,000 members of the Harley Owners group are expected to be in Goa for the fifth edition of the rally.

“In five short years, since the first national rally, HOG rallies have witnessed riders riding from across the country to our rallies, all driven by

their passion and love for Harley-Davidson and the spirit of riding together,” said Singh, Director Marketing, HarleyDavidson India.

The company said, “A scenic rally site by the sea, India’s premiere comedy-rock band Vir Das’ Alien Chutney, a custom motorcycle zone and thousands of Harley-Davidson motorcycles cruising the streets in unison will set the tone for the five-year celebrations of the rally in Goa”

GITP partners with WisdomLab for Innovation Ecosystem at Verna

Penalty for receiving cash over 3 lakh

Goa IT Professionals announce its association with WisdomLab for an upcoming section 8 purpose oriented, multidiscipline innovation ecosystem project located at Verna.

WisdomLab, though a unique collaborative approach, is engaging from the outset the local IT and entrepreneur

communities to prioritize and design its facilities. In order to enhance cooperation among the community, a brainstorming session will be organized on 10th February at its Verna premises. In keeping with the promotion, sustainable social and business enterprise though optimal synergies among all

Management Day to be hosted by GMA

300 mining leases to be auctioned

Goa Management Association is celebrating ‘Management Day’ in association with Dnyanprasarak Mandal’s College and Resarch Centre, BBA Department, Goa, who will be hosting the event at their premises at Assagao.

Keynote speakers Dr. Sangam Kurade, CMD of Zuari Foods & Farms Pvt Ltd, Victor Hugo Gomes, Founder Curator of Goa Chitra and Prajyot Mainkar, Director, Androcid Media Pvt Ltd, Goa will address the audience in the evening on various perspectives of the theme ‘ Fast Forward – From Catch-Up to Leadership’. Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, Publisher-Editor, Business Goa will moderate the panel discussion.

A competition for students of management colleges from Goa, testing their knowledge, awareness and creativity will also be held. The winner of this event will be awarded at the programme in the evening

The government said that leases of around 300 mineral blocks would be auctioned during the fiscal. “The fiscal 2017–18 will see a very big change in allocation of mining leases. Nearly 300 mining leases should be put on auction by different states,” mines secretary Balvinder Kumar said at an event.

So far, around 21 mining leases have already been auctioned and these mineral blocks have a cumulative resource value of around `94,000 crore, added Kumar.

The mines ministry has already facilitated the auction process

12 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

relevant stakeholders, such an ecosystem with a network of credible individuals and institutions is the need of the hour in Goa for greater employment opportunities, and local prosperity. Wisdom lab is keen to contribute towards making Goa the innovation capital of Indian in the years ahead

extending support from IBM and GSI and various PSUs such as MSTC, MECON, MECL and SBICAP. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha are few among the states preparing for auction of mineral blocks like iron ore, limestone and bauxite in the next financial year, the government had earlier mentioned. The blocks to be available for auction in future which are being explored under National Mineral Exploration Trust or by GSI or

by MECL are being explored by entities under the new exploration policy

A ban on cash transaction of more than `3 lakh has been proposed in the Union budget for 2017 – 18. In a bid to check generation of black money, a steep penalty awaits those accepting cash in excess of `3 lakh, beginning April 2017.

Revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia said the penalty for cash transaction will be steep and the receiver will have to pay an amount equivalent to the cash received.

“A transaction of `4 lakh in cash, would have a penalty of 4 lakh. If you do a transaction of `50 lakh, penalty would be `50 lakh” he said, adding that the penalty will be levied on the receiver.

So, if someone buys an expensive watch with cash, it is the shopkeeper who will have to pay the tax, to deter people from making large cash transactions.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had, in his Budget, for 2017–18 proposed to insert Section 269 ST in the Income Tax Act to state that “no person shall receive an amount of `3 lakh or more by way of cash in aggregate from a person in a day; in respect of a single transaction; or in respect of transactions relating to one event or occasion from a person”. However, the restrictions will not apply to the government, any banking company, post office savings bank or co-operative bank

cover story

Pic: Nadia Dias

Style Sutra

Peek into the glamorous business of Archana and Sumeet Bhobe, owners of Snip Salons & Spas

By HARSHVARDHAn bhatkuly

Archana and Sumeet Bhobe come from different business backgrounds.

A qualified fashion designer, Archana had started an eponymous store which 14 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

garnered a sizable client base over eight years of its operations. Sumeet, owned and operated a high voltage creative advertising agency, Sphinx – which was engaged in pathbreaking design work for clients across the globe. The

entrepreneurial bug bit several times and they dabbled in many ventures, including a very successful Oriental restaurant named ZEN. Of course, it took everyone by surprise that they threw this all away to pursue a business that has changed the

rules of the luxury grooming and wellness industry in Goa with Snip.

“Both of us were fairly successful with our original businesses. Archana had firmly established her brand name in the affordable designer wear segment and I had an enviable list of blue chip clients that any advertising agency would kill for. When we started Snip, our businesses were still operational, but we realised that Snip was growing faster than we had ever expected.

We had something red-hot and had to capitalise on its popularity and growth to realise its full potential.

Apart from being lucrative, we liked the dynamism and the challenging nature of the business. Every day is a new day. There’s not a dull moment!

So it was decided that we should quit when we are ahead and focus on nurturing and growing Snip. Archana took the plunge first and closed her store in 2004. I followed suit in 2006, when I wound up my agency and started working full time at Snip,” says Sumeet.

Defying conventional

Snip, Calangute, an oasis of calm on the North Goa beach belt

wisdom, there was no big ‘Eureka Moment’ that went into the creation of Snip.

“I wish there was a wildly

dramatic story behind the business concept! In reality, it was just an early sighting of a prime opportunity. Both of us

love to travel and during our many sojourns, we saw how the grooming and wellness space had evolved in other parts of India and the world.

Goa was eons behind and we reckoned that someone had to do something about this.

Several individuals took pride in travelling to Mumbai to rendezvous with their hairdresser every month because there was practically no one who could meet their standards in Goa. Snip changed all that,” says Sumeet about the origin of Snip.

One wonders what happens when people with no experience in a particular business go out and put their heart and soul into creating a game changing brand.

“From the word go, we set about bringing international standards to grooming and wellness into Goa. We didn’t restrict ourselves to local talent, but hired trainers from several other countries to impart education and further raise the bar. Our perspective has always been global and we are continuously improving and evolving to provide an

The lap of luxury grooming february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 15

cover story international experience to our guests. It’s heartwarming to hear our guests say that they prefer our services over several salons they tried during their travels abroad,” says Archana proudly. She also feels that her expertise and experience in fashion helped her enormously in building Snip as a luxury brand. “Well, for starters, our uniforms have always been trend setting!

I have been fortunate to work with several acclaimed designers to style our uniforms which see a change every four years or so. From the beginning, a certain degree of style was always high on my list of priorities. Over the years, our ‘look and feel’ both in terms of our ambience and our people, has stayed fresh and current.

My aesthetic sense was honed in fashion school and I have enjoyed applying it at Snip.”

So what are the bestsellers at Snip?

“Let’s just say that we don’t do different things, we do things differently. We try and ensure that every item on the service menu is a carefully curated experience.

Needless to say, nothing but the finest products are used. In the hair department, our exceptional hair colours perfectly compliment the latest haircuts. Nourishing Kérastase hair rituals are a must-try. In the skin and body section, delectable Hungarian organic products are employed in rejuvenating treatments,” informs Archana. “We like to think of ourselves as a company with the mind of a corporate – efficient, forward thinking with a global outlook. However, at heart we are a warm, congenial and personalized family-owned business which cares deeply about each and every guest. It’s not uncommon for us to periodically sift through feedback forms personally to ensure that our service delivery is satisfactory,” adds Sumeet.

“Over the years, we have consistently added more services to keep our guests engaged. Evolution for us is a continuous process and it startles us to see the range of services we offer now. What was started as a stylish hair salon with 3 stations now offers over 200 services spread over several thousand square feet,” he elaborates.

Starting a business from scratch is no mean task. It took a lot of effort and smarts to solidify the business model and switch into the growth gear for the ambitious duo.

“To be honest, we learnt as we went along.

In the early entrepreneurial years, there is a certain naiveté which primarily relies on gut feeling. The fear of failure was nonexistent and we just did what ‘felt right’.

Having said that, the biggest challenge from day one (which hasn’t changed much) is the management and retention of quality professionals. Ours is a very 16 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

Archana Bhobe, Business Goa Awardee 2015

“Let’s just say that we don’t do different things, we do things differently.

We try and ensure that every item on the service menu is a carefully curated experience. Needless to say, nothing but the finest products are used. In the hair department, our exceptional hair colours perfectly compliment the latest haircuts”

ARCHANA BHOBE

personalized vocation. Perhaps almost as intimate as a doctor-patient relationship and no one likes to change their doctor (read hair stylist),” says Sumeet.

Accountability – to their colleagues and customers, sincerity – towards their service delivery and goals, honesty in their business practices and interactions are some of the cornerstones of their business.

To quote from Snip’s Mission Statement: “Hospitality is our Raison d’être. Generosity and warmth are our genuine pleasure.

Performing daily duties with sincerity and a sense of style. Delighting our guests with creativity and attention to detail. Seeing the finest in everything and creating a beautiful, inspiring environment. Spreading conviviality, joy, trust and positive energy.”

Snip targets its appeal to everyone…

“From a toddler to an octogenarian and beyond, is our target audience. Our principle is ‘affordable luxury’ so we

try and see that there is something for everyone in our menu,” explains Sumeet.

As a successful advertising professional, does he bring in a lot of his marketing tricks into play? “Marketing Strategies?

We don’t have any! We personally do not like the concept of hard-sell, so we never impose it on our customers. Snip’s entire business model is honest, up-front and gimmick-free. There are no discounts, seasonal price hikes, buy-one-get-onefree schemes. Yes, we do have loyalty cards that give our customers more value. This is probably the most honest and flexible loyalty program ever. So, no marketing strategies for us. Hell, we didn’t even have a website or Facebook page until 4 years ago!,” he laughs.

Snip is based in 3 locations in Goa – in Panjim, Calangute and at the Grand Hyatt Goa, Bambolim. Besides, the salon also has a branch at a beautiful heritage home at Turner Road, Bandra, Mumbai. Although all their locations are uber-elegant and oases of style and luxury, the Mumbai unit deserves special mention. Housed in a heritage building, Snip Bandra is a sanctuary of calm in the frenetic suburb.

Reason enough for many Bollywood stars, literati and celebrities to frequent this branch.

Goa being a tourist destination, the strategy of having a unit at a five star property seemed like a logical business decision for Snip. “That’s right, we started off with a very successful stint at the Goa Marriott Resort; and now we moved to the Grand Hyatt Bambolim. Hotel operations are essentially a waiting game and highly seasonal. The off season is very depressing but operations during the tourist and wedding season turns into a veritable melee. So in short, when it rains, it pours and when it doesn’t, it’s dry as a bone,” says Archana.

The wellness business has grown exponentially in the state, spewing cutthroat competition among salons. How does Snip manage to keep its brand promise above the ring of competition?

“Competition exists in a ‘me too’ situation.

We firmly believe that we have a unique product. Although our business model has been plagiarized, our ethics and commitment to quality remain our biggest strength and these alone will see us though any situation,” says Sumeet, as he puts the competition in perspective. He further adds, “The expectations are from us, ourselves. Snip is an extension of our collective personalities – it is heart and soul and blood and sweat and occasionally, tears too. Our passion for excellence drives us. Our continuous effort to learn

cover story something new keeps us grounded.”

Sumeet, who is a voracious reader, and reads a lot on business and personal growth to stay inspired in the journey of entrepreneurship. “I’m an absolute sucker for self-help books. Most of my inspiration comes from titles like ‘12 things mentally strong people don’t do.’ The rest of it, I get from the people around me. I believe there’s something in practically everyone that I can learn from and derive inspiration from,” he says. While Archana says that her inspiration comes from travelling and scrap-booking. Somehow they have managed to resist many popular temptations and introduced their personal tastes into their business. One of which is not to be too reliant on technology. “We have a massive tech-allergy! You won’t see large LED screens at Snip. No gizmos and gadgets. There’s no wi-fi either! For us, ‘analog’ is a virtue. The company actively dissuades the use of mobiles, tablets and the like in our units. Instead, there’s very nice reading material, really nice music, soothing aromas, a nice selection of teas… you get the picture,” says Sumeet.

So how does a couple, who selfconfessedly call Snip a family-owned business, manage to stay business-like while at work? “We have worked together at Snip for 16 years and people often ask how we have not killed each other yet. I guess we avoid friction by maintaining a few ground rules. Firstly, we have our own areas of responsibility, which are totally independent of each other. Second, we have our own teams who report to us. Lastly, and most importantly, we respect each other’s decisions and try not to influence them,” says Archana about being disciplined with professionalism. Sumeet attributes it to their management style. “Control Freaks would be an adequate description for us!

Although we are lucky to have a fantastic team who take a lot of day to day pressure off us, we are nevertheless guilty of micromanagement. Call it a flaw if you must.

Many wise men (and women) tell us that it’s not the right way to do it. Apparently the new age management style is all about delegating. Call us old fashioned, but we like to stay on top of everything. There is no aspect of our business, however mundane and routine, which we do not know of. However, we do acknowledge that as we grow, we will eventually need to cede control and delegate more,” he says.

A few years ago, Archana and Sumeet took the lead, along with a few competing salons, to institute the Goa Salon & Spa Association (GSSA). “Well, our industry has been a target of negative publicity on more than one occasion. It is also one 18 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

Snip, Bandra, housed in a stunning vintage property

Housed in a heritage building, Snip Bandra is a sanctuary of calm in the frenetic suburb.

Reason enough for many Bollywood stars, literati and celebrities to frequent this branch of the most over taxed, over regulated businesses to run. Aspiring entrepreneurs think it’s a very easy and lucrative business, but they have no idea how demanding it is. Because of a few unscrupulous operators, the entire industry was getting a bad name. We needed a unified voice to speak for the industry and address its many concerns. At the same time, we had to work towards building a positive image of the salon and spa industry. In 2014, we took the initiative and formed the GSSA (Goa Salon & Spa Association) which remains the single most respected entity representing the interests of the industry and working for its betterment. Only the finest and most reputed salons and spas are part of the GSSA; and membership is by invitation only,” says Sumeet.

So how would they summarise their success mantra? Sumeet, with a philosophical nod says, “Logic takes you from A to B. Imagination takes you everywhere. Keep thinking out of the

proverbial box.” Archana’s potion for success is more profound. “I’d rather be on a plane – inspiration is everywhere, seek it, find it,” she says with a calm that only someone who has climbed the flight of success one stair at a time, can say.

What next? Does running a successful business leave them time for anything else? How do they decompress, relax and recharge? When they are not jetting off to some offbeat location, the couple is fussing over their Lhasa Apsos or catching up on movies and keeping their 14 year old son engaged. Sumeet is a motorhead with a passion for superbikes. “A ride a day keeps the doctor away,” he laughs. Archana retreats to her studio where she works on her scrapbooks, an activity that calms her ‘hyperactive mind’. Both are die hard animal lovers, and they dedicate a couple of hours each week to rescue, vaccinate and neuter stray dogs. As we grow, we realize there is much to do in terms of giving back to society. Snip regularly sends its team to orphanages as a part of their CSR; and next on the list is old age homes.

“Operating Snip is a full time job and there’s very little time to diversify into anything else. Yes, we do have major expansion plans in the near future,” says Sumeet, leaving little doubt that they are already onto something bigger than what they have created in a little over a decade and a half

focus goa

Industry expectations from the next Goa government priorities change, based on various factors, industry expectations largely remain same Government While

By Ramrai Naik

THE HIGH VOLTAGE election campaign came to a halt; and yet again we saw impressive voters’ turnout in the state assembly polls.

The manifestos presented by political parties have promised jobs, development, doubling of social security schemes, improved public transportation, world class infrastructure, making Goa a model state etc.

The delivery of those promises would take a lot of time if the next government doesn’t set the priority areas right. The state has done exceedingly well with social infrastructure lately, but that has come at an ever increasing cost to the exchequer. Business associations across the State and nation have complained about the government’s negligence in creating a friendly business environment within the State. Ease of Doing Business and free flowing investment will foster the growth story of the state in the years to come.

On the other side, the government has to keep a check on the debt which has accumulated over a period of time and is ever increasing due to poor revenue generating sources. Although the debt is not bad in the economy, what is bad is the focus area of the government’s expenditure.

While government priorities change based on various factors, industry expectations largely remain the same, especially those of the industry stakeholders in Goa. Eurico Noronha, Vice President of Human Resources at Wallace Group of Pharma Companies expects the next government to make Goa ‘a truly attractive investment destination’. Noronha expects a concrete plan from the government for preventing

a brain drain in the state. He opines, “The skills of Goa’s human resource should be developed so that it may be seen as the most attractive aspect when investing in Goa. The last five years have been bleak with respect to new industries and employment generation. Compared to the past, there have been more closures and industry exits in Goa and an exodus of employable youth out of India.

The next Government has to reverse all these negative trends.”

Apart from that, Noronha highlights other focus areas, he says, “The problem of water supply should be solved permanently with guaranteed PWD supply from large scale

water harvesting, done for each industrial estate and area.

It is a shame that industrial estates have to depend so much on tanker supply. Good quality and uninterrupted power supply should be a serious infrastructure project focus.”

“At all the important corporations like EDC, GSIDC, IDC, the Government should not appoint MLAs as their Chairpersons but instead have an independent professional who can be held accountable”

“The next government should also look forward to bring in large scalenon polluting industrial units to the State.

Like engineering and goods manufacturing industries, which create a lot of job opportunities”

Sudin naik

President, GSIA

20 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

GSIA Sudin Naik, President of GSIA feels that the Ease of Doing Business has improved in the last 15 years; but it is not as enhanced as compared to other states. He says, “The Government procedure in Goa is taking too much time as compared to states like Telengana, or Andhra Pradesh, wherein they have put forth provision, whereby after a certain number of days if

soham kelekar

president, Madkaim Industrial Estate

government fails to respond, the application is deemed as approved.”

Sudin Naik hopes to end the tradition of appointing sitting MLAs at the top positions of large government corporations. He states, “At all the important corporations like EDC, GSIDC, IDC, the Government should not appoint MLAs as their Chairpersons but instead have an independent professional who can be held accountable.

Politicians at such positions work only for their political gains.”

Madkaim Industrial Estate “Industrial Units at Madkaim Industrial Estate are eagerly waiting for the Goods and Service Tax rollout,” comments Soham Kelekar.

“As far as industrial estates are concerned, there’s good improvement in terms of power but there are some problems during rainy season.”

Soham Kelekar, President, Madkaim Industrial Estate says, “The next government should also look forward to bring in large scale-non polluting industrial units to the State. For example, engineering and goods manufacturing which create a lot of job opportunities.

As there is scarcity of land, such companies aren’t welcomed. The Government should develop land for such industries which will generate revenue as well as jobs for the State.” He further adds, “The current MD of the Goa IDC is working tirelessly, however the present staff under him should be efficient. They should be given professional training on how to clear files on timely basis. All those processes should be computerized through e-governance, as the current process takes a lot of time”

Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry has its wish-list for the next government of the state levels about the need for segregation and appropriate disposal of different categories of waste. The government has to establish village and city level segregation and treatment facilities instead of common central facilities which encounter opposition from people.

Goa’s frontrunner trade and industry body encouraged its members to list out a wish-list as elections rolled out in the state. Some of the points that emerged from a collaborative discussion were: Tourism Goa should have a clear Tourism Policy. A study group, consisting of stakeholders should be set to identify the issues that Goa faces as a tourist destination, and decide a vision and a long term plan for all-round development of tourism in the State.

Ease of Doing Business When it comes to Ease of Doing Business, Goa is placed at 21st position with a very poor implementation rate of only 18.15% – we have implemented just 61 action points and 275 remain to be attempted. The overall rank is not so important, what is really worrisome is the very low rate of implementation.

The Government should promote transparency by coming out with regulations that will ensure time-bound clearance of all files. If any file is retained, the reasons thereof must be communicated in writing to the proponent.

Licensing, granting of NOCs and occupancy

Most of the projects cleared by IP&FB thus far have not been allotted land.

Even small projects requiring land below 3000 sq mtrs find that GIDC is too slow to allot them land.

Huge chunk of land is locked up in the SEZ legal imbroglio certificates should be made online and in a time bound manner. NOCs and occupancy certificates should be issued within one week and licenses should be within 4 weeks time.

