Business Goa October 2022

Dr Pramod Sawant Hon’ble Chief Minister, Goa

Publisher & Editor

Group Director

Urvija Bhatkuly

Annalise Gouveia

Sybil Rodrigues

Rakshama Naik

Circulation

Mayur Santineskar

Dr Emanuel Gracias

Dr Manoj Kamat

Mahesh Pai

Nandini Vaidyanathan

Santosh Kenkre

V B Prabhu Verlekar

From Darkness to Light

Diwali is a splendid event. In fact, this is one festival that connects the length and breadth of the nation, albeit with each state having a more indulgent regional festival – like Ganesh Chaturthi or Christmas, being celebrated in Goa.

If Dussehra is considered a festival to mark the occasion where good prevails over evil, Diwali is the after-party to celebrate the victory.

Businesses await the festive season that is heralded by Diwali. In Goa, retailers gauge their popularity based on the numbers that they can target and achieve from Ganesh Chaturthi to Christmas. The mood of the market is reflected on how well you roll the cash box during this 4or 5-month period.

From a purely reflective mood, one can co-relate an entrepreneur’s journey to the idea of Diwali. Here are some aspects of the ‘festival of light’ that can be juxtaposed with an entrepreneurial journey.

Clutter Free and Zero Negativity: Mythology proclaims that Goddess Laxmi (who is venerated on the occasion of Diwali) is fussy about neatness and being tidy. The neatness does not limit to physical spaces, but also insists that one should have a crystal-clear mind, free of negativity and looking towards positive outcomes to ensure the success of a venture.

Put on your Best: One of the prime attributes of an entrepreneur is the ability to believe in oneself and share such an image with your stakeholders. Diwali is one such occasion where you can display a positive image of your own self and of your enterprise. A fresh coat of paint, new product displays and inviting business spaces ensure that you don’t just feel inspired to work but also attract customers to your workplace.

the introduction of a new concept can lift up the sagging spirits of one’s business and begin a march into something more vibrant and profitable.

Delayed Gratification: In Goa, there is a custom that one has to taste the bitter karit (a berry grown in the wild) before you can take a bite of the sumptuous and tasty spread prepared for the festival. This is a reflection that one has to endure the rough and tumble before you can savour the fruits of your success. No one knows this better than an entrepreneur who has to trudge it out before success kisses his/her forehead.

Light at the end of the tunnel: Diwali or Deepawali is an occasion where diyas or ponntyos are lit up in all spaces. Light has been a source of inspiration to mankind. Inspirational quotes are replete with comparing tough times to a dark night (which is what a Diwali night technically is, being a new moon night). While the morning after is symbolised by the breaking of light into the despair of darkness. Every entrepreneur has that continuous relationship with tough spells, with a constant search for that break of light. The journey, after all, is the search for light, brightness and triumph.

Celebration: We all live to celebrate and enjoy the spoils of our toil. The idea of celebrating victory makes one sweat through the arduous road of trials and tribulations. Many a despondent situation can be surmounted by the flicker of hope that once you are past the stage, it will be time to celebrate.

Unsolicited

Begin Something New: A new initiative, a new idea, a renewed vigour to market your existing business, a new association, a new acquisition, a new team – there are various ways an entrepreneur can infuse energy in a business. The thought of carving out something new can be an exciting spell for a business. Sometimes

As we celebrate Diwali, in a (hopefully) postCovid world, my good wishes go out to all the readers and stakeholders of this magazine whose voice we aspire to be. Yes, it has been a long dark night with everything that you held dear being risked and challenged. The bright side of things, however, remains the fact that the human and entrepreneurial spirit is much stronger than any calamity can snatch away. Here’s wishing you and your dear ones Shubh Deepawali

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

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

TTAG SAYS GOVT MUST WALK THE TALK. PUSHES FOR APP-BASED TAXI SERVICES

The Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), the tourism industry’s apex body in the state has urged the government to make its position clear on app-based taxis like Ola and Uber. “The government must walk the talk on inviting cab-hailing services to the state,” said TTAG president Nilesh Shah. “It has been more than three months since digital meters were installed in taxis. However the taxi operators are making no move to use the meters.” Previously, the government had

said that it was in discussion with Ola and Uber, while now the government has gone back on its word stating that is no requirement of the two companies. Frequent changes in statements on app-based taxis are confusing, added Shah. According to TTAG, app-

based taxis that ply on meter will greatly benefit residents. Further, the existing GoaMiles is not sufficient to cater to the requirements of taxi services in the state. “Commuting in Goa is very difficult for locals. The public transport is poor. Even Goans are suffering due to the absence of app-based taxis. There are no buses at late hours. Accidents due to drinking and driving can be avoided if there are affordable taxi services at night,” pointed out Shah.