The Labour department is seen to be pro-union which results in Go Slow and strikes.

The Government always backs the union for increase in the minimum wages. This is not favourable to the industry and needs to change to be a little pro-industry for industry to be attracted.

In order to create synergy between education and skill development, it is necessary to merge the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Craftsmanship Training and create a new Ministry as Department of Human Resource Development.

A campaign is required to increase awareness at all

Power The industry expects the state government to ensure energy security by supplying quality power on 24x7 basis to meet contracted demand.

Power tariffs should be critically examined and rationalised. Inefficiencies of the department are resulting in higher tariffs, this is adversely affecting industry.

The State must play a proactive role with well-defined binding targets, to promote development of renewable energy in a big way. A separate body, Goa Renewable Energy Development Authority, staffed with competent persons, should be formed to pursue these objectives vigorously.

The State needs to urgently put in place its policy for encouraging Roof-Tops based and Field-mounted Solar Power Generation Plants, by studying the models successfully adopted in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The State must mandate obligated parties to use renewable energy, particularly solar power.

Road Traffic Management Installations and maintenance of traffic light systems at appropriate locations.

Improve Mass Public Transport System by making it comfortable, convenient and affordable to users. A metro railway connecting business and commercial centres in the state can be built.

No fairs and exhibitions

should be allowed in areas where adequate parking space is not available.

Zuari Bridge is closed for heavy traffic since 1997. Trucks and containers bringing raw material from outside Goa to Verna / Sancoale Industrial Estates have to follow circuitous route which increases the travel time and costs of transportation, causes congestion and accidents on narrow roads. It is necessary to start a RO-RO service across Zuari River immediately.

Capabilities for creating the necessary infrastructure (ramp and road and ferries to carry heavy traffic) within a short time are available within the State.

Kadamba Transport Corporation should run special buses between Airport to Vasco/ Margao/ Panjim/ Mapusa.

Introduce meters for Taxis, introduce coach services from Airport / Railway stations to various cities. Allow introduction of operators like Uber/Ola etc to bring in competition.

Industrial Land The Government has instituted the Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (IP&FB) and aims to get `25,000 crores worth of investment and create 50,000 jobs. However, most of the projects cleared thus far have not been allotted land.

Even small projects requiring land below 3000 sq mtrs find that GIDC is too slow to allot them land. Huge chunk of land is locked up in the SEZ legal imbroglio. Efforts should be made to resolve this issue in a time-bound manner and ensure that this land is released for industrial use. Review and accountability of all tenanted lands with stringent provisions for enforcement or forfeiture of tenancy rights if the land is not cultivated

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 21

focus goa

More than half of Goa’s liquor business to be affected by SC’s verdict

Liquor store owners’ fate lies in the hands of next state government

By Ramrai Naik

A MOVE THAT’S supposedly taken in order to prevent vehicular accidents on highways is seen to be majorly affecting liquor store owners’ livelihood in Goa. The Supreme Court’s verdict of banning liquor sales on all national and state highways will lead to closure of over 50% of the shops in Goa. The Apex Court’s decision on 15th December has ruled in favour of a PIL that pleaded for a nationwide ban of liquor stores on highways. The Supreme Court concluded that after March 31st all the licences of the liquor store which fall within the 500 meter jurisdiction from the highway will stand cancelled.

Goa government is currently looking out for options to ensure that the Supreme Court provides some relief to home grown business. CM Laxmikant Parsekar told pressmen, “The state government is studying the judgment. The impact will be more on Goa due to the number of liquor stores. We need to explore the possibility of relocating such liquor shops.” Parsekar added, “Given the geography of Goa, where several highways cross through the State, almost 50 per cent of business will be affected as per preliminary estimates.”

Former Goa CM Manohar Parrikar says, “I have not understood the meaning of the Supreme Court’s decision. We will have to think about it. If we go 500 metres, half of Goa will be affected.”

Bailancho Saad, a voluntary women’s organisation welcomed the Supreme Court verdict. Sabina Martins of Bailancho Saad in a media address stated, “If the government is serious about

the liquor lobby by defending the policy. You want the Excise Minister to be happy, make the government happy… Let 1.5 lakh people die but you must serve liquor.”

Excise Department is yet to draw an action plan as the Commissioner claims of not receiving order for the same.

Excise commissioner Menino D’Souza says, “We have issued direction to ascertain the number of liquor shops on highways.”

framing a liquor policy it must not only look at it from the point of view of the industry, but also incorporate the issues faced by the society that arise from alcoholism.”

Darshan Naik Mule for whom liquor is part of the family business, feels the Supreme Court should reconsider the decision, at least in Goa. He continues, “Almost everywhere highways are running. They shouldn’t scrap someone’s hard earned established business. The 500 mts radius from the highways should be reduced as well.”

The Supreme Court has maintained that revenue generation should not be the sole reason to defend the widespread liquor business.

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The Apex Court’s decision on 15th December has ruled in favour of a PIL that pleaded for a nationwide ban of liquor stores on highways. The Supreme Court concluded that after March 31st all the licences of the liquor stores which fall within the 500 meter jurisdiction from the highway will stand cancelled Leading a scathing attack on the Punjab Government’s counsel for issuing excessive licenses, the bench said, “You are acting like a mouthpiece for

Signature Campaign The Bardez Bar and Restaurant Owners Association (BBROA), the largest Bar and Restaurant owner’s association in Goa has started a signature campaign seeking a review on the Supreme Court verdict.

The memorandum has been submitted to the Chief Minister for its intervention on the matter. President of the association Michael Carrasco while addressing the large gathering said, “We approached two retired judges of the Supreme Court and asked their legal opinion, who after studying the order informed us that this order should not affect the bar and restaurant owners as we do not come under its purview and suggested us to write to the apex court seeking interpretation of the order, and accordingly we decided to write to the Supreme Court.”

As the fear engulfs in the minds of business owners, in a relief some experts have said that the verdict has been misinterpreted by the states.

Savio Messais, President of Travel and Tourism Association of Goa says, “It is not about drinking at bars and restaurants, but about selling liquor to the drivers on the highway. Otherwise it’ll

be affecting many big hotels as well and that will dent the business prospect of the state.”

Messias added, “The scenario here in Goa is quite different unlike the highways in other states. In other states, there are small shops on highways that sell liquor to drivers. This is hardly seen in Goa.” The liquor ban issue attracted less importance for political parties in the poll bound state to reassure the affected. However the ruling party BJP had rightly gauged the sentiments of a liquortourism driven state. BJP in their election manifesto promised to examine all possible methods to give protection to liquor outlets in the state. “We are examining the issue. Preliminary surveys are being done. First and foremost, we have to accept that we are a tourist state and how many restaurants are affected. In Goa, it is just not that it is a liquor shop. Most

The Bardez Bar and Restaurant Owners Association (BBROA), the largest Bar and Restaurant owner’s association in Goa, has started a signature campaign seeking a review on the Supreme Court verdict

of the restaurants have the facilities and all restaurants to the extent of about over 2,500 are affected in this,” Parsekar said. “So we are exploring a possibility of all possible measures to give protection to these restaurants,” he added.

As the state election results are yet to be announced; only the next government will be able to take the proceedings to the apex court. Existing shops falling within the 500 mts radius from the highway will not be renewed after 31st March. Poll results are to be out on March 11 and the state government will still have sufficient time to have its intervention heard before the top court

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 23

focus nation

On the Growth Path

By Rohan Bhandare

The Union Budget builds on the canvas of demonetisation and GST implementation

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley with President of India Pranab Mukherjee and MoS Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal and other officials

There is a tradition that before every Budget, halwa is prepared and served to all the officials of the Finance Ministry.

These officials who are directly associated with the making and printing of the Budget, are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget by the Finance Minister in the Lok Sabha. The current Budget, however, was so highly anticipated, that it gave a feeling that this sweet had tickled many a tastebuds in the public domain. Till some years ago, for the public at large, the Budget was largely seen as an instrument which determined what commodities became expensive or cheaper, the change in fuel prices and the upward movement of the Income Tax slabs. But with big bang reforms such as of passing the Constitution Amendment Bill for GST and the demonetisation of high denomination bank notes, a lot of buzz has begun within the general public and social media circles with current issues such as scrapping of the Income Tax Law, introduction of Banking Cash Transaction Tax, Digital economy, announcements regarding GST date etc. which would have made Nani Palkhiwala jubilant. These reforms and rumours had put a lot of pressure on the Government to spur growth and to draw a line between populism and fiscal prudence. However the Finance Minister performed a fine balancing act by increasing spending to stimulate growth while at the same time ensuring the government’s financial health isn’t weakened, thereby providing just the right amount of sweetness to the Budget.

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This was a Budget of many firsts. It was presented on February 1 instead of February 28; it included the Railway Budget; and the concept of plan and nonplan expenditure had finally been done away with. “Transform, Energise and Clean India” was the agenda of the Budget, and was divided into 10 themes. (i) Farmers: Doubling their Income in 5 years; (ii) Rural Population: providing employment and basic infrastructure; (iii) Youth: energising them through education, skills and jobs; (iv) Poor and the Underprivileged: strengthening the systems of social security, health care and affordable housing; (v) Infrastructure: for efficiency, productivity and quality of life; (vi) Financial Sector: growth and stability through stronger institutions; (vii) Digital Economy: for speed, accountability and transparency; (viii) Public Service: effective governance and efficient service delivery through people’s participation; (ix) Prudent Fiscal Management: to ensure optimal deployment of resources and preserve fiscal stability; and (x) Tax Administration: honouring the honest.

The Budget 2017 has managed to increase expenditure for Infrastructure, Real Estate, Education and Poverty alleviation, while not straying away from the path of fiscal discipline. An analysis of the major impact areas are as follows:

I. Infrastructure and Real Estate The most critical announcement for the sector was according of ‘Infrastructure Status’ to ‘Affordable Housing’ projects.

This move will give a boost to the sector in the terms of opening up of multiple finance and funding avenues at a lower cost and is in the direction of achieving the dream of “Housing for All by 2022”.

Further, the sector also witnessed increased budgetary allocation which would help the momentum.

• a. Increase in Time Limits and Built up Area for Affordable Housing Further, extending the time limit for completion of project from 3 years to 5 years will bring in flexibility for the developers and the projects can be completed in an efficient manner. Increasing the limits to 60 square metres on carpet area (instead of built up area) for all locations except for metro cities will generate significant development activities and increase the supply of affordable houses for the middle class people.

• b. Rationalization of Capital Gains Provisions To promote real estate sector and to make it attractive from investments perspective, the period of holding in case of immovable property has been reduced from 36 months to 24 months to qualify as ‘long term asset’. Also, the base for determining the indexed cost of acquisition of an asset has been shifted from 1981 to 2001. This will significantly reduce the capital gains tax liability on both counts and will stimulate sale and purchase in the secondary market thereby indirectly boosting the

primary market. Further, the capital gains exemption available under section 54 on reinvestment of capital gains in a new house, will encourage sellers to purchase another new house thereby giving further boost to the sector.

• c. Taxability of House Property held as stock in trade and not sold within 1 year Over the past few years, real estate developers and the Tax Authorities have been at loggerheads with respect to taxability of notional rental income of unsold stock in trade. The Budget proposes that house property held as stock in trade and not sold within 1 year from the end of the Financial Year of obtaining completion certificate will be taxed as notional income under the head Income from House Property. d. Clarity on taxability of Capital Gains on Joint Development Agreements

(JDAs) In this regards, special provisions for individuals and HUFs have been proposed for taxability of capital gains on JDA predominantly in the area sharing model.

As per the said provisions, capital gains will be taxable in the year of completion of the project. Further, it also provides that the stamp duty value of the land owner’s share in the project on the date of issuance of completion certificate as increased by monetary consideration (if any) shall be deemed to be the full value of consideration.

This is a very welcome move as it will facilitate unlocking of unused land of the owners and increase the supply of land in the market for the purpose of development, thereby, increasing supply of housing stock and affordability of homes for home buyers.

II. Direct Taxes a. Individuals It is truly heartening to see the caption of ‘Honouring the Honest’ in the theme of Tax Administration.

The Finance Minister has presented detailed statistics about the demographics of individual and corporate taxpayers justifying overall tax rate changes, revenue considerations and delay for an across the board tax reduction. The statistics of individuals buying cars and going on foreign tours, with those filing tax returns shows that urgent steps are necessary to ensure that Tax GDP ratio gets sufficiently enlarged for existing tax payers to get relief from lowering of tax rates.

The government halved the tax rate on incomes between `2.5 lakhs and `5 lakhs to 5% which has come as welcome news although their desire of reviving standard deduction

remained unfulfilled. However, riding on the additional taxes amassed under the Income Declaration Scheme and the surplus flow of funds on account of demonetization, coupled with the Government’s commitment to growth, the increase in tax on the upper middle class earning between `50 lakh to `1 crore seems very Robin Hood like.

The other provisions which seemed to slip under the radar include the need to deduct TDS @ 5% on rental payments greater than `50 thousand and restricting the ability to setoff losses from House Property to `2 lakhs per year. b. Corporates The Prime Minister has kept his budget promise, reducing taxation rates to 25% for Companies with turnover upto `50 Crores. This will affect almost 96% of the Companies filing their returns and will soothe these MSMEs who

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 25

have suffered due to slack business after demonetisation.

Since most startups take time to make profits, the move to increase the tax relief period for startups from 3 to 7 years is certainly a positive move in the right direction. Aligned with this is the ability for a startup to carry forward losses if the founder is involved. This allows companies to take real advantage of tax relief and also help them get private equity investment.

The larger corporates will feel left out due to the status quo in the high effective tax rates (including the Dividend Distribution Tax rate). Though abolition of MAT would have been much wanted by industry in line with the phasing out of tax holidays, allowing carry forward of MAT for additional five years should give some relief to the corporates.

C. Compliances Introduction of 1 page return form for assessees with income upto `5 Lakh and having no business income is noteworthy.

Further, time limit for completion of assessment has been proposed to be reduced to 18 months for FY 2017-18 and 12 months for FY 2018-19. These reduction in timelines for assessment will improve tax governance and expediting

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Digital transactions are the new normal in 2017. With that in mind, the government has set itself an ambitious target of reaching 2,500 crore digital transactions across platforms, especially UPI (BHIM app) and Aadhar Pay. The government has provided an impetus to the digital payments infrastructure by proposing indirect tax incentives for PoS card readers, finger printer readers, scanners, etc. the process of refunds.

III. Indirect Taxes a. On the indirect tax front, no major indirect tax related announcements are in line with the general expectation as the nation is on the verge of transitioning to GST. However, few proposals such as reduction/rationalisation of Customs and Excise duty rates in respect of certain goods have been provided to give impetus to the ‘Make in India’ Scheme and address the issue of inverted duty structure. R&D cess

withdrawal in particular will encourage import of technology and compliments the ‘Make-in-India’ campaign. b. As regards GST, the Finance Minister mentioned about preparedness of GST IT backbone (GSTN) is right as per schedule.

The Budget was also extremely positive about GST and has promised to launch a mass outreach program to make the people aware about GST and its nuances. Further, the Finance Minister mentioned that they would continue to strive to achieve the goal of implementation of GST as per the schedule. c. An opportunity may have been missed to introduce a move towards encouraging voluntary compliance or to settle the disputes in the present regime so that they are not carried over to the GST. IV. Cashless Society a. Digital Transactions are the new normal in 2017. With that in mind, the government has set itself an ambitious target of reaching 2,500 crore digital transactions across platforms, especially UPI (BHIM app) and Aadhar Pay. The government has provided an impetus to the digital payments infrastructure by proposing indirect tax incentives for PoS card readers,

finger printer readers, scanners, etc. For those who do not use debit cards, mobile phones or e-wallets, a merchant version of Aadhaar-enabled payment system “Aadhar Pay” will be launched shortly. b. It seems the finance minister has taken the bull by its horns and implemented some key recommendations of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) like disallowing any cash transaction above `3 lakh as a tax deduction (capital or revenue) and of the Election Commission to limit cash donations to `2,000 to a political party, which may a defining moment for our democracy. Further, a measure has also been introduced to limit cash expenditure (revenue or capital) to `10,000. c. To promote digital economy, a proposal has also been made to tax presumptive income received by non-cash means @6% of turnover instead of @ 8% V. Foreign Investment With the principle of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in mind, the government has decided to disband a body that examined large foreign-investment proposals, making it easier for overseas investors who want to spend money into India. Most such investors now won’t have to face the

country’s bureaucratic red tape that led to delays.The government also promises more measures to ease the rules for some key sectors where restrictions on overseas investments still apply.

VI. Education The launch of SWAYAM online platform with over 1500 courses and its tie-up with DTH channels is a welcome and much awaited move to take education to the masses instead of relying on physical infrastructure of schools and classrooms.

The launch, alongside the additional fund allocation for Bharat Net, which will enhance the broadband connectivity. The indigenous platform will go a long way in bridging the divide between the academia and industry.

VII. GOA As far as Goa is concerned, obviously the Budget could not have any special reference as per the specification of the Election Commission. But Goa could be one of the five ‘Special Tourism Zones’ planned under the Incredible India Campaign. Further, the increase in Basic Custom Duty on import of roasted, salted or roasted and salted cashew nuts will

help the local cashew growers. The sport of Curling, played mainly in the U.S. and Canada, involves a team sliding stones on a sheet of ice towards a target area on the pitch. To control the speed and direction of such stones launched and to ensure it reaches close to the target area, players from the team use a special broom to alter the state of ice and thereby reduce the friction underneath the stone.

The months before the Budget have seen a lot of stones being shoved with great vigour by the Government in the form of Demonitization, GST, Cashless Economy etc. The Finance Minister through this Budget is trying to control its trajectory and is paving its growth path to ensure it smoothly reaches the target of a formal economy and a tax compliant India

The writer is a Chartered Accountant, practising at Panaji

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 27

starting young

Gohar Chanekar

Following his interests, designing his destiny Starting off at 17, Gohar fulfills his interests for design through his venture, Visual Vibes

By ANKITHA JOSEPH

AMONG THE MANY doctors and engineers today, there are always a few that try to write their own destiny through the talent and interests they possess, one among them is Gohar Chanekar with his venture, Visual Vibes.

Following his keen interests in design and graphics, Gohar started out at the age of 17, and since then has been climbing the ladder of success with utmost dedication.

Gohar pursued studies in computer engineering in the year 2010; but was forced to change paths due to his lack of interest in the subject.

Though basic knowledge in engineering did not enhance his career profile, it certainly pushed him to follow his calling. His interest in the field of design grew during his engineering years, when he was exposed to several visual editing software. Gohar began taking up small scale projects like logo designing and greeting card designing for friends.

Halfway through the course, Gohar found himself at a life-changing juncture; whether to continue with his studies or walk a risky path that may not guarantee success. “I had to clear a repeat examination in the second year. I had two options, either clear the subject and continue with engineering, or follow my interests that lay in the field of design,” he recollects.

After dropping out of engineering, he joined FrameBoxx, a renowned institution for animation and VFX, and began to focus completely on his venture Visual Vibes. After a year, Gohar moved to Bangalore to complete an advanced level of the course. While in Bangalore, he continued freelancing and expanded his venture from graphic designing to skill

refined services such as visual creations, 3D mapping and motion graphics.

When asked about his first project, Gohar recollects the project done in 2011. “It was a small project for my teacher. They required a few designs made for a play and this was to be marketed online.

Along with the online designs and flyers, I also edited the play video.

According to Gohar, no project is less challenging, each one has its own set of unique demands, yet the one most intact in his mind remains a Cake Mapping stint he executed for a wedding celebration. Being the first to introduce 3D Cake Mapping in Goa, Gohar Chanekar made his name and fame with clients.

He started off alone and never had a team under him until he moved to Bangalore.

There he met Pinak Harmalkar.

Like Gohar, he too, had quit engineering studies to follow his passion. Bonding over their similarities, the duo began working together.

Training under Gohar, Pinak understood the company and their services and began helping out with the smaller projects, while Gohar tackled the more complex ones.

A complete Bollywood fan before joining the industry, Gohar understood the importance of English music and how much his career and work depended on it.

According to Gohar, it is social media and word of mouth that played the magic for him. “When I had started off, my first step was to get in touch with an LED Vendor

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Gohar Chanekar

who could rent out to me. He also offered me a show through his contacts and shockingly, that was a new year’s show, so it was a big responsibility from his side too as I was an amateur.” Gohar recollects.

During his college years, he has designed for events such as Ozone in 2012 and Abhivyakti in 2013. He has also worked with other famous names such as the Goa Village by the Kasturba Gandhi Memorial Trust and the Chocolate Studio. He was involved in the branding of products like Brite Washing powder which was launched in South Africa, making it his first international project.

Adding to his international works, is the names that he has been associated with over the years including renowned and acclaimed DJs like Marco.V, Firebeatz, Matisse and Sadco, Gregori Klosman, Bass Kleph, Zomboy, John’oo’ Fleming and more and also with renowned DJs of Goa such as Ajit Pai, Joel, Ryan Nogar, DJ Navin and more. Gohar has also worked with top notch hotels and pubs in Goa, to name a few: Tito’s, Mambo’s, Goa Marriott Resort, Grand Hyatt Goa, and more. Gohar also has his name associated with worldwide

famous music festivals such as Vh1 Supersonic 2015, Sunburn 2014 and Oktoberfest Goa 2014.

He also highlighted of few of the changes that he has observed over the years in the industry. “Years ago, people used to go to an event just to enjoy the party. The concept of taking back an experience did not exist. It was all about hanging out with friends, enjoying the music and having a good time. With time, people have become more aware of how things work behind the scenes and the efforts poured in to make these events a grand success. And now people know that it’s not just about the music but other factors such as the venue and lighting are equally important. If you remove these elements then, it would actually seem incomplete with just the music. Worldwide, it has evolved from just a music event to an entire experience.”

Describing the changes he further added, “Fresh talent is pouring into the industry, whether organizers, designers or visual artists, a rush of creative talent is seen as the organizers too don’t work like before, they are always on the lookout to get something more creative and out of the box.”

Shuffling between Goa and Bangalore, Gohar states that Goa has immense scope for design and visual art due to the vast night life that Goa has, however Bangalore scores higher with regards to corporate events as compared to Goa. “My mantra is self learning, I feel that whatever was taught to me at the institute, I knew about it way before. Watching tutorials online and reading more about the subject will help one remember what you learn forever. Learn it the hard way, that’s the best way,” says Gohar

enterprise

Kaenat Enterprise

Engineer’s Business

With a vast experience in mining and engineering, Kaenat Enterprise is passionate about machines

By alexia fernandes

Mccloskey Mobile Dewatering System

KAENAT ENTERPRISE HAS grown exponentially over the years since its establishment in 1995, to provide a range of specialized services and dealership support to multinational companies, helping its customers yield better productivity at economical costs. Today, Kaenat Enterprise represents some of the biggest international contenders in industrial service sector and has helped these MNCs successfully establish base in India.

Founded by professional engineer and partner Amin Ladak, Kaenat Enterprise began initially with providing mining technology and services to some of the leading companies in India and eventually forayed into number of services, such as construction, earth moving and civil engineering, solid waste management, and material handling.

“I began working with Larsen & Toubro Limited, as Jr. Engineer in their Caterpillar Division at the branch office in Goa. The office was chiefly catering to the mining industries,” Amin recalls.

After graduating from Bombay University in Mechanical Engineering, Amin attended several training programs while at L&T in Management Development at ASCI in Hyderabad and IIM, Ahmedabad; and product

training at Caterpillar, Dynapac, Svedala-SALA, Powerscreen, and Eriez. He also went on to pursue a Post Graduate Diploma in Finance at Bombay University.

“Larsen and Toubro gave me the required space to grow and to work across the country.

The company also allowed me a larger perspective of the business operations at L&T,” Amin adds. He worked for L&T at its various offices and works at Mumbai, Goa, Vizag, Bhilai, Bangalore, Pune lasting 21 years, from which he spent the most time in Goa and Bhilai. “In Goa, the biggest challenge was to establish an L&T office beyond the one catering to Catepillar products.

Goa already had developed business establishments, like

Zuari Agro, MRF, Syngenta and the bottling division of L&T soon after liberation. These were the bases for expansion of the Goa offices.” At Bhilai and Vishakhapatnam, which were then already largely developed industrial towns, Amin oversaw further expansion of the offices and led operations for the establishment of L&T’s cement plant near Raipur.

Though challenges were aplenty when he started out, Amin’s zeal carved success out of sheer perseverance. “By late 1994, Svedala, a MNC from Sweden that deals in mineral, construction, and material handling, had set up base in India and was in search of

I began working with Larsen & Toubro Limited, as Jr. Engineer in their Caterpillar Division at the branch office in Goa. The office was chiefly catering to the mining industries.

Larsen and Toubro gave me the required space to grow and to work across the country.

The company also allowed me a larger perspective of the business operations

30 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

Amin Ladak

key persons to take charge of various divisions and regions.

Before I could apply, I received a discreet call from a head hunter and I was chosen to take charge of all products in their proposed office at Goa.” Amin excelled at project handling and soon Svedala was established as a common and friendly name in the mining fraternity, with the Goa office ranking as best performing office among Svedala’s India operations. The company grew with a large customer base that included the names of leading players in the mining sector like Fomento, Chowgules, Dempo, Sesa Goa and Salgaocar. In the following years, Amin also worked with UK’s POWERSCREEN and helped the company firmly root base in India, before deciding to move ahead with setting up his own manufacturing venture at Hosur near Bangalore. Kaenat Enterprises continued as dealers in mining and mineral processing equipment.

A fast grown brand, Kaenat Enterprise soon became a well known name in the mining business, as a promising firm, capable of providing full turnkey project service – right from design concepts and manufacturing, to the installation and

commissioning.

The Company soon established relations internationally with units in US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

Kaenat Enterprise also represents leading firms like Tesab, Mc Closkey, Powerscreen, Pilot Crushtech in South Africa, Trio Engineered, and UK’s Telestack, in India.

“I was instrumental in bringing mobile crushing and screening equipment to India, though operations in Goa, in the year 2004.”

After working for some of the foremost multinational companies, Amin through his own company began to push services to cater to the mining industries in the iron ore reserves of Goa, Karnataka, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. In 2014, the company had closed a deal with the State Municipality, selling line-up equipment for solid waste management to the Corporation of the City of

After working for some of the foremost multinational companies, Amin through his own company, began to push services to cater to the mining industries in the Iron ore reserves of Goa, Karnataka, Orissa and Chhattisgarh Panjim.

Constantly on the lookout for new technologies, Kaenat Enterprise has exposed the Indian industries to some exclusive services, one of which is the process of Mineral Beneficiation (enrichment).

“Ore in Goa is not high grade ore, and requires processing to improve its economic value before being exported. Mineral Beneficiation adds value to such ore, and may be done by washing, classifying, cycloning and by magnetic separation.

Of these processes, magnetic separation is a high end process that was brought in by me though three companies, Svedala, Eriez and Mineral Technologies.”

Apart from mining technologies and services, Kaenat Enterprise also began offering project consultancy services; securing a significantly large global clientele from the countries of Mozambique, Sudan, Oman, Vietnam, and Tanzania.

A Fellow of the Institute of Engineers India, Amin is also Hon. Treasurer of the Goa Management Association and a member of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

As a member of the Ismaili community, Amin remains actively involved in the social governance in the regions of Goa and Chhattisgarh, serving as President of the Council.

He took sabbatical off from Kaenat Enterprise for one and

a half year to establish focus on humanitarian assistance in internationally acclaimed NGO in disaster management, which is affiliated to the notable AKD Network. His penchant for work and travel, has taken him to a number of places as far as Europe, the Scandinavian countries, United States, Canada, the continent of Africa, the Middle East, Austraila and the Far East.

Under its umbrella of services offered, Kaenat Enterprise has also worked towards the dissemination of knowledge and technology though a number conferences and seminars held across several metropolitan cities like Calcutta, Bangalore, Bombay and Goa, as well.

Steady growth, hard work and perseverance has marked Kaenat Enterprises’ success and paved way for more opportunities ahead

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 31

interview

Dr. Nitin Upadhyay

“I wanted to develop a framework which could make complex decision-making simple and intuitive for use”

Dr. Nitin Upadhyay sheds light on his international award winning research on Systematic DecisionMaking Framework

Dr. Nitin Upadhyay, faculty of Goa Institute of Management was awarded for ‘Best Research Paper’ at the International Conference on Information Technology and Quantitative Management (ITQM) in South Korea. His ground breaking research paper on Systematic DecisionMaking Framework allows industries and academia to minimize risks, costs, and efforts of building and managing software.

Dr. Upadhyay’s research was declared the best from among submissions from nearly 40 countries. Currently a part of the faculty of Goa Institute of Management, he has also worked with Samsung Advanced Research, Software Engineering R&D Lab, Samsung R & D Institute (India).

Tell us about your Research on ‘Systematic DecisionMaking Framework.’

Software Architecture (SA) plays a critical role in realizing the quality of the software product. Researchers, decision makers, managers, practitioners and product owners have identified that SA of the software system help in understanding and managing large and complex software systems and in constraining the quality attributes.

To achieve business value and stakeholders’ requirements satisfaction, it is of utmost importance to evaluate SA considering multi-attribute quality analysis. Thus, there is dire need of a systematic SA evaluation framework that considers management and organizational factors and designs goals/parameters that drive the quality of the

Dr Nitin Upadhyay

SA. Moreover, provide results quantitatively for the purpose of benchmarking and ranking of the software architectures.

What are some of the gaps that Systematic DecisionMaking Framework could help bridge?

One of the most vital features of SA evaluation method is the number of quality attributes that a process can handle for the evaluation. Most of the methods available in the literature focus mainly on a single quality attribute analysis for SA assessment.

There is a lack of work on the systematic evaluation of SA considering multiple quality

32 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

attributes quantitatively. None of the methods mentioned in the available literature consider management and organizational factors and design goals/parameters that drive the quality of the SA evaluation purpose.

What are some of the benefits of this model?

The framework considers management and organizational factors and designs goals/parameters for software architecture evaluation enveloped with decision technique to restructure the complex domains composed of diverse internal and external factors in

the SA evaluation process.

The framework also provides benefits to different stakeholders – architect, decision makers, modellers, analysts, designers, developers, quality analysts, domain experts, product manager, and consultants. The framework is flexible as it allows customization or tailoring and meeting various projects’ requirements. The feedback mechanism available allows stakeholders to review the current status. The system analyst, decision makers and designers can generate alternative design solutions and select the optimum one by using the framework along with morphological chart/tree.

How did the idea for such groundbreaking research come about?

In every walk of life, people take several decisions, good or not so good leading to various consequences. A key component in the digital age, software-defined systems and networks are transforming businesses and society. In my research work, I wanted to develop a framework which could facilitate complex decision-making simple and intuitive for use in the evaluation and selection of the software architecture at the very early stage of the software development life cycle.

How long did it take you to piece together this research?

It took me around six months to materialize the research work. I single handedly executed the complete project lifecycle of this research work. I have been working on multiple research projects and one of my research works matched

with the focused themes of this international conference. Also, this is not my first research paper/work. I have written over 55 papers and have presented papers at various international forums. I have also authored eight books in the area of computer science apart from several patents/inventions filed at US/Korea/India.

What could this research mean for industries?

By utilizing this framework, industry and academia can minimize the risks, costs, and efforts for building and managing the software. The framework facilitates complex decision-making, yet simple and intuitive to use in the evaluation and selection of the software architecture at the very early stage of the software development life cycle.

Do you think there is enough scope for computer science in

Goa? Goa provides lot of opportunity to explore, identify and build competency in the computer science domain. IOT, Cloud, BIG Data and Smart City are different areas where contribution can be made which could have a greater impact on the society.

I feel that people have potential and they all need to collaborate and discuss their findings in the research forum.

We are just witnessing the growth of tech based startups and if they collaborate with research or academia then the competency will be enormous.

We also need the government’s support to provide appropriate funds for short and long term projects. Goa is a good tourist destination and it has all the resources to offer to the Scholarly Tourism and I guess this will also boost the Research and Knowledge

Goa provides lot of opportunity to explore, identify and build competency in the computer science domain.

IOT, Cloud, BIG Data and Smart City are different areas where contribution can be made which could have a greater impact on the society.

I feel that people have potential and they all need to collaborate and discuss their findings in the research forum. We are just witnessing the growth of tech based startups and if they collaborate with research or academia then the competency will be enormous

spectrum in the computer science related domain.

On which platform can the public access your research work?

My research work can be accessed through various professional web-sites such as Springer, IEEE, ACM and Elsevier. Apart from this, I am also writing few books which will be available for the public.

I do speak at various research forums as keynote/invited speaker where I discuss my research findings and future prospects.

What are your future plans?

My future research endeavours focuses on decision making tools and techniques, software systems, digital infrastructure and platforms, BIG data and cloud platforms, frontiers in innovative products and innovation As told to ALEXIA FERNANDES

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 33

INDUSTRY

Glow paints Pvt ltd

Balkrishna Shirsat, risk is equivalent to growth in Business Painting parallel dreams For

By RAMRAI NAIK

ONE SURE SHOT way of minimizing risks in business is by diversifying one’s portfolio – that’s exactly what Balkrishna S. Shet Shirsat has been doing for past few decades. From his long list of businesses, the one that has strong presence in the manufacturing sector is Glow Paints. Shirsat debuted in the painting business in 1985 by as a dealer for an established brand based in Maharashtra called Garware Paints Limited.

This sparked Shirsat’s early inspiration to become a paint manufacturer. Shirsat believes, “Business targets can never be achieved as it’s a rolling stone and it has to keep rolling and never stop.”

Glow Paints Pvt. Ltd. was established in 1996. In the founding years of Glow Paints, Shirsat recalls many companies who reached out to support him. He also emphasizes the backing he had received from his wife Nilima and his brother Vipin Shirsat. He says, “We started in a small way. We used to manufacture marine paints which are used for barges. In 1999, we invested in a new facility at plot no. 121, Bethoda Industrial Estate, at Ponda, Goa with Alkyd Resin Plant and Paints division.”

In 2001, the company attained a fully fledged status as a paint manufacturer with

The market is competitive now; and technology is changing every day.

It is a challenging job and it will remain so, throughout.

Most of the small scale industries do not survive for long; however we have been able to do that due to the customer’s faith in us Balkrishna Shirsat all sorts of required licenses of class A, class B and class C. Shirsat feels it was tough choice to start his own manufacturing unit, as at the same time he had a sizeable business and was routinely involved as a dealer in paint.

The product line of Glow Paints includes industrial and domestic coatings, Wall Putty, Epoxy Paints, Marine paints, Fluorescent Paints etc. Shirsat asserts, “We manufacture everything when it comes to the painting industry needs.”

The company is also working towards providing several services required to make it a one stop solution in paint purchases.

Shirsat lists some of Glow Paints clients, “GHRSSIDC (Nodal agency for Government supply), River Navigation Department, Kadamba Transport Corporation, most

34 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

of the barge owners in Goa, PWD, Electricity Department, United Beverages Limited and many more companies to the list of our regular customers.

We also manufacture raw materials for paint manufacturing companies and supply to neighbouring states.

Some of the bulk supply of our paint goes to dealers outside Goa.” Glow Paints sees a steep rise in sales during festivals when the company supplies special Ganesh idol paints to local artisans as well as artisans from Maharashtra and Karnataka.”

Shirsat elaborates on price preferential scheme of Government of Goa, which has enabled them to cater to Government departments in Goa. He says this experience gives him immense strength to compete in the business.

He also adds that they are

now providing customized products as per customer demands and needs.

Shirsat admits of difficulties due to stiff competition by international players in the market. He expresses, “The market is competitive now; and technology is changing every day. It is a challenging job and it will remain so, throughout. Most of the small scale industries do not survive for long; however we have been able to do that due to the customer’s faith in us and by the grace of God. I hope we remain in business for many years to come.” He continues, “Our business has slowed down due to a ban on mining; however, we are diversifying into the ‘supply and apply’ concept of painting. We are standing in the market for over two decades since 1996; and we have been growing steadily which is evidence of the fact that we are doing well for ourselves.”

Glow Paints industry comes under a parent group SBS Shirsat Group, led by Balkrishna Shirsat where they have various other businesses. Multiple shops located at different parts of Ponda are operating under the helm of Balkrishna S. Shet Shirsat as traders and dealers.

Apart from Glow Paints, the Shirsat Group retails in tyres,

hardware paints, mattresses; manufactures steel furniture; and lastly they are dealers for Mahindra tractors in Goa. The group employs more than 50 people at various levels.

As Shirsat reveals some of the plans for the future, he states, “We may soon expand the company with new products based on cashew nut shells.” Balkrishna Shirsat hopes that his two sons Anirudh and Amol will take the legacy of such a diversified business forward and achieve greater heights.

Balkrishna Shirsat notes, “Innovation is the key to any business success; and one should be always prepared for the good and bad things that an entrepreneur may encounter on the journey.”

He also considers his diverse businesses and the need to ‘do better than yesterday’ as a driving force behind his success. Shirsat says he’s

satisfied with his life and has managed to grow his business from a very small beginning.

Shirsat has business tip for youngsters: “Entrepreneurship has to be born with self capabilities, thinking power and the ability to take risks.

Risk is equivalent to future growth.” Shirsat worries that not many Goan youth are taking up the plunge into entrepreneurship. According to him, the number of Goans in every industrial estate is also decreasing. He says, “I

don’t think the regulations or restriction will stop any willing entrepreneur. If he has the will to do the job then he will do it under any conditions.”

Shirsat graduated as a Bachelor of Science, after which he took a course in Marketing Management.

Additionally, he was selected by Economic Development Corporation in Goa to undertake coaching from Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India at Ahmedabad. Shirsat was felicitated by the Ministry

of Science and Technology for being the first batch of entrepreneurs from the institution. Shirsat recalls the rigorous training at the institute which he believes helped him to a large extent.

He claims, “We were perfected in risk management, to arrange the finances, making project reports, to understand break even etc.”

Glow Paints’ motto is to ‘Deliver best products at best price.’ According to Shirsat, Glow Paints will hugely benefit after the implementation of GST and help in penetrating in new markets. Even though Glow Paints doesn’t have many competitors in the local market, that doesn’t stops Shirsat from challenging himself, which is one lesson every entrepreneur should take from Balkrishna Shirsat, who is a member of GCCI, GSIA, and also represents social trusts and committees

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 35

Goan Brand

Kalakar

Weaving a traditional magic

Poonam Pandit keeps Goan handloom weaving alive with scarves

Kalakar’s trendy line of handloom scarves

By ankitha joseph

SATISFYING THE URGE of many in love with handloom is the brand ‘Kalakar’ by Poonam Pandit. Poonam graduated in textile design and development from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Delhi in 1997. It was at NIFT where she was initiated into weaving; and from there, she went on to develop her interest in handloom, during the course of her career with export houses, educational institutions, designers, government organizations and NGOs. Poonam has worked extensively with different types of handlooms in various weaving belts of the country to develop fabrics for garments, accessories, home furnishing including rugs and carpets Seven years ago, Poonam visited Goa to work on a weaving project with well known fashion designer Wendell Rodricks. During her research on Goan handloom weaving, she was fortunate to find, possibly the last of the traditional weaving family in Pernem district. Poonam and Kaka, the grandfather weaver of the family, who is Baburao Babaji Tilve, have been working together for the past seven years. When she first met Kaka, he was on the

verge of shutting down his last operating handloom due to lack of demand for hand woven Kashtis and Joda Panchas.

Kaka trusted and believed in Poonam’s knowledge of weaving and agreed to work with her. After many months of weaving, conceptualization, experimentation and sampling, they went on to create a stunning collection of saris and garments designed

by Wendell. After completion of the project with Wendell, Poonam continued to work closely with the weavers and created her label, Kalakar.

Constant work and good returns motivated Kaka to keep weaving and they kept the handloom weaving of Goa alive. Poonam confesses that the true inspiration behind her work has been Goa itself. “To start with, the very fabric that

The weavers of Kalakar Goa

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Kaka weaves has this simple, soft mesh like weave which reflects the ethereal quality of the air, sea and sky in Goa. The lifestyle and simplicity of the weavers family, the village of Palyem, home grown food grains, kokum and spices laid out beautifully to dry in the mud thatched courtyard, the revered tulsi, the local resplendent hen running back and forth as the pet cat chases them around, the cow shed with the majestic well looked after oxen, the handmade everyday appliances, the children playing with clay Ganeshas they make at the pond, the festivities and zatras, the haystacks and fields, the changing seascape and horizon, the textures of rocks, the red of the soil and ultimately the warmth and love I get from the weavers family

are all a source of inspiration,” she says.

Kalakar designs are influenced by the Bauhaus textile movement and by supremacist, abstract expressionist art. The designs are minimal, linear, colour blocked and many times experimental. Kaka’s openness to experimentation and trying out new techniques gives the weaving an edge. For example; inserting recycled threads manually or inserting jersey strings into the weave and creating joyous fringes makes the scarves very attractive.