The court-supervised process of installing taxis with

digital meters ended on June 22, this year. Installation of digital meters in taxis took more than five years in the state. The law needs to be same for everyone, but the government has not been able to make taxi operators comply on digital meters said TTAG.

TTAG believes that competition from app-based cabs will make taxi services affordable in the state. It said that taxi drivers are charging their own fares and fleecing the customers. The current rates are unfair,” maintained TTAG

Rohan Khaunte clarifies on draft jetty policy

Chairman of Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) and MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco has said that the Corporation is concentrating on improving infrastructure as per the directions issued by the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho and assured to take up various issues which were raised during his visit to the Tuem Industrial Estate.

GIDC chairman Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco along with Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar, Tuem sarpanch Sulaksha Naik, deputy sarpanch Nilesh Kandolkar, Anand Salgaonkar, Dayanand Mandrekar and others visited the Tuem Industrial Estate and took a review of current infrastructure and issues which are faced.

Lourenco said owners of shut companies at Tuem Industrial Estate would be given a chance to restart their

units and if they fail to do so, their land would be taken back and allotted to those who wish to start their businesses.

“There is no question of denying people who want to start including locals at industrial estates. Under government policy of easeof-doing business, we are concentrating on infrastructure and will work towards restarting companies and starting new companies,” said Lourenco

During the visit, various issues including employment of locals in industry, proper road provision via highway, security, bus connectivity and undeveloped areas in industrial estate, close sheds and others were discussed. Locals led by panchayat members raised various issues and claimed that lakhs of square metre of land was acquired for expansion of Tuem IDC and also for the electronic city project; however,

The state government clarified that the draft jetty policy is applicable on regulating tourism activities only at the existing jetties, and that the document does not entail constructing additional jetties. Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte said that people are being misled on the policy by people having vested interest. The clarification came in the wake of strong opposition from a section of people including Opposition politicians. “A few politicians and individuals having political aspirations are misleading Goans by saying that the draft jetty policy is to facilitate coal handling, and that activities of traditional fishermen will get affected. I want to send a clear message to our brothers and sisters that this (draft) policy is only applicable to vessel operators and those jetties are being utilised for tourism purpose only. It is not applicable to private jetties, coal handling, fishing or casino activities,” Khaunte maintained. He said the government will introduce a single window ticketing system for all operators utilising the jetties for tourism to ensure transparency, ease of booking

they are not given employment opportunities instead nonGoans are getting employed. Lourenco assured locals that he will discuss the issue of

as also to prevent fleecing of tourists by illegal touts. The draft policy stipulates dredging work only at the existing jetties to facilitate berthing of vessels and not for the entire river stretch, he said. Khaunte refuted the claim that there was a move for corporatisation of activities under the watersports policy. Maintaining that water sports operations will be run by locals only, the Minister said, “Our aim is to eliminate the activities of illegal touts and guides and ensure that all benefits go directly to water sports operators.” The govt has reduced the burden of documentation under the ease of doing business, to ensure that tourism activities flourish in a sustainable way

employment with officials of the companies and Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Industries and Labour Minister

GIDC working to restart shut firms, start new ones: Aleixo Reginald

Rohan Khaunte

Mandrem MLA Jit Arolkar and GIDC Chairman Aleixo Reginald Lourenco with others

CII DEMANDS TOTAL ROLLBACK OF 1% CESS ON RAW CASHEW IMPORTS

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Goa has urged the state government to roll back the one per cent cess being reintroduced on the purchase and import of raw cashew in order to save the cashew sector, which has traditionally been the livelihood for many Goan villagers and farmers till date.

The CII Goa State Council

Chairperson Swati Salgaocar said that the reintroduction of one per cent cess would not only defeat the very purpose of the Amendments made to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act, it would also make trade unattractive for buyers, thus making cashew processing unviable in Goa

State seeks `150 crore central funds to set up waste-to-energy plant at Verna

The state government has sought financial assistance of `150 crore from the Centre as Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to set up a waste-to-energy plant at Verna as it may not be financially viable due to the low power tariff in Goa. The plant is being estimated at a cost of `500 crore which will generate 16MW electricity and 38MW heat while processing 250 tonner of waste per day (TPD).