Working with Kaka helped Poonam understand the local terminology and she has picked up all essential Konkani words for communicating with him. Kaka in turn, learned some Hindi from Poonam.

They refer to colours as Maati, Gobar, Hirva, Tambda, Pedo, Dhava, Kalo and Neelo. She writes down the designs and pattern in Hindi which is the same script as Konkani and Marathi, so that it is easy for Kaka to follow. She marks entire patterns by tying coloured yarns on to a string of the length of the fabric and Kaka follows the pattern as he weaves.

One of the most interesting features about Kalakar is the process of dyeing and weaving.

The cotton thread used for weaving is dyed in high quality natural/herbal dyes. The dye material which comprises of Indigo, Manjistha (Indian madder), Turmeric, Lac, Betel nut etc. has ayurvedic properties. The dyed thread is starched with tapioca and dried. On drying, it is wound with the help of a charkha onto bobbins, which are arranged on a creel according to the design. The thread is transferred from the creel onto the warp drum and the vertical length of thousands of threads is made ready. This thread is then transferred from the drum to the warp beam which is then put onto the loom.

Kalakar produces two

different looks – a classy minimalistic, all natural look and an edgy look that uses vibrant neon hues. Though the neon threads are not natural they are certified environment friendly. Poonam states that the neon range is especially popular among young travellers. The blend of neutral colours, interwoven with minimal lines of vibrant neon thread have become iconic in this range.

“People who have bought the scarves have come back with positive reviews telling me how soft and comfortable the fabric feels.” As natural dyes are used, these delicate scarves need a little extra care while washing. Detergents which maintain a neutral ph level are a best suited to wash these scarves. The scarves, if cared for well, last for a long time; and even with time, if the colours do fade, they leave

I get inspired a lot by Goa and everything that’s around here – from the family of weavers I work with, to the villages I visit.

Whatever I see around, along with the activities happening, inspires my work. The horizons and the way the colour changes from morning to dusk Poonam Pandit

behind mellow tones that are just as beautiful.

Kalakar stocks up at various boutiques dotted around Goa like Paperboat Collective, Artjuna, La Plage, People Tree, The Private Collection, White Brick Wall and more. Other than these boutiques, Kalakar also has its products displayed for pop-up markets such as Bebook where along with sale, appreciation is also received in ample. Crossing the lengths and breadths of Goa, Kalakar

has travelled across the world to countries like England, Spain, Russia, Germany and France. Poonam, enthusiastic about her future plans for Kalakar mentions that, “I would like to sell online, and I might get the business online and have a studio shop too, this year.” The one challenge they constantly face is the problem of not having enough stock. The rising demand also points out the lack of manpower. Kaka’s part in the weaving process

has eventually decreased due to his health concerns, though fortunately his son helps out with the weaving on a part time basis. Despite the challenges, what still keeps the brand motivated is its consistent growth in the past five years through the products that they manufacture.

The vision behind Kalakar is to keep Goan handloom weaving alive. It is more about preserving a heritage and following the heart. “I am dedicated to the cause of keeping this going. I will continue to work with the weavers as long as they would like to and I wish I get involvement from eminent people in Goa who can help collaborate to take Goan weaving further.”

Poonam also wants to extend help in training people and facilitate the growth of weaving in Goa

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 37

campus

Goa Institute of Management’s national quiz, WIZBIZ 2017 on February 18th

Goa Institute of Management is back with the seventeenth edition of its flagship corporate-quizzing event, GIM WIZBIZ, scheduled to be held on 18 February 2017.

Organised by MECCAThe Marketing Club of GIM, this event is another example of the incredibly professional students that the B-School produces.

The GIM WIZBIZ will have Avinash Mudaliar as the quizmaster for the fourteenth year in a row. Mudaliar is one

of India’s leading quizmasters, and has hosted over 1500 quizzes in the last 20 years. It is the time of the year to knack your grey cells and unleash the quizzer in you. Come and lock horns with the best quizzers of India at the beautiful and serene campus of Goa Institute of Management at Sanquelim, Goa. In 2016, the event saw some big corporate names such as Times of India, Syngenta, Bank of India, SBI to name a few, as sponsors for the event.

Kare College of Law hosts Juris Open 2017

Avinash Mudaliar at GIM WIZBIZ

The participating teams came from companies such as TCS, Deloitte, Viacom18, HDFC Bank, HP, Reckitt Benckiser, Capgemini, SBI, Oracle, HUL, TATA Motors, etc.

The winning team of GIM WIZBIZ 2016 consisted of Rohan Khanna from Deloitte and Jayakanthan from TCS. With the audience comprising students and members of the

BG CROSSWORD 86 VidyaVikas Mandal’s G.R. Kare College of Law, MargaoGoa, hosted a National InterLaw Collegiate Festival, Juris Open 2017 from 3rd to 5th February 2017. The festival was inaugurated by Audhut Timblo in the presence of Ganesh Daivajna, President, VVM, Adv. Pritam Morais, 2nd VP, VVM, Dr. Saba da Silva, Principal, G.R. Kare College of Law, Adv. Gurudatt Mallya, Chairman, Organizing Committee, CJF Prasanna Kumar, Associate Professor and Chief Coordinator, Juris Open, Shruti Nadkarni and Prasanna Timble, Assistant Professors and FacultyCoordinators, Juris Open.

12 teams from esteemed law colleges participated in Juris Open 2017, Juris Open 2017 provided a platform for institutions across the country to participate and showcase their talent in areas of Moot Court, Legal Quiz, Legal Drafting and Troubleshoot: Crises Management in law.

Ideal School of Management,

Technology and School of Law, New Delhi emerged as winners of Moot Court Competition while the runners up place was bagged by V.M.Salgaocar College of Law, Goa. Dr. Ambedkar Government Law College, Chennai won the Troubleshoot: Crises Management in law. Symbiosis Law School won the first place and DES’s Society’s NavalmalFirodia Law College Pune were runners upin the Legal Drafting Competition.

The Juris Open Champions Trophy was bagged by Amity Law School, Delhi, they were also winners of Legal Quiz and runners up in Troubleshoot: Crises Management in law.

The competitions of Juris Open were judged by many esteemed members of the judiciary, advocates and academicians. Justice FM Reis, Judge of Bombay High Court and Senior Advocate Saresh Lotliker, Advocate General of Goa were judges of the finals of Moot Court Competition of Juris Open

38 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

corporate fraternity, this event is a unique amalgamation which makes GIM WIZBIZ stand out in the quizzing circles.

Over the years, GIM WIZBIZ has grown from strength to strength; with its seventeenth edition promising to be bigger and better than all quizzing events that India shall see this year

QUIZZARETM

Across: 1. Leading Indian wind turbine supplier (6) 4. Professional services company headquartered in Chicago but incorporated in Dublin since 2009 (9) 8. Measure of gemstone size and quality (5) 9. Kingfisher brand of beer (5) 12.

Term for buying and selling of goods and services (5) 13. American aeronautics company headed by Elon Musk - _____ X (5) 14. Apple founder Wozniak, as those familiar with him would call him (5) Down: 1. Popular image messaging and multimedia mobile app (8) 2. Online marketing and web analytics Co, bought by Adobe in 2009 (8) 3. The number you use to check your train booking (3) 5. Ancient business and political hub of the Mediterranean (8) 6. What 8A is an example of, along with kilogram or milliliter (4) 7. Part-time management degree, in short (1-3) 10. Iconic cinema theatre in Colaba, Mumbai (5) 11. Cell phone provided owned by the Birla group (4) answers to crossword 85 Across 1. Big Billion 6. UBER 7. Onjus 8. NOC 10. ANSI 12. IBH 13. OCD 14. Halo 16. Money 17. CPR Down 1. Brunei 2. Greenhorn 3. Lion 4. Injun 5.

Nusli 9. Coney 10. Adhoc 11. Solar 15. CMS

Hospitality

Fortune Miramar

Accommodating business and leisure under one roof Third in Goa, first in Panjim, the Fortune chain of hotels opens up the Fortune Miramar

Fortune Miramar

WRAPPED IN MODERN architecture, the hotel recreates minimalism with an appropriate Goan touch to it.

The third in Goa, and first in Panaji, the Fortune chain of hotels inaugurated the Fortune Miramar on 18th January 2017.

Trying to trace a few elements of the scenic beauty along the route from Campal to Miramar, is the print of a tree engraved on the glass adding to the beauty of the front façade.

The hotel is appealing to the eye and soothing to the soul for the interiors dressed minimalistic in nature with a spread of Goan hue to it.

Soft furnishings, artefacts, paintings put across the corridor to the colours used, all add to the Goan touch that the hotel wishes to display for their clientele.

Accommodating both the leisure and business clientele, Fortune Miramar offers three varied categories of rooms; 32 deluxe rooms at the base category followed by

11 Fortune club rooms and 2 executive suite rooms. The Fortune Club room holders get privileged access to the Fortune Lounge that comes with a connectivity console and a lounge area offering 24x7 serving of tea-coffee along with cookies. Free airport transfers are also offered. The mentioned services are also extended to the suite rooms.

Along with remarkable accommodation facilities, the hotel also offers a boardroom with a capacity of hosting 11 people. This boardroom is fully equipped with an inbuilt television, projector, Karaoke system and connectivity to the internet. The hotel has a magnificent Alfresco area that can accommodate smaller groups of 35 to 40 people for occasions. “In a short time, the work on our terrace will be complete and we’ll be open to having social gatherings of about 80 people or so in the evenings,” mentions Ricardo Ricardo D’Lima, General

Manager of the Fortune Miramar.

Luring your taste buds is a well set menu with multiple choices of cuisine from Indian, Western, to even Asian. Their team of chefs consist of a team of specialists from different corners of the country to share their expertise in the culinary field. Holding international experience, the sous-chef brings to the kitchen professional international standards.

Less than a month old, Fortune Miramar assures ecofriendly services which include usage of LED lights lowering the power consumption and the predominant use of solar heat panels for hot water generation. An efficient heat pump that replaces water boilers is also present. The hot water recirculation system allows almost instant hot water generation, decreasing the amount of water wasted by each client during a shower.

The presence of an organic

waste convertor is another eco friendly factor that converts wet waste into compost waste within the hotel premises itself.

Unlike other beaches that could be unsafe, Fortune Miramar located 200 meters away from Miramar beach, a comparatively safer region, stands tall as a city hotel as well as a leisure spot to spend quality time with your loved ones. In the capital city, with facilities like a boardroom and secretary services on request, the hotel complements one’s business needs rightly. For the ones on a holiday trip, cycles are provided for short trips to explore the city. The hotel also plans to introduce picnic hampers for clients who are keen on spending quality time with loved ones at the beach.

Talking about their outlook on competition, Ricardo says, “There’s always room for a new hotel. Our idea is to try and be different and stand out in what you do.

The façade of the hotel itself is a landmark because people stop to look at the massive glass panel with the embossed tree and the reflection of it.

The services we offer are very friendly. The food we cater to is also innovative. We’ve tried to break the norm that you would find at the local hotels.”

He further adds, “Currently, Goa is known as a tourist destination and isn’t as popular as a corporate destination but we’re expecting it to grow as a year round market.”

Fortune Miramar is owned

by Cosme Costa Hospitality Private Limited and managed

by Fortune Park Hotels Limited, a subsidiary of ITC Hotels. Maintaining a balance of leisure and business, the hotel looks forward to reach out to the market through print and social media and is all set to please its clients through its remarkable presence in hospitality

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 39

Hospitality

Hotel Menino

22 successful years of remarkable service

Creating benchmarks in the hospitality industry, Hotel Menino, Ponda; and Menino Regency, Panjim continue to please clients with utmost sincerity and dedication

Hotel Menino Restaurant

THE MENINO GROUP holds two hotels, Hotel Menino situated in the cultural capital of Goa, Ponda; and Menino Regency in the heart of Panaji.

Owned by Sandra Fernandes, a well-known person in the industry, both the hotels – Hotel Menino in Ponda is a true connoisseur’s delight with a beautiful restaurant catering to the corporate sector; along with domestic and international

Celebrating 22 successful years, Hotel Menino provides excellent service to its clientele and is regarded as the ideal place for a business trip, coupled with a homely atmosphere

tourists as well. Celebrating 22 successful years, Hotel Menino provides excellent service to its clientele and is regarded as the ideal place for a business trip coupled with a homely atmosphere.

Established in the year 1995, the venture is known for its true-blue cuisine. Hotel Menino offers a wide range of delicacies, emphasizing on Goan Cuisine, their forte.

Adding to the taste buds of all food lovers, the restaurant also captures authentic Indian and oriental flavours. Few of the signature dishes at Hotel Menino are Crispy Chicken, Sumai Chicken in the Chinese starters, Indian starters has the Veg Hara Bhara Kebab, Chicken 65 and another must try would be the Murg Kashmiri Chaman.

Tempting mocktails like The lounge

The room at Hotel Menino 40 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

The Lobby

Rosy Pink, Green Emerald, Fruit Punch and Thumps up Float have been favourites of both, ladies and children.

Butterfly Prawns, Crispy Threaded Chicken and Deep Fried Chicken are few others that kids always have their eye on. While the adults enjoy their meal, there is also an exclusive area for the kids to play.

The restaurant ensures nutritious food and also offers special attention to particular requirements of the clients retaining the authenticity in taste. With her love for healthy food, Sandra puts time and thought also into training the chefs.

The hotel studies the customer’s taste and adds new dishes to the menu frequently, to break the monotony. A suggestion box is provided for the customers with the inputs receiving due remedial action. The Managing Director, Sandra Fernandes is found occasionally dining at the restaurant during peak hours to catch customer reactions.

The well-knit staff sourced from hospitality training institutes, are trained further to serve the guests. The staff is also observed having an exceptional rapport with the guests, creating a familiar atmosphere.

Hotel Menino also offers honeymoon packages that have proved to be a complete success. One of the couples

Hotel Menino Ponda

Accept challenges as they come and see them as opportunities for growth: Sandra Fernandes When did you first take over as Director of Hotel Menino?

Six years back due to the untimely demise of my husband Inacio Fernandes.

What is your personal mantra when it comes to work or dealing with challenges?

Accept challenges as they come and see them as opportunities for growth.

Let go of the past. By praying and meditating, it is an effective way of getting rid of stress.

How did you grow in experience to become the Director?

Close networking with staff and clients. With an M.A in Economics, it helped to understand the market scenario.

As a lady entrepreneur, are you the first lady director of the hotel?

Yes

What are some of your key responsibilities as Director of the hospitality group?

Taking a keen interest in the day to day functions of the hotels. HR is of utmost importance and so is prioritising.

Any obstacles you’ve gracefully tackled to rise to such heights?

A strong will power and being hands-on boss, along with a penchant for discipline has been a great plus.

What is your vision/ future plans for Hotel Menino and Menino Regency?

Future plans for the group is expanding a beach side location and a property in another State.

exclaimed that the décor of the room looked so beautiful that it seemed straight out of a TV Serial.

Understanding their commitment to the society Hotel Menino also organizes events such as annual

Sandra Fernandes

Christmas parties for the less fortunate children from orphanages.

To its credits Hotel Menino also organizes corporate events like being the hospitality partner for Dr. Ramani’s Goa Marathon; an event looked

forward by many in Ponda, holding Rotary International meetings and more. Creating benchmarks in the hospitality industry, Hotel Menino in Ponda is a name to reckon with

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 41

lady power

Ashwini Aditya Kamat Tarcar

The sweet recipe to success

In the business for more than 20 years, Ashwini Tarcar’s success speaks for itself By alexia fernandes

TALENT MAYBE APLENTY, but it takes real courage to follow your passion and turn it into something fulfilling. A dynamic lady, Ashwini Aditya Kamat Tarcar is absolutely passionate about food and followed her taste buds.

Ashwini established Shree Foods in early 1996, which flourished rapidly ever since.

“I started on a very small scale and functioned from home.

I had never really planned to start up with my own catering business; neither did I expect it to grow so big.” Her secret – she cooks what people love to feast on. A growing name in the food business, Shree Foods promises authentic home cooked flavours for all festive occasions.

Though a topper in B.E Electronics from Gogte Institute of Technology, Belgaum, Ashwini had always had a keen interest in food from a young age. A big foodie herself, she recalls one of her first orders during her college days. “We had a send off ceremony and since we were on a tight budget I decided to cook. My whole family helped me out with this order.” She credits her parents Suresh and Suvarna Deshpande for the difference they made by helping her believe that she was capable of achieving anything she wished. Taking her culinary hobby a step further, she began to take up orders for small parties.

Over time, people began to appreciate her food and the orders doubled. “With such positive feedback, I was tempted to go for larger orders.

One order after another, the business grew gradually over time, on its own.

“In the beginning, it was tough as I hadn’t received any formal training. Everything was an experiment; and every

dish was trial and error,” Ashwini confesses. Skipping culinary school, Ashwini learned by picking up recipes from her mother, whom she credits for her skill in the art of cooking; and by researching and testing ingredients along the way to cultivate her own culinary expertise. With her well developed palate, she relies solely on her taste buds to guide her when cooking.

“Just by the taste I can tell what ingredients went into making a dish and more or less figure out how it was made.” Ashwini builds up on recipes in this manner; adding and changing ingredients to give each dish her own special touch, and of course making it a whole lot tastier.

Based in Santa Cruz, Shree Foods has grown quiet impressively with Ashwini at the helm of operations.

“S h re e

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Foods had grown quite a bit, but then I had my son and decided to take a break for three years.” Despite the brief hiatus, Shree Foods was back on track and swarming with orders in no time. Currently, Ashwini has six permanent cooks, trained by her, to help with orders. “I prefer training my own staff. I don’t employ people who are professionally trained because their formal training will clash with the way I work. I have devised my own system of working which will be difficult for a trained person to adjust with.”

Regardless of the size of your crowd or the magnitude of celebration, Shree Foods promises to shoulder all your food needs.

Whether it is a small f a m i l y g at he r i ng of 10-20 people or

Ashwini Aditya Kamat Tarcar

a celebration expecting 200500 guests, or your guest list generously crosses a thousand – Shree Foods is up to handling your catering needs.

“We handle any occasion from small family gatherings, to Puja ceremonies, to corporate conferences and events, to large weddings.”

Being one of the most flexible catering services that cater to any and every food requirement whether big or small, Shree Foods receives orders round the year. “We are probably the only company that has no fixed menu. We create a menu looking at what you need specifically.” Apart from their mouthwatering suggestions, some of their most popular dishes remain the Dragon Chicken, Malwani Chicken, Baby Corn Satay, and Crispy Fried Prawns; and for desserts, the tender coconut pudding is a popular favourite.

Trying out different cuisines, Ashwini has truly explored a plethora of Indian cuisine. “We catered to a Bengali wedding celebration once. The client got a few recipes from his mother for me and I asked for samples of the dishes so I could taste it and thoroughly figure out how each dish was made.”

Ashwini recollects a similar wedding she had catered to, where the bride was from Kerala and the groom from Goa. Crafting a well balanced menu, Ashwini included typical Kerala dishes to the menu making sure both cultures were appreciated. Apart from her regular orders, Ashwini has worked in collaboration with some of the biggest hotels, popular cafes and casinos in Goa. “One of my biggest learning experiences remains the time I catered to the staff at Taj Vivanta prior

to its opening. Cooking for top culinary professionals, I was under a lot of pressure to offer a variety of tasty, authentic dishes that would be enjoyed by all, but in the end it was a job well done.”

“I am more interested in the cooking part of it rather than the business. For me, it is more than just the number or orders, or the money I make.

It has always been a passion.”

Prioritizing client satisfaction, Ashwini pours in a lot of thought when planning each menu. “You have to relish the food.” she stresses. “There are some recipes that we have to alter keeping in mind what flavours the expected crowd might prefer. So for a crowd that doesn’t enjoy spicy food, we have to tone down the spices to make sure they like it.”

Aside from the immense recognition Ashwini’s food has received over the years, her biggest achievement has

Ashwini’s signature dishes, the juicy Baby Corn Satay and the Crispy Fried Prawns

Before anything else, love your work, because if you don’t love what you do it’s not worth any amount of money. If you are keen on doing something, do it when you still have the time to learn

Ashwini Aditya Kamat Tarcar

been the difference she’s been able to make by reaching out to her staff. “I have trained many young illiterate boys and girls to cook; and with a skill like cooking, they are able to earn a living on their own, even if they decided to leave my establishment. People have trained under me and then gone off to begin their own business, like a small shop,

a gadda or even take small orders from home.”