Nilesh Cabral, Environment Minister of Goa has written to the Union Minister for Environment, Bhupender Yadav, where he mentioned that the state is facing difficulty in storage and transportation of waste to neighbouring states as the cement plants take long shutdowns for maintenance.

Cabral also stated that

Goa has been proactive in segregation and disposal of solid waste for the past decade to preserve the natural beauty and environment of the state.

Further, it has also established the Goa Waste Management Corporation to deal with all kinds of wastes.

The state has been collecting segregated non-bio-degradable waste from the local bodies and disposing it in cement plants in neighbouring states for the past ten years, and has so far disposed of more than 2 lakh tonnes of such waste. He said that the state has also endeavoured to bio-remediate old dumps of solid waste and this has generated over one lakh tonne of refuse derived fuel which is awaiting disposal in cement plants

Government to amend DMF rules to unlock `124 crore fixed deposits

The State government has decided to amend the District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Rules to unlock around `124 crore kept in fixed deposits, for implementing it towards developmental works in the mining areas.

The decision was taken by the state-level monitoring committee (SLMC) of the Goa District Mineral Foundation Trust (GDMFT) headed by the Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant. As per the minutes of the meeting, GDMFT has total `247.82 crore funds, of which `136.26 crore is with North Goa District Mineral Foundation Trust (NGDMFT) and `111.56 crore is with South Goa DMFT.

As per DMF rules, 50 per cent of the funds are kept in fixed deposits (FDs), while the balance 50 per cent is available for spending for high priority projects such as drinking water supply, environmental preservation and pollution control measures, healthcare, education, welfare of women and children, welfare of aged and disabled people, skill development and sanitation, and other priority areas like physical infrastructure, irrigation, energy and watershed development.

Under DMFT (North), there are 41 sanctioned projects, of which 21 have been completed and 20 are ongoing.

as neighbouring states of Maharashtra and Karnataka have negligible or no such charges. “Goa which had 40 operating cashew processing units in 2005, today has only 8-10 operational units and with such additional charges will lead to further closure of the remaining factories in Goa,” she said. The Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act was amended to allow farmers to sell their commodities

outside APMC yards in order to fetch better remunerative prices. Accordingly, the state government, vide a notification, immediately removed the APMC cess of 1% on purchase and import of raw cashew within the state (except for the purchase within the market yard). However, during the monsoon session, the government reintroduced the APMC cess on purchase of raw cashew nuts

MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT APP TO BE LAUNCHED SOON: MAUVIN GODINHO

improved. “We have now to take steps and choices to extend the footfall of vacationers. As each airport, Dabolim and Mopa will perform, tourism will enhance and we are going to want extra Kadamba buses. Therefore, we are going to attempt to get extra electrical buses,” he mentioned. He mentioned that one of many indicators of progress is an efficient transportation system.

Goa’s Transport Minister, Mauvin Godinho, mentioned that the state government will launch a ‘Multimodal transport App’ to provide option to guests at inexpensive charges for final mile connectivity. “One who lands in Goa at Dabolim airport, whether or not she or he desires to journey by taxi, bus or rickshaw or bike pilot (a twowheeler taxi), they will select a mode of transport by means of this App. It will give final mile connectivity,” Godinho said. He mentioned that the government will carry extra electrical buses into the fleet of state government-operated Kadamba Transport Company to provide good service to the Goans and tourists. Godinho mentioned that just lately he visited Mopa airport to verify how transportation could be

As against fund allocation of `66.4 crore, an amount of `45.43 crore is sanctioned. Besides, there are 18 projects in the pipeline for consideration in North.

Under DMFT (South), there

“Electrical buses give facility of clean and comfy transportation and pollution-free transport,” he mentioned.