Sharing her secret to success, Ashwini says, “Before anything else, love your work, because if you don’t love what you do it’s not worth any amount of money. If you are keen on doing something, do it when you still have the time to learn.”

Her success with Shree Foods led her to win the Woman Entrepreneur 2010 Award by Rotary Club. A long driven idea, Ashwini hopes to someday reach out to other states with her food through her own Garam Masala brand.

Based purely on positive food reviews, Shree Foods has grown synonymous with scrumptious home cooked food. “I am different from all others because I follow my heart. When you are good at what you do, you will always stand out from competition,” she says

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 43

Professional dossier

Dr. vikas panvelkar

“All procedures are complex, but one that I would term technically complex is the facelift” Walking through the aisle of experience and success, Dr. Vikas Panvelkar showcases uncomparable work in the field of surgical cosmetics I GRADUATED FROM Goa Medical College in 1980 and completed my post graduation in 1984. Later, I went on to work with GMC for 3 years till 1987. It was in the same year, driven by patriotic fervour, I joined the Indian Army. I worked with the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune; and because of my specialisation in dermatology, I was posted in big hospitals and places including Calcutta and Lucknow.

After serving the Indian Army for more than 10 years, I joined Bahrain Defence where I was a personal physician and dermatologist to the King and his family along with his ministers. I attended many courses on cosmetic dermatology and cosmetic surgery in the Middle East and in Europe, as well.

After working for ten years in the Middle East, my son had grown up; and to keep away from the messy education system in the Middle East, my family and I came back to India in 2007.

In the same year, my personal clinic at Panaji was established. With heavy backing and encouragement from my friend, I started off a cosmetic surgery centre in Calangute at Vrundavan hospital, presently known as Matthew Braganza Hospital. I mainly deal with consultation and minor procedures that could be done under local anaesthesia at the Panaji clinic. While procedures that require general anaesthesia is taken up at the Calangute centre along with consultation.

In Calangute, I look mostly at medical tourism, lots of patients come from UK and all over Europe to get done with their cosmetic work and go back.

Dr Vikas Panvelkar

During my time, there were no much options available in terms of a career. My family is full of engineers and I happened to be the only guy who took up biology in college.

The reason I pursued medicine was simple – my fascination for doctoring. In today’s time, people might be healthy from within, but do not look so – which is, of course, appalling.

The world presently demands ‘bragging’ which was different during my time; and that is where cosmetic surgery and dermatology comes into play.

People are judged at all times, irrespective of whether you are in show business or not. Your face is your fortune; and the desire to be perfect

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and create a first impression lies within all – and cosmetic surgery makes this possible.

I have not released a single advertisement on any medium.

My practice has flourished only on word of mouth. The client base that I have created is because of the quality work that I do. I have patients who come from abroad who recommend me to their friends. The idea behind advertisements is to attract people. I say that I have got my hands for that, so I do not need advertisements.

I mainly work towards curing skin diseases, sexual medicine, STDs including HIV. Other than these, I specialize in dermatological surgery including Botox, adding fillers,

hair removal, hair transplant, face lift, blepharoplasty (surgery correcting the defects, disfigurations and deformities of the eyelids), facelift, breast implants, liposuction, tummy tuck, Brazilian butting, Nose job and more. All procedures are complex, but one that I would term technically complex is the facelift.

Every person is different and that’s the biggest challenge I face. The ability to judge how a person is going to respond to one particular treatment before the procedure is performed is the real challenge. But my mantra is simple and inspired by the Indian Army – difficult things I do, impossible things take me some time and for miracles you’ll have to give me two months notice.

I used to hold Botox training classes for doctors previously, and I used to also go to neighbouring cities like Mumbai, Kolhapur, where doctors came from all over India. But other than the training, how well are the participants grasping it is also an important factor.

Many a time, patients come to me to correct a problem which is the result of an improper procedure; and unfortunately the doctor has been trained by me, but has not got the hang of it. I am not God, just that I’m more experienced and can make a reliable judgement of the face after the surgery. In human anatomy, there are variations and you should be mentally prepared to accept any unexpected findings.

My training is all from abroad, which is why I knew and used Botox in the year 1997, but Botox came to India only in 2001-02. Dermatology and plastic surgery are two different things with surgical

cosmetics falling in between.

And I might be the only person who performs surgical cosmetics exceeding the boundary of dermatology.

I might be the one who has done maximum blepharoplasty in Goa. In my clinic, you will find several machines like the pigment lasers that are not found easily with all practitioners.

Many times, plastic surgeons argue that dermatologists are not allowed to do cosmetic surgery but the truth is that even plastic surgeons are not trained to do so. Nowhere in the syllabus of MS in plastic surgery, is there anything mentioned about cosmetic surgery. There is no specific course anywhere that is prescribed for cosmetic surgery; but there are several training programs available that adds to your speciality.

Normal plastic surgeons are meant to deal with severe cases

Every person is different; and that’s the biggest challenge I face. The ability to judge how a person is going to respond to one particular treatment before the procedure is held is the real challenge. But my mantra is simple and inspired by the Indian army – difficult things I do, impossible things take me some time; and for miracles you’ll have to give me two months notice Dr Vikas Panvelkar of burns and skin problems, but they take up cosmetic surgery for the financial benefits that lie in it.

According to me, knowledge increases only if you share it. My love for teaching the younger generation is strong because they always

come up with bright ideas; and I learn myself in the process of teaching others. There have been instances when students from GMC have mentioned to me about the lack of knowledge in the cosmetic field. I have extended training and supervision to many juniors; the only condition I place is that they can get their patients but cannot touch mine.

Today, I earn my livelihood with GMC’s training set as foundation; hence giving back something to the institution is what I look forward to.

The field I am in demands extensive knowledge and to be constantly updated. My main source of knowledge is books. I read loads of books on medicine and medical journals as well, backed by the boundless love I have towards literature. Other than books, I believe the Internet is a boon to the knowledge world but at times, could be misleading,

too.

In Goa, dermatology and cosmetic surgery is a growing field but the fact remains that 80% of my clientele are tourists. I suppose, Goans are more secure and confident as individuals or the conventional truth could be that Goans prefer investing the amount more on lifelong possessions.

And another important factor that I have noticed in Goa is that there are unregulated happenings.

Unorganized people taking up cosmetic surgery or even beauty parlours without appropriate training could add bad name to the entire field with unguaranteed advices.

I would wish for more people to join the cosmetic field and also give me competition; as competition is one of the best ways to increase your level of expertise As told to Ankitha Joseph

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 45

SHIPPING

West Coast Shipyard and Estaleiros Navais De an eye to expand business opportunities in the East, Portugal’s Peniche sign MoU With Estaleiros Navais De Peniche ties up with Goa’s West Coast Shipyard

Nigel Cabral, Jorge Brandao and Osric Cabral

WEST COAST SHIPYARD a firm based in Goa and Estaleiros Navais De Peniche a company based in Peniche, Portugal signed an MOU for future cooperation for building and development of vessels mainly using composite materials for the Indian and other regional markets. This is a boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative launched by the Government of India.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Portugal’s Prime Minister António Costa on his 7 day visit to India.

“With ‘Make in India’, the government wants an export oriented market and we are definitely up for the task and contributing our bit. We can also facilitate for the growing local deman” said Osric Cabral, Managing Partner, West Coast Shipyard.

Estaleiros Navais De Peniche is a leader in the building and development of various marine vessels.

The company builds Fishing Vessels, Passenger Catamarans and Ferries, Special Operations Crafts and Patrol Vessels, Pilot and SAR ships and many other GRP boats. The company has built ships for government institutions and private sector across the world and is working on developing an unmanned surface drone with a range of 3000 nautical miles

which is ideal for coastal patrol operations. The company has also developed a range of Fast Patrol Vessels, the NP20, NP25 and NP28 for coastal and river patrolling. The firm is also working on hybrid desalination vessels that can provide clean water to drought areas using river or seawater.

The plant can produce up to 1500 cubic meters of water per day. Jorge Brandao feels business relations of the two counties will improve in the times ahead, he said, “Portugal’s Prime Minister is originally from Goa. That’ll certainly improve relationships. There is a lot for both the countries to explore in terms of business.”

Both the companies were looking for a business partnership since 2010, when the leadership of both the companies had met formally.

It took seven long years for the two shipbuilding players to finally enter into a formal partnership. Nigel Cabral told Business Goa, “We have been meeting since 2010; and this time the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry had initiated the talks. Earlier there were many areas that we had touched; however, we couldn’t move forward on the agreement, but this time we made a more concrete effort to finally get it done.” He further added, “This time we are

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moving fast since they had a change in the leadership which has played an instrumental role, due to which we were finally able to get these agreements sorted. Now we are moving at a fast pace. Also Estaleiros Navais’ desire to go beyond their traditional markets is what is driving this project.”

Jorge Brandao, CEO, Estaleiros Navais explains the larger plans of his company, “We have been talking on this agreement since 2010, but this time since we were accompanying the business delegation with our Prime Minister, we thought of doing something special. The MoU that we have signed is the result of combined efforts made by WCS and ENP. For us, it is very important that we establish strategic relationship all over the world. We will provide WCS our products to develop further through a joint venture. We have partnered with just one company in India and that is WCS.” Brandao elaborated on the opportunities that lie ahead of both the companies, He said, “Goa, India and this part of the world has certainly a growing demand for ships. The shipping industry is also a booming industry in Goa; and it can generate lot of jobs for people in Goa. Besides, markets

especially in Latin America and Africa are growing in terms of need for ships.

And this region here where WCS is very active, we feel there are lot of opportunities for job growth. We want to pursue projects together and depending on the size and several other opportunities, we are even considering investing more over here. Markets can be further pursued through a joint-venture initiative.”

Nigel Cabral commented on the recovery of the shipbuilding industry post the mining ban. He said, “It is taking a while and last year has been the first year (2016) since we can say that at least the repair part of it has started. But for shipbuilding, we always had to look outside of the state.

We have partnered with Dutch companies. We exported to countries like Maldives. We are also looking at other areas of business. We have some orders coming from Middle East, but it is taking time. However, we certainly have demand from such countries. After the slowdown in 2008, there was a global impact, markets in South Korea were also in bad shape – that saw many shipyards closing down.”

On being asked how nationalisation of river project will pave out for the local shipbuilding industry, Nigel

Events Difficult Dialogues

The sixth edition of Difficult Dialogues draws focus to India’s grand health challenges

Manisha Koirala

Dr Vikram Patel

Dr Naresh Trehan

Siddharth Varadrajan

This February Goa will see leading experts, policy makers and world famous stars and personalities gather for the much-anticipated return of the Difficult Dialogues forum. The Second edition of the annual conference will be held from February 10th to 12th 2017 at the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula. This series of Difficult Dialogues will focus on the question: ‘Is India’s Health a Grand Challenge?’

This year, the forum will be held in partnership with UCL (University College London) a world-leading university that combines its research excellence across all disciplines to tackle the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century. India spends less than one and a half per cent of its GDP on public health. This is a fraction of the amount that

other developing countries allocate in their budgets. With this in mind, a top priority of Difficult Dialogues 2017 will be to firmly position health on the political agenda of the Indian government.

In pressing this agenda, attendees can expect to see top government officials discuss new policy directions with a number of leading minds from the professional world, academia, development experts, the media and a host of celebrities with vivid experiences of the issues at hand. Renowned health policy experts and anthropologists from UCL such as Professor Marie Lall, Professor Monica Lakhanpaul and Dr. Sushrut Jadhav will be amongst the speakers at the conference.

Through engaging panel discussions, the speakers will

grapple with crucial issues of public health budgets, cancer, disease, mental health, and health technology.

Amongst the highlights will be Health Secretary CK Mishra discussing the options open to the country in terms of healthcare funding; actress Manisha Koirala, prominent women’s rights activist and cancer survivor, discussing treatment in India and abroad; commentator Pavan Kumar Varma voicing his thoughts on contemporary socioeconomic issues in the Health of the Nation panel debate; and leading journalist Siddharth Varadarajan plus acclaimed actor Kabir Bedi who will be on hand to chair a number of panel discussions.

To capture the voice of students, the forum is also opening up the debate to India’s

said, “That will play itself over the period of time. I have a feeling that there are some good things to come out of it, but there are always good and bad sides to everything. On one side, you will see better maintenance of the rivers because of the nationalization.

On the other side of it, things will be difficult for local players in order to get the required permissions and such processes might take little longer.” Osric Cabral opines, “There is no clear blueprint of what is going to happen on the nationalisation of rivers. Once

we have more clarity, we can make a better statement on that.”

West Coast Shipyard expects the shipbuilding policy to be functional soon, as it has suggested reforms to boost the local companies. Nigel Cabral explained, “We want more clarity on the shipbuilding policy, they have one in place that can offer subsidies which will definitely help us to drive our business. We are looking at long term support on that front. As we plan to export more now, I hope the subsidy model is implemented

soon and I hope it serves its purpose.” He added on the governments expectations.

“We are definitely looking at Goa Shipyard and other government corporations that are operating in the water base,” he added.

As part of the MOU, both the companies are looking forward to develop high quality GRP boats in India.

The technology transfer will entail a transfer of design and technical knowhow in GRP boat building. West Coast Shipyard will send personnel to ENP’s site in Portugal for

universities by sponsoring Daring Debates, an intensive college debate series about the ‘Medical Oath – A Moral Compass No More,’ which runs parallel to Difficult Dialogues.

This year, medical students from Delhi, Goa, Pondicherry, Lucknow and Guwahati – are invited to compete in teams of two with the winning teams from each city being given the chance to battle it out at the grand finale.

Commenting on Difficult Dialogues 2017, Anil Gupta, Chairman of its Steering Committee said: “Difficult Dialogues aims at providing a forum for individuals, organizations, think-tanks, media, government and policy makers to get together and debate themes of contemporary relevance in South Asia. This year, the vision is to explore the challenges that India faces in creating conditions for good health and access to healthcare for all citizens. I look forward to three days of purposeful and incisive debates leading to the highlighting of key issues and bringing meaningful change and benefit for the people in the South Asian region.”

Difficult Dialogues was created by philanthropist Surina Narula, a veteran NGO founder – responsible, amongst other achievements, for establishing the internationally lauded Consortium for Street Children training in building GRP boats. The companies will then jointly develop products and technology for the Indian and South East Asian markets.

The product range will include fishing boats, pleasure crafts and passenger boats, which is a growing market in India and Africa. The companies will also be able to service the East African and Latin American markets from India. The companies also hope to serve the Naval and Coast Guard forces of the SAARC and African nations

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 47

biz bytes Geno Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd awarded ‘Prestigious Rising Brands of India 2016-17’ for innovation and brand value Geno Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd was awarded ‘The Prestigious Rising Brands of India 201617’. It was awarded at the hands of actor Mukesh Khanna at Hotel Sahara Star Mumbai on 20th January and collected

by Vice President, Marketing Sureshkumar Pandey on behalf of Geno Team.

The award is given to India’s most deserving and genuine Brands that have shown tremendous promise and growth in the past few years.

“Prestigious Rising Brands of India 2016-17” is the most recognized listing of notable brands that have substantiated their aspirations to create the future, and transform the Indian economy, embracing a combination of their state-ofthe-art products and services.

As one of the world’s fastestgrowing economies, India with its unique business model has spearheaded Indian brands as business titans around the globe. Prestigious Rising Brands of India 2016-17 is an acknowledgement of the

brand’s value, strength and character. The project involves the most innovative and steadfast brands in the Indian market that have, by virtue of their unique value propositions and attributes, established an incomparable set of beacons and reinforced a profound and meaningful marketing connect with their customers.

The research is conducted through an extensive three phases of market study involving various steps in tabulation, distillation and evaluation of the brands by Brand Analysis & Research Asia and an independent jury.

In-depth research for selecting 100 brands among the stack of more than 300 brands was conducted to be listed among Prestigious Rising Brands of India

Fifth edition of ‘Lights in Goa’ held with international participation Lighting designers and expert speakers from Croatia, UK, Switzerland, France, Italy and Germany gathered to be part of the fifth edition of the International Architectural Lighting Seminar ‘Lights in Goa’ on 3rd of February at Goa Marriott Resort at Panaji.

Over 250 delegates from across 12 countries attended the two-day intensive seminar which included talks by international lighting architects, panel discussions and workshops on the critical subjects related to Sustainable Lighting, Education in Lighting and the Future of Lighting.

Spearheaded by architects Kapil Surlakar and Sacheen Pai Raikar along with James Andrade, Directors at KJS Events, the international lighting seminar is built around the theme ‘Spread and Share Knowledge on Lighting’.

The seminar was supported

by Joachim Ritter, Managing Director, VIA Verlag and Editor-in-chief, Professional Lighting Design magazine.

Sacheen Pai Raikar, Joachim Ritter, Kapil Surlakar and James Andrade

Lighting designers and expert speakers at the seminar include Dean Skira (Croatia), Prof. Michael F Rohde (Germany), Kerem Asfuroglu (UK), Valentine Spiess (Switzerland), Emmanuel Clair (France) and Ricardo Andrea Marini (Italy) who will be in Goa to be part of the symposium. Over 250 delegates from across 12 countries are expected to attend the two-day event.

Various sessions at the seminar including expert talks on lighting cultural heritage, new technologies in lighting solutions, dynamic lighting solutions in shopping malls, lighting in office environments, lighting in

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the public realm and more.

Professional lighting designers together with key speakers from the specialist field of lighting, addressed issues of interest and importance to lighting designers, architects, town planners and landscape designers. Day one of the seminar Lights in Goa hosted discussions on designing personal spaces and working with creativity. In depth workshops on heritage lighting, office lighting solutions and communicating through light were also held international experts. Day 2 at Lights in Goa concluded with a panel discussion and interactive session where delegates interacted

Rotary Club Panaji Riviera to organise Tax Conclave on March 4th

Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera presents its Annual Tax Conclave on 4th March 2017 at Panjim Community Centre at Mala, Goa from 9.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m.

“We have sourced renowned tax expert from the field of indirect taxes to give Goan corporate, professional, businessman and accountant community an insight into intricacies and implementation of GST and successful transition,” said Raja Melvani, President of the Club.

With Finance Ministry set on rolling out GST by July 1st, a lot of uncertainties are in the minds of general public about how to go about the transition from present taxation regime to GST. Keeping the above apprehension in mind, the Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera thought it apt that the tax conclave should address the topic of GST. “For this, we are have sourced eminently qualified speakers who are in the top 10 in whole of country.

They have dealt with GST issues in India and abroad and have in depth knowledge of the same,” Melvani added.

The resource persons for the conclave are P.V. Srinivasan, K. Vaitheeswaran and Rupesh Srivastava.

The registration fees are `1,000/- which include snacks and lunch

Advertise with the Voice of Business in Goa

ANTARPRERNA

Nandini Vaidyanathan

What glass ceiling, huh?

What’s tipping the scales when it comes to balancing life and a career?

THE EXPRESSION ‘GLASS ceiling’ means different things in different contexts.

But with reference to women corporate professionals, it means ‘an unofficial barrier to growth at the work place’. The whole world talks about this glass ceiling; it is an intense conversation piece in board rooms, in kitty parties, in women’s conferences, even in shopping malls. It is not just women who engage in this chatter; even men do, either dismissively, or patronizingly or concernedly, but do, certainly.

What however does not get clearly articulated is, who puts up this glass ceiling.

But the way it is talked about generally gives the impression that it is the male dominated corporates that create this barrier for women, either by being deliberately obtuse or by being insensitively ignorant.

Pardon me if I’m rocking the boat, but in my humble opinion, the glass ceiling is not a work of the big bad male but our own creation. By our own, I mean, made by us women, for women, of women! Let me explain.

I get it that women in their most productive years, say between 25 and 40, wear several hats. Each hat sits heavier than the other on our heads, so much so, it does seem that all women have to deliver, fighting resistance, both physical and figurative.

When I had my daughter 30 years ago and was a successful corporate professional in a very demanding job which involved almost 20 days of travel, I had no support system. No parents or in-laws who stayed with me

to share my burden at home; not even good day care centers; no home husband; no full time nanny, cook and maid. I was all things to all my family members as the situation demanded and we muddled through with unreliable maids, poor day care, short tempers and high blood pressure.

But I don’t recall a single occasion in my 20-year corporate career of ever citing my daughter as an excuse for underperformance or being distracted, or simply being wayward. In my generation, if you pursued a corporate career, it did not mean you compromised at home, it just meant you learnt inventive ways of being efficient equally at home and work.