“Mopa airport, being run by a personal operator, could have all kinds of taxis. Whether or not it is Ola, Uber, Goa Miles, Hire an Automotive, or pay as you go taxi. If we fail to provide such services at Dabolim Airport then individuals will want to land at Mopa airport. Therefore, those that are opposing app-based transport system ought to suppose over this,” he stated. Godinho added that he has taken taxi operators from Dabolim airport in confidence and so they have proven positivity towards the ‘Multimodal Transport App’. “We will launch it within the subsequent 10 days,” he mentioned

are 22 sanctioned projects, of which 15 have been completed and seven are ongoing. As against fund allocation of `54.3 crore, `25.6 crore is sanctioned. Besides, there are 13 projects in the pipeline for consideration

Mauvin Godinho

RIDING THE EV WAVE

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

The story of BLive started way back in 2018 when two friends, Samarth Kholkar and Sandeep Mukherjee decided to build an organisation which would encourage the adoption of sustainable mobility in India. It began with a purpose, to create a cleaner future by driving adoption of EVs through awareness, accessibility and affordability!

Friends for over two decades, the duo met in Pune during their pre-MBA days. Through the years they have known each other, they would always evaluate ideas which would deliver impact and often connected over the same. After Sandeep returned to India post his stint with Nokia in Finland, he and Samarth connected over the concern of increasing pollution across India and the impact it had on even small places like Goa (Samarth’s hometown) and Jamshedpur (Sandeep’s hometown). Through his time in Finland, Sandeep had seen a mature

ecosystem of EVs. This gave birth to the idea of BLive, India’s first multi-brand omnichannel EV platform. BLive is a proud Born-in-Goa startup. It is founded and headquartered in Goa with a second office now in Bangalore and the company has a presence in over 15 cities in India.

Samarth is a Goan brought up in Ribander and studied at People’s High School. He has a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Pune University and an MBA from Goa Institute of Management. Prior to founding BLive, Samarth led multiple businesses through his decade-long career at IBM including being the founding team member of IBM India’s Cloud Business. He also worked with Mojo Hospitality, in the challenging F&B industry, wherein he led a chain of outlets across 4 cities. Samarth is a first-generation entrepreneur like his elder brother, Tanmay Kholkar who is the founder of Manas Developers. His father Ulhas Kholkar, was a lifetime banker with Syndicate Bank

and mother Bhavana was a school teacher.

Sandeep has completed his Post Graduation in Marketing from SCHMRD, and has been a marketing professional for over 13 years, having worked with companies like Nokia, Microsoft, and SABMiller. Sandeep spent his early childhood in Jamshedpur where his father Samir Mukherjee served with Tata Steel and his mother Seema Mukherjee is a homemaker. Sandeep then pursued higher education in Pune. As part of Nokia’s marketing team, he was a key member of multiple initiatives including IPL. He was part of the Global Marketing team in Finland before he returned to India to partner with Samarth to co-found BLive.

Through their friendship, they had always discussed the prospects of creating an enterprise which will not just deliver business results but also create a positive impact on society. Both felt EVs can be the right sustainable form of mobility that India would need

and benefit from. EVs in India in comparison to Europe were fairly a new concept in 2018 and there was lack of information and awareness. Additionally, the rising pollution in India and its impact were a constant cause of worry. When the duo began to research more, they realised there were 3 key problems from day one lack of awareness, accessibility and affordability of EVs which create a barrier for adoption of EVs and they set about addressing the same.

BLive is a short for BE ALIVE. When the founders saw the impact of pollution across India and how EVs can actually offer a new lease of life to the environment, they realized that non-polluting EVs can make our cities and its people feel ALIVE once again. And BLive chose to do just that while making each EV user and every Indian city feel and Be Alive again!

Speaking on the mission of BLive, the duo says that their mission and vision is to see an EV in each home. “Our efforts are dedicated in that direction

SANDEEP MUKHERJEE AND SAMARTH KHOLKAR HAVE GONE ON TO REVOLUTIONISE THE EV SPACE WITH BLIVE IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY IN INDIA

Sandeep Mukherjee

Samarth Kholkar

as we onboard new partners and expand our services to accelerate the adoption of EVs in India. BLive is a one stop shop for not just finding EVs but also understanding and deciding which EV suits you better. We try to help our customers throughout the process of creating awareness, consideration, purchase, service and loyalty. We understand that the EV technology is fairly new in the country and people have a lot of questions and BLive is here to answer all of their questions by providing information and solutions,” says Samarth.