In my daughter’s generation now I see that a lot has changed. You have very high end day care centers and technology has enabled that you can watch what your child is up to at the day care on your mobile, real time. You have agencies that provide nannies, cooks and maids. You live in gated communities, so push comes to shove, you can even leverage the support system within your complex. You have workplaces with day care attached. You have bosses who even allow you to bring your child to work on holidays or ‘sick’ days. You have work that allows you to log in from home. You have the luxury of sharing the burden with your husband because men today are more evolved than men in my generation. And you have the good old familial support system.

One would have thought that with the emergence

of this whole new habitat, women would have destroyed the glass ceiling with their kickass attitude. To my horror, I have discovered that we are reinforcing this glass ceiling with concrete and creating untenable positions for ourselves!

I sat through a meeting in a mentee company, recently.

There were 7 of us in the meeting. Three co-founders, head of marketing, head of finance, head of HR and me.

The agenda was: how do we articulate our organization culture through our collaterals so that all our stakeholders – external and internal – are on the same page? As you can understand from the agenda, it was a very critical meeting where everyone was expected to have his sharpest wits around him/her.

The head of marketing, it so happened, was a lady. Midthirties. She had the benefit of Ivy League education, had cut her corporate teeth in the best MNCs, was well travelled, and extremely articulate. The meeting started. A couple of times I noticed that the lady was dozing off. I gave her a gentle nudge under the table as I was sitting next to her. She woke up startled and mouthed: jet lagged.

As the meeting progressed, I noticed other aberrations. She was constantly on her phone.

At one point I noticed she was smiling looking at the screen.

When she saw me looking at her, she showed me the live feed of her 3-year old daughter in the day care, dressing up her doll. At another point I noticed her eyes widening as she read a text message. She stood up,

The writer mentors entrepreneurs and teaches entrepreneurship Email: nandini@carmaconnect.in

blurted that she had a family emergency and she would be back in a bit. She came back fifteen minutes later, more agitated than ever. And thereafter she was glued to her mobile screen.

When one of the cofounders addressed a question to her, she looked up from the phone, completely spaced out, and said, sorry what was the question? When the question was repeated, she made a bizarre and completely unprofessional request. She said: I’m sorry I have not paid attention to any of the discussion in the last half hour; can you please summarize it for me and set the context for the question?

After the meeting I asked the co-founders why they tolerate behaviour of this kind.

Their answer flummoxed me.

They said, firstly we don’t want to be slapped with a legal suit that we discriminated against her. Secondly, we want to be known as an organization that encourages diversity and she is the only senior management member in our team!

So I decided to chat her up. Why were you so sleepy, I asked. She said, we just got back from our holiday in the US early yesterday morning.

Don’t you think it would have been good if you had planned to return to India on a Friday so that you had the weekend to recover from the jet lag, I asked. She looked sheepish and said, sorry it didn’t occur to me.

I then asked her why she is always on the phone during meetings, monitoring her children remotely. Her reply stunned me. My only ambition is to be a wonderful mother, she said, so I use technology to stay connected to them 24/7.

Isn’t it unfair at work that your team and your company don’t get your undivided attention, I asked. She shrugged and said, that’s what inclusivity is all about, it comes with the territory when you hire women.

Needless to say my jaw has remained dropped ever since!

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 49

The writer is an organisational development and talent analytics consultant. He is also the founder sponsor of Goa CSR Awards. He is the recipient of Limca Book of Records and Business Goa Award. He can be contacted at shahkishorem@ gmail.com

people tree

Kishore M Shah

Sportswoman Spirit!

In conversation with Nikita Araujo, a woman of true will “I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.”

- Robert Frost I NEVER FELT so intensely about Robert Frost’s poem, especially each stanza until I met Nikita Araujo. Our first meeting was when I was on the interview panel for Lusofonia Games as an assessment expert from industry. Our job was to identify the potential among freshers – Nikita came across as a live wire from the word go.

I was hardly in touch with her after the interview, until recently I met her mother Ms. Perpetua during Sharada Mandir’s Ekta event las December. She was so excited to share about Nikita’s achievements, the pride on her face spoke everything; and that’s how this interview unfolded.

Nikita Araujo is just 27 years old and is currently appointed as the Professional Sports Consultant to the Government of Meghalaya.

Her job profile primarily includes planning for the National Games which the state is planning to host in 2022. Additionally, she oversees various aspects of sport development in the state, which also includes drafting of the state sports policy which is scheduled to be released early this year. She is also a consultant to the Boxing Federation of India.

Meghalaya has been officially allotted to host the National Games in 2022 which coincides with the golden jubilee of its statehood. The National Games will 50 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

see participation of over 11,000 athletes and officials in over 34 sporting disciplines.

Here are the excerpts of Nikita’s interview: Share in brief about your family, schooling, and higher education.

Born in Mumbai, then Bombay, I am the oldest of three sisters. Goan by blood, we moved to Goa in 1997 and have been living in Ribandar since then. My father is an interior designer cum contractor by profession while my mother is the Junior School co-ordinator at Sharada Mandir School, Goa. I completed my schooling in 2004 from Sharada Mandir School, Miramar, I studied for Higher Secondary in Science from Don Bosco, Panjim. I graduated in Biotechnology; and then moved to Mumbai to complete my Masters in Life Sciences from St. Xavier’s College.

In 2010, I joined the Dr. D.Y. Patil University, Department of Business Management, Mumbai to complete my MBA in Sports Management.

Sports has always been a passion from my younger days – I couldn’t imagine to live without sport in my life.

When I came across the sport management course, convincing my parents to allow me to pursue my MBA in Sports Management was something I was very reluctant to do.

But my parents were very supportive, even though they hesitated a little initially but have been my support till the very end Nikita Araujo

As a girl child what were the crossroad moments of life and dilemmas related to your career choices?

When I completed my graduation in Biotechnology, I realised that I couldn’t see my future looking down a microscope for the rest of my life. Since I was not prepared to work, I went on to study Life Sciences in Mumbai which was when I learnt of the Sports Management Course at Dr. D.Y. Patil University.

Sport has always been a passion from my younger days; I couldn’t imagine living without sport in my life. When I came across the sport management course, convincing my parents to allow me to pursue my MBA in Sports Management was something I was very reluctant to do.

But my parents were very supportive even though they hesitated a little initially but have been my support till the very end.

Back in 2010, people had not even heard of sport management and whenever I conversed with someone about what I was pursuing my studies in, I always had to provide a detailed description of what sport management entailed. At that time, I was not even sure if I had made the right decision of pursuing sport management, but I didn’t give up.

Being the only girl in a batch of five, we were the first batch to graduate in sport management in India as no other university offered the MBA course in Sport Management.

Post completing my MBA, I moved back to Goa and started working as a Marketing Manager at Chowgule Sports Centre in Margao. It was January 2013 when I got a call from the Sports Authority of Goa to join the Organising Committee for the Lusofonia Games. That phone call changed my life forever.

Retrospectively, when one connects dots, how would you appraise your career and calling decisions?

My decision to shift from Biotechnology to pursue Sports Management has by far been the best decisions of my life. I have never regretted any decisions that I have

taken till date but instead these decisions have helped me grow in my career. Even my decision to stay in Shillong, Meghalaya and work with the Government has helped build my portfolio in a huge way and has given me an opportunity to prove myself at a challenging job like this.

How was your first year at work in terms of reality, illusion, challenges, constraints and how did you tide over and turned it in your favour?

Clueless about what I was getting into, I joined the Lusofonia Games at the level of an Assistant Project Officer in Marketing. With absolutely no experience, I had the willingness to learn and with the determination I moved forward. I worked for the Lusofonia Games. Even though I was just a fresher, I was given additional charge to manage the protocol and

skills.

The 12th South Asian Games held in Shillong in Feb 2016 Nikita and her team members at the OC for the games

accommodation of all athletes, officials and VIPs, who were attending the Games and I ensured that I delivered.

The Lusofonia Games helped me realise my capabilities and capacities to work and deliver. It helped me to work in a team, plan and deliver in the most professional way, overcoming difficulties, handling situations at unexpected times and so much more.

What were the best lessons

learned at the work place?

The sport industry is very challenging and requires hours of dedication. The industry has helped me identify my true self and my capabilities. I have also realised that planning and organisation of sport events is a very challenging task and I enjoy each day of it.

Working with different sport events in the country has also taught me to adjust to various work cultures and to develop my own communication and team

What is your own projection in terms of present improvement and future development of the sports industry?

The sport industry is one of the booming industries in the country today and has grown immensely in the past few years. There is a lot of development that is still required in the industry and if we have young dynamic and passionate individuals taking up to sport management, the country will do immensely well. The country has the potential to create a mark on the international front and with the right administration, we can achieve the same. I am hoping to see India host the Olympic Games in the near future, including producing Indian Olympic medallists in various sports.

What are the transformational

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 51

changes you intend to bring into your current project?

The North East has always been a neglected part of the country. When I moved to Guwahati and then to Shillong for the 12th South Asian Games that were held in February 2016, I realised that this part of the country has a lot of talent that has been untapped. Post the South Asian Games, I was given the opportunity to prepare the concept note for the National Games that the State of Meghalaya was bidding to host.

I was then appointed as the Professional Sports Consultant for the planning of the National Games and with this opportunity I wish to develop the North East, especially Shillong, as the new sporting destination not only in India, but also in South East Asia. I also plan to develop various sports in the state and to produce athletes in various sports to perform well on the national as well as international platform.

What are your long term plans?

My main aim in life is to grow well in the industry while learning new developments and other aspects of the industry and helping others to grow, as well. I take each

52 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

The Lusofonia Games helped me realise my capabilities and capacities to work and deliver. It helped me work in a team, plan and deliver in the most professional way, overcoming difficulties, handling situations at unexpected times and so much more Nikita Araujo

day as it comes and ensure that I give my best. I don’t make plans for the future but I want to work hard and improve my skills and competencies in the next few years to come.

How do you manage stress at work?

The job profile that I usually handle requires a lot of late nights and hours of dedication. It is a pretty stressful job, but I ensure that it doesn’t get me all anxious. I try to work around all situations so that the task is handled efficiently. When working in a team, I try to ensure that work and tasks are distributed equally so that none of my team members are stressed out.

North East is very supportive and has

practically zero gender bias, though I stay alone but now I feel like I have another family in Meghalaya, every team member is passionate about the National Games 2020 and the golden jubilee of the statehood. I am doing my bit to make this dream come true.

Nikita’s story through a brief interview has several overtones about our traditional values, beliefs, assumptions, gender bias, fears, anxiety, aspirations, inner calling – but all this is dwarfed against her ‘sporting spirit’ and the unconditional support from her parents. Winning medals at Asian Games, Olympics have always been an illusion or a close finish for our country.

This year, we had the women holding the tricolour high. A country of 125 crore plus population of which about 80% being youth itself is a huge untapped potential; but to make the medals dream come true, we desperately need many more Nikitas, who will turn around the much required sports management industry. This will happen only when we all support and practice in spirit and not ordinary spirit but sportswoman spirit

The Columnist is a Practising Chartered Accountant and Member of Institute of Company Secretaries of India

good company

Swatee Shere Rane

Prudent and low-key Budget Will the Budget’s cross-sectoral measures really boost the country’s overall growth?

On the backdrop of Demonetisation, everyone was expecting a reformist budget from the FM, instead he surprised all with a prudent and low key budget.

No doubt, this year’s budget was diverse and historical.

Diverse, for being announced one month prior to the actual date – annual budgets are usually announced; and historical for being merged with the Railways Budget.

In an attempt to “transform energies and cleanse the Indian economy” the Finance Minister has announced a slew of cross-sectoral measures to help promote the country’s overall growth. Analysed below are some of the budget highlights:

products?

No cuts proposed in the food subsidy are paid to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for maintaining buffer stocks and delivering it to ration shops. The cost of the inefficiently run FCI is ballooning with every year.

But where are the budget proposals for implementation of modern techniques of food stock procurement, management and distribution to ration shops? Doesn’t it makes more sense to increase the outlay on such modernization efforts than increase the food subsidy to FCI? Isn’t this an apt way of reaching the social welfare measures to the masses below the poverty line?

Ahoy Agriculture!

Many sops for farmers! Higher investment in irrigation, increased coverage under crop insurance, wider access to agro-credit, interest waiver of sixty days for agricultural loan, funds to develop dairy industry and expansion of agro-markets. Despite this, farmers are apprehensive, and feel that measures are not enough for improvement.

Well, they may be right. Where are the proposed incentives to stimulate private investment in agriculture? Can increased outlay on insurance substitute for capital formation? Nope.

For connecting farmers to the market, the government is heavily relying on the Markets (e-NAM). But, do we have in place the basic legal framework, quality standards, payment clearing systems and storage infrastructure for an ideal market for agricultural

Tax Sops: Tax rate for MSME companies reduced to 25%, if annual turnover is up to 50 crores.

MSMEs get a level playing field with foreign companies. The tax rate for foreign companies is 43.26% and for an MSME company the tax rate stands at 43.32% (including dividend distribution tax). This benefit accrues to around 96% of total companies. For other companies, the tax rate remains the same. Minimum Alternate Tax continues, although carry forward of MAT will be allowed for 15 years.

It is also a gala time for individuals whose taxable income falls between 2.50 lacs and 5lacs. Tax rate has been halved from 10% to 5%, but not for individuals with taxable income between 50 lacs and 1 crore. To reduce tax of the middle income taxpayers, FM has proposed to dig out

an additional surcharge of 10% from the pockets of high income tax payers.

For computing capital gains on land and building assets, holding period has been reduced to two years. The base year for indexation shall now be 2001, thus reducing the capital gains tax substantially.

Noteworthy budget proposals for widening the tax base and making tax compliances simpler. But will the proposed increase in the powers for searches and surveys given to tax officers lead to arbitrariness and undesired harassment by tax officials?

Modernising Railways: After 6 decades of independence, here is a budget which lays constructive steps for modernizing the Indian Railways. The shares of railway public sector enterprises will be listed on stock exchanges.

A newly proposed Metro Rail policy focuses on innovative implementation and financing, as well as standardization and indigenization of hardware and software. A Rashtriya Rail Suraksha Kosh shall be setup exclusively for safety issues. Tariffs of railways will be fixed by an independent rail fare setting authority.

Bio-toilets shall be installed on many trains and an SMS based ‘Clean-My-Coach service’ has been introduced.

At least 25 Railway stations shall be awarded for classic redevelopment.

Rising Real Estate Sector: Listed realty stocks were big gainers with the number of sops awarded. Both builders

and buyers of affordable homes have been rewarded. Buyers benefit from the increased outlay for the Pradhan Mantri Grameen Awas Yojana (PMAY).The increased outlay result in increased funding for credit-linked subsidy and interest concessions on home loans up to `12 lakh to homebuyers from economically weaker sections. ‘Affordable home’ developers get some relaxations in the stringent rules that govern their 100% tax break. The timeline for completing these projects has been extended from 3 to 5 years. The area restrictions on these homes specify no more than 30 sq.mts if located in the metros and 60 sq.mts if located elsewhere, have been made applicable to carpet area rather than built-up area, allowing for bigger units. A rise in the real estate sector shall give fillip to other interdependent industries leading to overall development.

Political Bond Funding The Budget proposes to limit cash donations to political parties to INR 2000. Now, political parties shall get tax exemptions only after complying with the donation norms and timely filing of tax returns. For the first time, an innovative electoral donation scheme through bonds was announced. But are these proposals enough to reform the prevalent non-transparent political funding systems?

Wouldn’t a reformist budget propose bolder measures for desired honesty, integrity and transparency in the political funding systems?

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 53

The writer is Corporate Trainer & Founder, SALDOTS Academy.

He can be contacted at pradeepsalgaonkar@gmail.com

beyond classroom

Dr Pradeep Salgaonkar

Customer care skills in health care The humane touch is often the casualty at high value health care providers THE SERVICE ENCOUNTER which I came across during my recent business visit to an upscale hospital based in Goa made me ponder over whether soft skills in healthcare personnel ever have any importance as far as patient care is concerned, and whether health care personnel possess those essential qualities to interact and care for the ailing patients. The healthcare personnel are doctors, nurses, paramedics, staff, front office and everybody who comes in contact with the patient and his family.

It was a beautiful morning and I reached this posh hospital at around 9.45 am as I had an appointment with the Unit head of this Hospital at 10 am. I had formed my expectations about the service that I would get as a visitor and so about the many patients what they might be getting. But to my dismay, I encountered service that was contrary to my expectations. Nor do the customers (patients) I believe get a good service.

After a satisfactory encounter with the beautiful garden, landscape and a posh building that it was, I reached the reception counter. I was waiting at the counter, which was attended by two persons busy doing something and talking to each other, for almost five minutes without either of the two asking me what I wanted. This was the first encounter I have had with any human service provider at this hospital. I could have been a patient who had come for treatment, from whose money the staff and other care givers get their salaries, and nobody bothered about me. This is the kind of service this hospital provides to its customers – the ailing patients.

After my meeting with the Unit Head, on my way back, outside in the parking lot, I happened to meet an old friend who had come for a check-up to this hospital with his wife who was suffering from a skin allergy. He had an interesting tale to share with me out of the frustration that he had just experienced at this hospital.

He narrated that since his wife suffered from skin allergy, a friend had suggested to consult an allergy specialist at this hospital. After initial inquiries and taking an appointment over phone for a skin specialist the couple reached this hospital on scheduled date and time. They registered by paying the initial registration fees, plus the consultation fees of the skin specialist in advance. They had to wait for almost one and half hour before meeting the specialist, as the specialist had not reached the hospital. Despite of the hospital giving the appointment the wait time was about 90 minutes. To worsen the problem, when they were called by the specialist for consultation inside the clinic and asked about the problem, the specialist turned out to be a specialist dealing with respiratory tract and lungs allergy and not skin allergy. ‘This is the level of ignorance and carelessness in a so called posh multispecialty hospital’ complained my friend. I had nothing to say but strongly felt the significance of soft skills in healthcare service delivery.

Health Care Customer - Patient For all purposes a patient as a customer is a special type of customer for various reasons such as the physical and mental state 54 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

of the patient, the unavoidability of availing service, dependency and vulnerability. And as such, demands for a much better and specialized care than a customer of any other service. A patient is not only that person who is undergoing treatment, but in the true sense, the entire family is to be considered as a patient. They are sensitive, emotional and in a disturbed state of mind and hence need to be handled with much more care, empathy and compassion.

Healthcare service providers have a major role not only in delivering the technical part of the care but more importantly, the behavioural part of service. In spite of excellent clinical skills, if the service delivered is uncaring, unresponsive and non-empathetic, the patient will exactly remember that negative part which he/ she did not like about the behaviour and not the technical part of service. Majority care givers treat patients as a ‘case’ or as a ‘file’ rather than as human beings or customers who need to be cared for much more than any other customers, and this treatment contributes to the major part of customer dissatisfaction, which should be cause for concern to service providers. Rather, healthcare service providers need to have finer soft skills as they are dealing with customers who are stressed and vulnerable.

Essential soft skills for healthcare givers It is essential for a healthcare giver to treat the patient and not only the disease/ailment. A good mix of technical skills coupled with excellent patient handling skills is a necessity to ensure excellent customer care and satisfaction. Some of the most important soft skills for healthcare providers include: a) Effective communication skills: Fifty percent of ailments will be cured if the care givers, especially the physician, listens to the patient and communicates in a friendly and caring manner with the patient. Simple words of comfort like “don’t worry, you will be alright soon” goes a long way in psychologically curing the patient. The feeling that the physician has given a compassionate hearing tells the patient that the physician has understood his case and this builds a confidence and trust in the patient about the physician. Agreed that the physicians are always hard pressed for time on account of number of patients s/he has to attend, but treating every single patient with care and giving adequate time is mandatory. Whatever time the physician spends with the patient could be the best time from a patient’s perspective. Physicians have to make a habit of listening carefully and communicating clearly with patients. Majority of the time, the patients are in care of nursing staff. Hence the nursing staff also needs to have effective communication skills. b) Empathetic approach: Every care giver who interacts with the patient should adopt an empathetic approach towards the patient.

A patient is in the hands of the care giver as though a child in hands of his mother – vulnerable and helpless. As such, if the

care giver does not empathize with the patient, then the condition of the patient will worsen for sure, irrespective of the best technical care provided. Research shows that those patients who get better empathy and psychological treatment respond better to technical treatment than those who do not get empathetic treatment. Empathy is a skill comprising of communication skills and imagination (ability to visualize) and hence should be developed in every single individual involved in giving care. c) Ability to motivate, encourage and influence: Persuading and influencing a patient to cooperate with the treatment line prescribed is essential for quick recovery of patient. Positive talks related to progress in recovery or sharing examples of success from past by care givers certainly go a long way in making the patients

feel motivated and encouraged.

The care givers themselves should be confident, motivated and forward thinking and always talk positively with patients, looking at whom patients should feel good and happy. No patient would like to be treated by a confused and novice, hence one needs to project self–confidence and professionalism, irrespective of whether the help is new to the field. d) Ability to deal with pressure and stress: Pressure and stress would be a daily part of this profession and one must cope with it. Emergency cases, sudden fluctuations in patients’ health, pressure from the patients’ family, criticism at times, sudden changes in shifts and extension of shifts etc. are common scenarios which cause pressure and stress for care givers. Emotional stability and positive attitude in such situations are of great help to

cope with stress. e) Ability to be flexible and adaptable: Change is the only constant in this world. Care givers need to be flexible and adopt and adapt to change to keep pace with changing demands of the organization and situation. Patients and their family members might be demanding, organizational requirements might be dynamic and demanding, so to cope with such situations, care givers must have a great deal of agility and concentrate on giving good care without getting affected by the change that happened. f) Being responsible: Care givers should own responsibility for the well-being of their patients. Care givers need to treat every patient as though they are their near and dear ones. They should behave responsibly, giving attention to every detail, ensuring excellent

time management as far as the dosages, food regimen etc. is concerned, and should exhibit highest levels of work ethics.

Care givers should be genuine, trustworthy and honest in every action they take. When it calls for a task to be performed as a team, it is most important to exhibit the highest level of team spirit. Overall, they should be responsible for ensuring that the patient and his family get respect and best possible treatment.

Technical skills are a must for a healthcare service provider; but equally important are the soft skills to deal with the patient and family. It is essential to balance the hard and soft skills for attaining satisfied and healthy customers in any healthcare establishment.

Becoming empathetic or building relationship with patients does not reduce the authority of care givers, rather it build bridges between hearts

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 55

The writer used to be a senior corporate executive, now a social entrepreneur.

He spends most of his time between Goa and New York.

He can be reached at jay@dehejia.net

letter from america

Jay Dehejia

Pallavi Shah: The accidental New Yorker Experiencing the luxe side of India with Pallavi Shah INDIANS FROM ALL walks of life have come to America to work or to study.

Many have decided to remain in the United States; each one for his or her own good reason. Instead of thinking of this move as a brain drain from India, we should consider it a brain gain. The Indian diaspora have contributed much to India and the United States from the vast experience and the expanded knowledge they have gained living in America. Over this year, I plan to profile some noteworthy individuals from India, now living in the U.S., who have made India proud with their achievements in their new home.

Pallavi Shah is one such individual. She owns and manages Our Personal Guest, a high-end boutique tourism services company. She had twenty-seven years of prior experience in the airline industry handling Public Relations, Special Promotions and Marketing for Air India based in New York, during which she worked with museums, department stores and corporations creating ‘one of a kind cultural’ promotions and publicity events to highlight the airline’s destinations. Her fondness for international cultures and travel encouraged her to try a different kind of travel service.

She is a dynamic individual who is passionate about her work; she absolutely loves what she does, and has done it for over 40 years. Pallavi’s mission is to showcase the very best and uniqueness of any country she introduces to her clients. When I met her at her delightful home in Gramercy Park of Manhattan, she described her mission as: “Travelling with Our Personal Guest is travelling with style and a touch of humour. In the spirit of our logo – a canopied palanquin, borne aloft by attentive staff with a quirky touch of subtle whimsy, we believe that travel is an extremely personal experience. Clients choose how and where they want to go and have a chance to be intensely involved in designing the perfect trip. We go to the ends of the Earth for our passengers, not to mention some incredible destinations.”

Shah, who grew up in India, possesses a 56 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

Pallavi grew up in Bombay.

She attended a Catholic boarding school in Nainital.

She was awarded a Dorabji Tata Scholarship to attend Elphinstone College in Mumbai. She likes to think of herself as a rebel. She had no time for an arranged marriage, neither did she feel the urge to take up the Tata scholarship to go to Oxford or Cambridge University, a preferred campus for higher education for those who lived a truly Indian life within an Anglicized context formidable Rolodex that once mainly held names and numbers in the subcontinent.

Now, of course, the world is flat, and she talks to insiders in Milan, Cape Town, Chiang Mai. Each of her clients receives a notebook of excerpts from history and art books, clippings on geography and culture, and recommended reading list.

“We give our clients homework,” she says. They tend to prefer less-travelled territory but have a single requirement: luxe lodging. “People are looking for exotic, unchanged places,” she says. “Cultural destinations – but with fabulous hotels.”

Shah says firmly, “What’s important is to experience a destination, not just view it.

Less voyeurism and more participation.”

She plunges clients into the stream of local life – getting around by cycle rickshaw, or boat, or by limo.

Pallavi designs each trip with meticulous precision; not one item, from making sure that landing the private jet is planned to arrive at the correct time of the day, to creating the atmosphere and ambience that melds with the city, town or village that the visitor is planning to see, is left to chance.

Pallavi grew up in Bombay. She attended a Catholic boarding school in Nainital. She was awarded a Dorabji Tata Scholarship to attend Elphinstone College in Mumbai.

She likes to think of herself as a rebel. She had no time for an arranged marriage, neither did she feel the urge to take up the Tata scholarship to go to Oxford or Cambridge University, a preferred campus for higher education for those who lived a truly Indian life within an Anglicized context. Joining Air India was one way to see the world and at the same time keep away from family pressures. Pallavi made the most of the many stop-overs by visiting museums, ancient sites in the region, and just exploring the places she visited. Her thirst for seeing places from a different perspective has made ‘Our Personal Guest’ a go-to group to visit special places around the world.

Not long after she opened for business, word quickly spread in the American corporate community that Shah enjoyed high-level access in India and that her tours were so meticulously organized that nothing was left to chance in a country where work habit – and public hygiene – left much to be desired. “Unfortunately, in India we tolerate a high degree of degradation of our public facilities, and we have come to accept dirt and filth in our streets,” Shah laments. “That is why I personally ensure that every place that my clients visit meets the highest standards of hygiene and efficiency.” Shah admits that sometimes there are debacles. As she says

“Life happens, but my clients totally adapt to changes.”

I asked Pallavi Shah what she thought Indian government, and the private sector in Goa should do. Her response was something that all of us should listen to: “Since India has inadequate infrastructure, by necessity we need to cushion the client from the aggravations and hassles. This in turn means a high degree of service on the ground which leads to higher costs. Higher costs in turn means that combined with the time and cost of international travel especially from the United States, a trip to India is for many, a once in a lifetime mega trip for a largely upscale clientele. This upscale clientele demands a high quality of hotels and transport and experiences on the ground. If they are going to have to go to places where mass tourism is

the norm, like Goa, with all its attendant problems of lack of quality and good service, they will shun it in favour of many options that exist in the world for an exotic vacation. The total amount of rooms in all of India is less than in the city of Singapore. This means that the few admittedly excellent hotels have been able to raise their prices way beyond comparable rates in the neighbourhood and therefore are not good value for money when the totality of experience is taken into account. India demands a lot from its visitor, a high degree of tolerance of shaky security, shady shopping outlets, less than sanitary food options, sloppy transport and suffocating pollution.”

We salute Pallavi Shah for making India a destination tourist country, and bringing high-end foreign tourists to India

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 57

The Columnist is a senior Chartered Accountant and has many books to his credit. Email: verlekar@bsnl.in

MONey matters

V B Prabhu Verlekar

Towards less-cash economy

India is making a serious attempt towards being a less-cash society IN A CASHLESS economy, all commercial transactions are effected through banking channels by way of cheques, bank drafts, internet banking, debit or credit cards, e-wallets like PayTM connected to an individual’s bank account or Unified Payment Interface (UPI), where payments can be made through mobile phone without internet network.

Mobile revolution has created an informal electronic banking system which does not require physical infrastructure as in the case of banks. There are several advantages of digital economy which is more efficient and convenient which does not require visits to banks or ATMs. Risks of thefts, robberies, burglaries, extortions, criminal transactions, fake notes do not exist. This is also hygienic in absence of germ communication in handling currency notes. It is noticed that the societies which are cashless, are less corrupt and there is less tax evasion.

In a cash crazy country like India, ninety eight per cent of the total economic transactions in volumes are done through physical cash, on which Reserve Bank of India has to spend annually around `27000 crores in currency printing and distribution logistics. (In the western world, it almost opposite – cash transactions comprise only two percent of the economy). Out of this ninety eight percent, forty per cent are not disclosed or accounted for in books of accounts in order to evade taxes by way of income tax, excise duty, service tax, value added tax etc.

The latest Government of India Income Tax Statistics reports that out of 80 crores adult population, only 3.65 crores i.e. about 4.5 per cent file their tax returns. Of this, 1/3rd do not pay any tax, 24 lakh people declare income of over 10 lakhs, 74,027 declare income over 1 crore and 7240 over 5 crores. Even those who are filing their tax returns under- report their real income, except for salary earners where they do not have any scope for evading taxes.

As against these figures, individuals owning four wheelers are 4.40 crores; and people who annually travel abroad for 58 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

holidays, number over 1.83 crores.

Evasion of tax and corruption is deeply rooted in the Indian mindset and has become a national habit. Indians are world champions to find ingenious ways and means to escape through any tax net.

Recent example of illegal siphoning of black money on demonization of currency from well regulated banking system is a testimony to this.

With the result, funds available for infrastructure development, roads, railways, health, education, irrigation, agriculture and other social objectives are inadequate – forcing the government to resort to external borrowings resulting in inflation, which seriously affects the poor and middle class and export trade.

It was reported that about `12.50 lakhs crores are held in foreign banks and assets in benami accounts or one man shell companies in tax haven countries. Within India, crores of black money is held in cash, real estate, jewellery, unaccounted stocks or employed in business through bogus loans or lavishly spent. The Government of India is serious about reducing the menace of black money. Opportunities were given to tax payers for voluntary declaration of undisclosed foreign assets and Indian assets through two Voluntary Disclosure Schemes, which yielded poor response. On 8th November 2016, a bold and revolutionary step was taken to demonetize high value denomination notes of `500 and `1,000 notes to curb tax evasion, corruption and fake notes.

Before demonetization, the Government had activated Prohibition of Benamy Property Act and Prevention of Money Laundering Act to deal with depositing money in third party accounts and for laundering of illegal money through legal channels. Demonetization and cashless transactions are complementary and supplementary to each other.

The Government wants to shift the parallel or black economy into official white economy. This is possible only if substantial economic transactions gets through banking systems.

The implementation of Goods &

Service Tax from 1st July 2017, which requires mandatory reporting of transactions electronically without any human interface, will greatly reduce corruption and tax evasion and support a cashless digital economy. Shortage of cash has significantly increased the use of digital medium of payment. However, there are hurdles for India moving cashless, as large part of the population is illiterate and outside the banking network.

Goa is in an ideal position to have less cash economy because of educated population, an extensive banking network, penetration of mobile phones, adequate internet infrastructure. What is needed is that traders, shopkeepers, street vendors should be encouraged to have card swipe or point of sales machines; and for this, banks in Goa should come forward to provide such facilities with targets, in their areas of operation. College students who are familiar with digital operations should be roped in to provide guidance and demonstration of operating digital wallets devices like PayTM to general public in surrounding areas and remove psychological barriers of security. As incentives, additional marks can be given to the students for their social work.

The Government of India provides incentives by way of reduction in income tax to business operators with a turnover of less than `2 crores by taking deemed profit on digital sales turnover at six per cent as against normal eight percent under section 44AD of the Income Tax Act. The Government of Goa can take the lead in reducing Value Added Tax by one/two per cent on digital sales transactions to provide incentive to general public and shopkeepers. Cashless transactions have gone up significantly in recent weeks and this tempo should be kept up. The actual shift will be visible after the cash crunch is reduced. Growth will depend upon creating awareness among public and trading communities, technological development and government intervention on sustained basis. The ultimate goal should be to have a street vendor accept payment through mobile phone

The writer is a visiting faculty to many B-Schools.

He is a professional trainer in many PSUs and private sector industries.

He can be reached at rnmisra@tatasteel.com

HR MANTRA

R N Misra

Creating a committed workforce Commitment in the workforce is a fundamental constituent in today’s business environment

THROUGHOUT THE DEVELOPED nations of the world, there is nothing less than evolution taking place where work is organised and managed. India is also trying its best through several interventions in this regard. People are being trusted and listened to. Work groups are being left to organise their own workload. Artificial distinctions, both horizontal and vertical are being removed.

Control systems are being simplified, bureaucracy dismantled. Responsibility for action is being pushed downwards and freedom of manoeuvre increased at all levels. As a result, productivity surges and quality rises. Defective output disappears, along with absenteeism, turnover and formal grievances. Innovation abounds and change becomes a way of life.

The workers have become more engaged and the employers are putting their best efforts to enhance the employee’s happiness and satisfaction as well as engagements on jobs. The phrase “giving all of you while at work” encapsulates what we mean by the word “commitment”. It entails such things as; using all of one’s time constructively, not neglecting the details, making that extra efforts, getting it right first time, accepting change, willing to try something new, making suggestions, co-operating with others, developing ones’ talent and abilities, not abusing trust, being proud of one’s abilities, seeking constant improvement, enjoying one’s job

and giving loyal support where needed. A committed workforce is one that is pulling together, with everyone doing their best and getting satisfaction from the common effort to do as well as possible. People feel that they are excited by their jobs and have confidential management.

There are several models for creating “commitment”. There is nothing magic or immutable about the model. It is simply a way of pulling a great deal of diverse information together to make it more comprehensive and useful. Otherwise, one is left after perusing laundry list of things in this regard. The model has primarily three major pillars. A) Sense of belonging to the organisation, b) Sense of excitement in the job and c) Confidential management.

The idea of a sense of belonging to the organisation builds the essential loyalty that is necessary to overcome the barriers of “them and us” that have marred industrial relations in the past. A sense of belonging has long been recognised as one of the most powerful forces that binds people together. The managers create the sense of belonging by making sure that the workforce is simultaneously informed, involved and sharing in success.

Giving worker a sense of belonging is an essential ingredient in gaining commitment. However, being informed, involved and sharing in success will not necessarily be translated into improved results unless the worker can, at the same

time, feel “a sense of excitement about his work” – leading to individual motivation to perform. This, second pillar of commitment from an appeal to three higher level needs: pride, trust and accountability for results. A trusted worker with pride in his performance will be increasingly willing to accept accountability. In turn, this will reinforce his personal pride and feeling of trustworthiness. This virtuous circle creates a strong individual motivation to perform with positive results with commitment and productivity.

Together, the sense of belonging and excitement in the job go a long way towards releasing the talents and energies of the workforce and creating commitment.

But they can be frustrated when the workforce does not have respect for and “confidence in management leadership – the third pillar of commitment”. Respect for such management is enhanced by attention to authority, dedication and competence. The re-assertion of authority and renewed dedication to the demands of leadership have gone hand in hand and done much to create a completely new climate. At the same time, more attention paid to the fundamentals such as proper identification of objectives, attention to shop floor productivity and competitiveness in general. The threepillar model puts commitment into perspective. It shows a wide variety of initiative taken by the management fit into a coherent picture, all pulling in the same direction and mutually reinforcing.

Pressures come from variety of sources in view of the increasing technological complexity, information revolution, global competition, which demands both performance (productivity and quality) and innovation (creativity and openness to change). Singly or in combination, this pressure build up to a realisation of the strategic importance of commitment. The creation of “commitment in the workforce” is a vital component of strategy in today’s business environment. In absence of the commitment of the workers, the business cannot achieve its success february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 59

fitness

New era of health and fitness in Goa Goa jumps on the treadmill of fitness revolution

By NIVEDITA DEMPO

We Goans are famous across India for our happy-go-lucky, “susegaad” life, and our love for fish curry and rice, followed by an afternoon siesta. This sounds like the perfect recipe for a happy and healthy life. However, under the surface of this seemingly healthy way of life is a ticking bomb of health issues primarily related to our modern lifestyle. Lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancers, childhood obesity, etc. are on the rise, exponentially, in Goa. As a Goan and a fitness professional, while I am extremely concerned about the current and impending health menace, I am also encouraged by a silver lining to this dark cloud – while being overweight and falling prey to an array of lifestyle diseases continues to be a problem, I notice a significant attitude shift among Goans, who are now more concerned, more aware, and to a certain extent more educated about health issues, and have a greater desire to live a healthier lifestyle.

I hope this will foster essential behaviour and lifestyle modifications and lead to a healthier and happier society.

Just about 15 years ago, ‘gyms’ in Goa were places primarily frequented by the youth to build their muscles and feed their vanity. How things have changed, and today you can find men and women of all age groups ‘working out’ in fitness centres. While exercising for appearance is still crucial (absolutely nothing wrong with that!), I notice a shift in focus from vanity to preventative healthcare, where the importance is primarily placed on exercising to prevent and/or combat the onset of lifestyle diseases and live a healthy life. More and more people are realizing that there is no short cut to health and they need to do some exercise on a regular basis.

Being a fitness professional and a fitness centre owner, I constantly speak with people, both members of my centre and others, about all things health and fitness. Over the past eight years, I have had the opportunity to get a grasp on the fitness pulse of Goa and here is my understanding of current and upcoming developments in health and fitness in Goa: Focus on Wellness: As I just mentioned, more people are now seeking fitness and exercise for healthy living, instead of solely for appearance. Exercise has now become a vital component of disease management, 60 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

with a focus on systematic programmes for the prevention and control of diabetes, coronary disease, blood cholesterol disorders and depression. Professionally managed fitness centres are responding to this by creating customized exercise programmes for their clients based on basic health parameters like blood pressure, cholesterol, body fat percentage, etc.

Obesity Awareness: Losing weight continues to be the primary reason why Goans exercise. However, now they are increasingly aware of and concerned about the dangers of physical inactivity and obesity. There is also a greater awareness of the fact that there is no magic pill to lose weight, and to do so takes time, effort, and dedication. Unfortunately, a lot of people struggling with their weight continue to believe, albeit wrongly, that the only way to lose weight is by following some fad diet that will magically make their extra kilos disappear. Hence, their weight is constantly fluctuating while they continuously fight their battle with obesity.

Holistic Approach: There is a growing awareness of a holistic approach to health and fitness and people are demanding offerings that go beyond the traditional treadmill/bike/weight-training offered at most gyms. In response to this demand, we continue to see more fitness centres offering a wide array of fitness/wellness services that go beyond the traditional, such as sports-specific massages, physiotherapists, and nutritionist services, and ‘mind-body’ exercise programmes like Yoga, Tai-Chi and Pilates. When I started my fitness centre, I wanted the focus to be on holistic fitness, and hence, in addition to a fully equipped gym and group exercise studio, we also have a nutritionist, other allied healthcare professionals such as physio and massage therapists, and a health café/store, giving us the capability to offer

a wide range of fitness, wellness, nutrition and stress-management programmes. This concept has worked very well for us and I think Goans are ready for it.

Mushrooming Fitness Centres: There is a fitness centre for everyone in Goa – whether you are a youth looking to build those muscles, a healthy adult looking to stay fit, a child looking to lose weight, or an older adult looking to lower your blood pressure/ cholesterol. The number of and accessibility to fitness centres has increased tremendously and the lack of accessibility to a fitness centre is no longer an acceptable excuse. Additionally, economic growth has brought higher and growing disposable incomes, leading to a larger number of people who can afford fitness centre memberships, personal trainers, specialized fitness programs and other services related to health and fitness.

Popular Group-Exercise Offerings Like Zumba: Group fitness classes seem to do very well in Goa primarily because they are fun, engaging and motivating. Take the example of Zumba, which has taken Goa by storm. When I first introduced Zumba to Goa almost eight years back, people got a kick out of the name and wondered what it was all about. But with its catchy Latin beats and our love for music and dance, it quickly became a rage and now we have several Zumba instructors offering classes all over Goa. Besides Zumba, one can find a plethora of other fun classes like Boot Camp, Body Pump, Bollywood Hip-hop, Piloxing, etc.

Fitness Industry as a Viable Career Option: With the ever increasing number of fitness centres in the state, the fitness industry has become a viable and lucrative career option.

For example, trained and certified fitness trainers are in great demand. Additionally, fitness education is more accessible and Goans desiring a career in the fitness industry have greater access to accredited and professional education – both live and on-line. Currently, very few fitness professionals in Goa are certified and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of trained and certified fitness professionals.

Certified fitness professionals are trained and educated in the areas of exercise science and programming, including anatomy, kinesiology, health screening, basic nutrition, and instructional methods, as well as in emergency procedures and

basic first aid. A certified professional is not only trained to understand your fitness needs and design an appropriate fitness programme, they are also trained to respond appropriately in case of emergency. I am a strong advocate of only appropriately trained and certified individuals working as fitness professionals and if Goans demand and the fitness industry employs only certified professionals, we will successfully create a safer and more professional environment in the fitness centres.

Senior and Youth Fitness: These are two areas that are close to my heart and I hope to see, in the near future, a greater availability of programmes and activities designed specifically for these two special populations.

• With the advancement in science and medicine, people are living longer and the average life span of Goans has increased. We have a significant senior citizen population that is looking for opportunities to stay fit and take care of their health. There are two issues here – first, senior citizens need specialized fitness programmes to take care of their aging bodies and unique health needs; second, it is a complete myth that healthy

senior citizens cannot exercise at a higher intensity or build strength and endurance.

At Studio 101, we work individually with each of our senior citizen members to design fitness programmes appropriate for their age and health and fitness needs.

• When we were kids, fitness meant going out and playing for hours with our friends and coming back home physically tired and exhausted. Well, times have changed and childhood obesity is now of great concern. Children today spend less time playing outside and more time in inactive pursuits like watching TV, playing video games or sitting in front of the computer. Parents are becoming more aware and concerned about this and I hope to see a greater emphasis on physical fitness and nutrition in schools and more youthbased fitness offerings, such as dance, football, tennis, martial arts, etc. But more than anything else, let us encourage our children to be physically active!

So, a lot of wonderful things are happening in Goa in the realm of health and fitness and a lot more is on the horizon. Goans have greater access than ever before to health information and fitness and health-care centres and programmes. However, the impending epidemics of childhood obesity and

lifestyle diseases can only be avoided if the government gets proactively involved in their prevention and control. While health and fitness is largely an individual responsibility, the government does play a critical role in ensuring that its citizens are healthy and have easy and cost-effective access to programmes and facilities to get healthier. This includes providing and ensuring access to clean and safe parks, beaches and playgrounds, regulating the fitness industry to ensure that fitness training is only provided by trained and appropriately educated people, and educating people on the perils of an inactive and unhealthy lifestyle. And yes, building hospitals and health-care centres as well – however, I am a firm believer in the old adage that “prevention is better than cure” and a healthier Goa will go a long way in reducing our trips to and need for hospitals. Let us pledge to liberate our society from the menace of lifestyle diseases! Be Fit. Be Healthy. Be Happy The writer is a senior fitness professional and owns her own facility, Studio 101 at Panaji

When you advertise with Business Goa, you ensure that your pitch is read, heard and viewed favourably by the who’s who of business in Goa Call Annalise Gouveia on 0832-2437822, 6456555 or email businessgoa.media@gmail.com

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 61

what’s up goa

Arco Iris Homestay strikes Gold at Outlook Traveller ‘Indian Responsible Tourism Awards 2016’ Bennita receives the Award, along with daughters, Trusha and Trkaya

Arco Iris Boutique Homestay, a familyrun business operating in Curtorim,made Goa proud as it won the Gold Award in the prestigious category ‘Best-Built Heritage Conservation’ The first edition of the Outlook Traveller Indian Responsible Tourism Awards was held on 19th January 2017 in New Delhi and the award ceremony saw Goa, India’s tourist hotspot, make a big splash!

Arco Iris Boutique Homestay (www.arcoiris.in), a family-run business operating in Curtorim, South Goa, made Goa proud as it won the Gold Award in the prestigious category ‘Best-Built Heritage Conservation.’

Bennita and Ganesh, the couple who own and run this highly acclaimed property, received the national award in the capital last week along with their two teenage daughters, Trusha and Trikaya.

“I definitely thought that winning was out of the question,” says a jubilant Bennita when asked about the experience. “Being nominated was, in itself, an enormous honour, and the fact that we actually won is a sign that we’re heading in the right direction.

If anything, this is a win for the whole of Goa. I hope this award encourages more Goans to start restoring old houses 62 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

and preserve our rich culture.”

The rigorous competition was spread out over five months and received hundreds of entries from all across India in 6 categories. The shortlisted nominees, who were selected by a formidable line-up of judges including international tourism pundit, Professor Harold Goodwin and a thorough and transparent judging process, were then invited to the Responsible Tourism Summit and the awards ceremony that was held on the 19th of January 2017.

Apart from India’s leading hoteliers and industry experts, the star-studded event was also attended by global leaders in Responsible Tourism. Eminent writer Amitav Ghosh was the keynote speaker of the evening and delivered an impassioned speech on the future of our planet.

Arco Iris Boutique Homestay, by winning the top prize in its category, has automatically qualified to compete for the World Responsible Tourism Awards (WRTA) that will be held in London later this year www.businessgoa.in

bon appetit

Think Greek

Imagine what would happen if the flavourful dishes from all over Greece married the fresh ingredients of the Goan Coast. That’s GRECO, the new restaurant, at Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach. GRECO originates from the word “Greece” which is a country in south Eastern Europe.

Greece is a country of great interests and diverse cultures influenced by its location, at the junction between the East and the West and by the many occupations of the Greek people throughout history. In one way or another, we can say that Goan culture coincides with the Greeks as that of their relaxed, friendly and laid-back nature.

This new restaurant blends Greek regional cuisine from the best vendors in town to create a menu that feels both, exotic and familiar. It caters for group bookings with set menus, family gatherings, work functions, dinner with friends or just a romantic

Savour authentic Greek flavours at Radisson Blu Resort’s GRECO

dinner for two.

The culinary team at Radisson Blu, Cavelossim has a new Chef who adds another feather-to their hat.

Chef Stelios who has taken charge has a wide experience in catering to the taste buds of people overseas.

The highlight of this restaurant is the authentic “Greek” cuisine offering guests a pleasing presentation and an enjoyable dining experience with Greek entertainment and music. The restaurant has indoor seating with large doors, as well as an outdoor offering a stunning view of the Portuguese Villas and the lush green gardens of the Radisson Blu Resort, Cavelossim.

From hearty stews, to warming soups and simple side dishes, traditional Greek food combines the freshest of ingredients from land and sea to create a highly appetizing and healthy cuisine.

The menu offers classic Greek appetizers as Garides Saganaki (Shrimps, melange of

peppers and tomatoes flamed with ouzo), kebabs, fillets and the quintessential Greek Salad.

You will also find great Greek favourites Mousaka (Napoleon of eggplant, roasted potatoes and cheese), Gemista(stuffed tomatoes and peppers with flavoured rice) and Souvlaki (Grilled meat and vegetables).

For desserts, there is the highly addictive Galaktoboureko (sweet and sour cream on a pastry crust); and topping it all off with some Greek wine.

Love the feeling of being welcomed into a Greek tavern, where you can kick back and relax. Rest assured Radisson Blu would offer you service and an experience that you won’t find anywhere else.

If the food and ambience is not enough, the hospitality of Radisson Blu Resort, Cavelossim, Goa ensures your experience here is truly memorable. The staff is courteous and attentive with every guest, from the parking lot attendant who welcomes you on arrival,

the managers and attendant who immediately secure you the perfect table, the waiters who are always at your side without hardly a summon and can answer any query about the menu with a smile; the service here is nothing short of impeccable.

When the sun sets, “Greco” a-la-carte restaurant opens its doors for a romantic dining experience. Dishes inspired by the traditional Greek cuisine are presented to you in a creative and stylish way. They also have specially selected wines all the way from Greece which will accompany your scrumptious journey. Dining in Greco is a unique gourmet experience with beautiful aroma and tastes.

Siga-Siga, take it easy and come enjoy a delectable meal with us.

The Radisson Blu Resort is a Alcon Victor Group hotel.

For more details, contact Radisson Blu Resort Goa Cavelossim Beach, Salcette, Goa. Tel: 0832 6726666

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 63

bon appetit

Hillbelly | Siolim

Americana in Goa! Go off the map to Hillbelly, to grab a bite or two of an All American Sandwich The Banana Chocolate Tart

The Cheesy Meatball Marinara

By CARA SHRIVASTAVA

Goa, as you know, is currently in the midst of the tourist season. It’s great for Goa overall, but not so great for locals who just want to unwind and relax. Peace and quiet isn’t all too hard to find, but throw in some great food and company, and you’ve got a grand winner.

Although a little off the map, Hillbelly (the punny name definitely adds brownie points) is located along one of Siolim’s many narrow roads, a little before Teso Waterfront, yet another one of Goa’s more popular nightspots. It was previously a classic biker bar, making it a rather popular spot for the locals who did know about it.

Hillbelly is a proper family venture, as the restaurant is managed by Rishabh Malhotra, while his brother Sharik heads the kitchen. The duo’s mother stepped in to design the restaurant, giving it a relaxed, yet peppy vibe in contrast to the previous residents.

The cuisine is varied, besides their key menu items - authentic American Sandwiches. If you’ve ever visited the United States of America, or even caught a cooking show or two, you know that their portions are generous, to say the least. Likewise, a single sandwich here, could feed two. Unless of course, you’ve got a monstrous appetite, in which case this is perfect for you.

We started off light with a Vegetable Tempura and the Hillbelly Chicken Wings, before we dug into a proper sandwich recommended by Rishabh. The 64 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

Vegetable Tempura was great to binge on, while you sip on a cocktail or mocktail of your choice. Their bar boasts of several classic cocktails, as well as some of their own signature drinks. We weren’t feeling particularly adventurous, so we stuck to an Old Fashioned, and a Peach Lemonade.

The Old Fashioned is a whiskey based cocktail, served on the rocks. Their mixologist got the classic down to a tee, right to the garnishing – the mandatory orange slice. Although strong, the cocktail went down quite smoothly. The Peach Lemonade on the other hand was a mocktail – a standard fizzy lemonade, with hints of peach and mint. Although refreshing, it was perhaps not the smartest choice on a chilly winter night. Hillybelly also has ‘Prohibition Thursdays’, wherein cocktails start at INR 200, every Thursday.

Another fun night to visit, would be Sunday, when they host HipHop Nights.

Vibe to some classic old school tunes, while you chow down.

Although Chicken Wings are

a common dish featured at several restaurants, getting it right isn’t as common as you’d think. However, the Hillbelly Chicken Wings certainly put that to the test. They may be messy, but if you don’t dive right into these beautiful, honey glazed wings hands on, you’re going to miss out. Flavoured with some sweet chilli, the wings are accompanied by a unique dip; a combination of cream cheese and blue cheese. The dip tends to get a little overpowering, but to be honest, you don’t even use all that much of it while gorging on those wings.

Finally, we got to the real challenge at hand. Our All American Sandwich. As recommended, we went with the Cheesy Meatball Marinara. On first sight, we assumed it’d be an easy task to handle.

However, one bite of this cheesy, Italian goodness had us questioning everything.

Again, slightly messy, but absolutely worth every bit of the mess.

Their dessert menu may offer little in variety, but boy oh boy, do they deliver!

The Hillbelly Heaven is the house speciality, for good reason. The dish consists of the Goan favourite, Serradura, topped with a generous helping of homemade plum jam. The jam is just the right amount of sweet, thus not overpowering the more muted serradura.

The Banana Chocolate Tart is the richer option, as it consists of a layer of pure dark chocolate, over slices of banana, all held together by a buttery biscuit base. Started in October, Hillbelly is definitely a welcome addition to Goa’s current culinary scene Serradura topped with homemade plum jam

goa buzz Suresh Kare awarded the 1st GCCI-K. D. Naik Memorial ‘Pride of Goa Award’ Suresh Kare, Chairman, Indoco Remedies Ltd was awarded the 1st GCCI-K. D. Naik Memorial ‘Pride of Goa Award 2016’ at the hands of S M Datta, Chief Guest and former Chairman of Hindustan Unilever Ltd. The President of GCCI, Narayan Bandekar delivered the welcome speech. The citation honouring Suresh Kare was read by Nigel Cabral, member, GCCI Managing Committee. Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Kashinath Damodar Naik Memorial Trust have instituted the ‘K D Naik, Pride of Goa Award’ to honour and bring into public focus, those stalwarts of Goa, who through their dedication and single minded pursuit, have made a significant contribution to business and industry within Goa or outside

Narayan Bandekar, S M Datta, Suresh Kare and Datta Damodar Naik

Anil Counto

Paresh Joshi

Kirit Maganlal

P K Mukherjee

Sudin Naik

Manoj Caculo

Cezar Menezes

Pundalik Keni

Ramnath Kare

Rajiv Nevgi

Bhaskar Nayak

Dr Diwaker Lolienkar

Vikram Verlekar

Atul Naik

Arun Naik

Ashok Menon

Sushanta Naik

Datta Poy Raiturcar

Nigel Cabral

Atul Jadhav

Shweta Lolienkar

Trivikram Naik

Pravas Naik

Harishchandra Nagvekar

Sharad Kare

Ramakant Kamat

Ganesh Daivadnya

Dr Maria Menezes

Saloni Naik

Sanjay Bhandari

Ketan Angle

66 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

Pratibha Kare and Pallavi Arondekar

Kunal Kare

Rajendra Talak and Ramkrishna Naik

goa buzz

Shaping Young Minds Programme by AIMA and GMA held

Goa Management Association proudly hosted the third edition of ‘Shaping Young Minds Programme’ in Goa. This year, the Shaping Young Minds Programme had four renowned speakers to grace the event – Sarod Maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Former Chief of the Indian Army General Bikram Singh (Retd), veteran diplomat Deepak Vohra, Ex.Vice Chairman of Essar Steel India Firdose Vandrevala.

The program is mainly aimed at inspiring young people below the age of 30 years – both students and professionals in management, by providing a platform to interact with leading icons from different fields, in order to benefit from their experience and advice. It helps them manage their career expectations and join their careers, armed with confidence, experience and zest. The programme is held under the aegis of the All India Management Association (AIMA), a national apex body of the management profession in the country

Ustad Amjad Ali Khan

Deepak Vohra

Nitin Kunkolienkar Dr Pradeep Salgaonkar

Vivek Phaldessai

Yatish Dempo

Rekha Sethi

Firdose Vandrewala

Dr M Mudassir

Datta Damodar Naik

Gen. B K Singh

Prof Varun Sahni

Amin Ladak

V B Prabhu Verlekar

Dr R Krishnagopal

D Kumar Pillai

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

Dr Ajay Vaidya

Ashish Marathe

Bakshi

Ratnakar Barve

Anil Bhattacharya

Rajiv Narvekar

Harip Khanapure

february 2017 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 67

goa buzz

British Business Group, Goa celebrates women entrepreneurs

Recognizing Goa’s brightest women entrepreneurs, the British Business Group, Goa introduced the Goan Young Female Entrepreneur Award 2016-2017, a befitting tribute to Late Beryl Nasse, who worked tirelessly to build strong business ties between Goa and the United Kingdom. A British Citizen, Beryl moved to Goa in the mid-2000s and became an active member of the British community, including becoming Chairman of the British Business Group, Goa. Fashion designer Ninoshka Alvares e Delaney won the first every Beryl Nasse Award for Goan Young Female Entrepreneur. The award was presented by the British Deputy Consul Kumar Iyer, in the presence of BBG Goa President Peter Pinto, Narayan Bandekar President of GCCI and Chairman of NRB Group, among others.

Soraya S Mohite was awarded first runner up and Shreemi Pai Panandikar was awarded the second runner up of the First Beryl Nasse Award for Goan Young Female Entrepreneur 2016-2017. Certificates of achievement were presented to Ashwini Krishna, Diana Braganza, Gautami Raikar and Maria Victor, who were finalists at the event

Narayan Bandekar

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

Kumar Iyer

Peter Pinto

Roshan Bandekar

Ninoshka Alvares Delaney

Ameya Abhyanker

Savio Messais

Greg Johnson

Rene Mendes

Gautami Raikar

Ashwini Krishna

Shreemi Panandikar

Maria Victor

Anthony Gaskell

Ashish Machado

Ashley Delaney

Margaret Partridge

Ashutosh Kharangate

Soyara Mohite

Diana Braganza

Luke Sequeira

Vaikunth Dempo

Ashish Prabhu Verlekar

Kedar Dhume

Jervis Pereira

Shakil Manerkar

Narcinva Naik

D S Prashant

Aminah Khan

Samveda Mohite

Gazal Bhambri

Martin

Andy

Sylvia Johnson

68 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

newsmakers Captain Sanjay D’Cunha awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal

The Commanding Officer of the INS Mandovi Captain Sanjay D’Cunha was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal on the eve of Republic Day. D’Cunha is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, and was commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1991. Captain D’Cunha has served in various ships including the Missile Corbet Kuthar, guided Missile Destroyer Delhi and Frigates Trishul and Brahmaputra. He was selected for the Electro Magnetic Spectrum Management Course at the Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, USA in 2000 where he graduated as the Honours Graduate. The Officer is a post graduate in Defence and Strategic Studies from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. D’Cunha also holds an MSc in Telecommunications from CUSAT, Kochi and an MPhil in Defence and Strategic Studies from the Mumbai University. Prior to taking over as Commanding Officer, INS Mandovi, he was Command Communication Officer of the Western Naval Command

Atrey P Sawant in the list of Indian delegates to AIYD 2017

Atrey P Sawant will be one of the Indian delegates at the sixth edition of the Australia India Youth Dialogue (AIYD) to be held at Sydney and Melbourne from February 15-18 2017. AIYD 2017 will be focusing mainly on Innovation, relating to the challenges faced by Australia and India, and the potential for collaboration. Atrey is the Business Head at Mandovi Drydocks, a company into shipbuilding of aluminium and steel vessels based out of Goa. He is the Vice-Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Goa Chapter and also Honorary Secretary of the Shipyard Association of Goa. Besides these, Atrey also has his name on the Institute Management Committee of the Industrial Training Institute focusing on skill development.

Atrey Sawant has a Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Gogte Institute of Technology and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDBM) from the Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS)

Dr. L U Joshi receives excellence award for science and environment The prestigious, ‘Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Kalam Excellence Award and ‘Certificate of Excellence’ was awarded to Dr. L.U Joshi, former director (scientific), Government of India and ex-Chairman of Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB).

Joshi was awarded for making an outstanding and remarkable contribution in the field Science, Technology and Environment for works carried out in India, the United States of America and Australia’s Radium Laboratory at Melbourne

70 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2017

Eduardo Faleiro conferred Grande Oficial Da Order Infant D. Henrique

Former Union Minister Eduardo Faleiro was honoured with the Grande Oficial da Ordem do Infante D. Henrique at the residence of the Consul General of Portugal in Panaji.

Faleiro was conferred the award at the hands of Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa. Speaking on the occasion, Faleiro said that it was a pleasure and a privilege for him to be honoured with the Order of the Infante D. Henrique.

He thanked Portugal’s Prime Minister, Dr. Antonio Costa for the honour. The Grande Oficial Da Order Infant D. Henrique was created on June 2, 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Infante Henry the Navigator, fifth son of King John I of Portugal and his queen, Philippa of Lancaster. The order is awarded for relevant services to Portugal and services in the expansion of the Portuguese culture, its history and its values.

Seventy-six-year-old Faleiro had studied in Portugal. He had been Member of the State Legislative Assembly, as well as the Member of Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha

Avidipto Chakraborty tops CAT at BITS Goa

Final year student of BITS Pilani Goa campus, Avidipto Chakraborty has topped the CAT 2016 examination with a 100 percentile score, leaving behind over 2.3 lakh students.

Avidipto is the co-founder of ‘Xinger’, an online food-delivery service, first ranker in the Economics Department of BITS Goa. He has also been the chief coordinator of the department of sponsorship and management of BITS Goa

92 1. How is the automobile company formed as Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili in 1910 now known as?

2. Which famous American scientist and statesman wrote The Way To Wealth in 1757, a collection of advise on getting ahead in business and public life?

3. Which index sums up the unemployment and inflation rates?

4. Which gifting company was founded at Kansas City, USA by Joyce Hall?

5. Made In America is a memoir written by which famous entrepreneur?

6. Where was the first Indian Institute of Management started in 1961?

7. Identify this man in the news

Answers to BG Quiz 91: 1.Onida 2. Samsonite 3. Russia 4. Devdutt Pattanaik 5. Bisleri 6. Kawasaki 7. Nassim Nicholas Taleb Email your entries to businessgoa.media@gmail.com First all correct entry will get 1 year’s subscription to Business Goa

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