BLive started off with their EV tours with an aim to create awareness about e-bikes while offering an offbeat experience on electric cycles. In 2018, people did not have much knowledge of electric vehicles and hardly any people had experienced them. The duo felt that tourism would be a great way to showcase the same. They have a 20-year exclusive contract with GTDC, as their official EV Tourism Partner, which helped them launch their tourism venture in Goa. Goa being a tourist destination, sees a lot of influx of tourists during peak season. This makes the destination a hotspot for increase in CO2 emission, but also a place where people are willing to try out new things. Hence, the Goa government decided to capitalise on the idea to find a solution to the problem of CO2 emission by associating with us. They gained immense popularity since it was the first EV tourism initiative in India. BLive E-Bike tours is in various locations around India such as Coorg, Madikeri, Pondicherry, Ooty and Goa. BLive tours offer an immersive experience into the local culture and life of these locations while enjoying the ease of riding an ebike. So far they have conducted over 30000 EV tours.

Both Samarth and Sandeep were clear from day one that the company would be headquartered in Goa, as it presented a great ecosystem of talent and industry. The

Goa Startup Policy had also just been launched under the leadership of former CM late Manohar Parrikar and Rohan Khaunte, IT Minister, giving a tremendous opportunity for startups like BLive to set up base in Goa.

BLive is one of the first certified startups under the Startup Policy of Goa. When BLive began its journey, they presented their business plan to Goa’s leading industrialists Shrinivas Dempo and Shivanand Salgaocar. Both appreciated the vision and came on board as angel investors. “For BLive, there could have been no better place than Goa to begin our journey. We had seasoned professionals like Vijay Hede who gave us guidance while setting up the business and then mentors like Rajesh Khaunte and N. Sriram, who have coached us through this unique entrepreneurial journey of ours. And of course, we had Tanmay who was our in-house guru to lend his guidance and experience all the time,” says Sandeep.

In the last few months, BLive has raised pre-series A funding from a clutch of marquee investors and angel networks like Mumbai Angels, LetsVenture and Others. DNA Entertainment is also one of the key investors of the pre-series A round.

BLive today offers a single EV platform for individuals and enterprises and is a one

stop shop for all EV solutions. It is a unique ‘Experience to Commerce’ platform helping customers adopt sustainable mobility solutions (electric vehicles). BLive, on its platform offers, Electric 2 Wheelers, Electric 3 Wheelers, charging infrastructure, EV finance, insurance, EV Fleet Management Services, EV Roadside Assistance and other services – all on one platform. BLive is India’s first omnichannel multi-brand EV platform with a digital store and with multiple Experience Stores across India.

BLive is addressing the challenges of lack of awareness, accessibility and affordability of EVs by offering consumers a choice of EVs, expertise and ease of ownership. A BLive customer in his or her buying journey is offered multiple brands of EVs, BLive EV Experts to guide through the purchase and varied options of ownership through loans, subscription, lease etc. BLive brings together the entire EV ecosystem of manufacturers, finance partners and service partners on one platform to offer the same.

Since BLive started in December 2018, there has been a constant effort towards creating awareness about electric vehicles with EV Tourism. Due to the pandemic, this initiative was severely impacted. But it gave the duo an opportunity to build the BLive platform,

where they offer Electric 2 Wheelers, Electric 3 Wheelers, Charging Infrastructure, EV Finance, Insurance, and EV Fleet Management Services, all under one umbrella. Post pandemic, they also launched their first offline Multi-brand EV Experience store and have received great demand for the same from EV enthusiasts who are their franchise partners.

“The challenges of a new category persist and so do the challenges of a Multi Brand platform as none existed ever before in the automotive industry. But our customers love what we offer which is one platform to discover, experience and own an EV and that keeps us going,” adds the duo.

Being a new and ever evolving category, EV education is extremely important. BLive understood this early on and started developing training modules for their team. “There are two types of training: Technical and Non Technical. All BLive team members have to undergo the same. Similarly, when a BLive Experience Store is slated to open, we begin training the on-ground team almost a month prior on various aspects. This includes product training, service training and also maintaining hygiene both in store and once a customer buys the product. This is very important as we are seeing few cases of battery overcharging etc leading to untoward incidents. Even post the opening, we conduct regular online and offline training which helps our team to remain updated about new technologies and also helps reiterate the basic details,” the duo adds.

BLive, through the last 4 years, has developed a strong pool of EV experts. Their EV expert team comprises industry veterans as well as young engineers with a keen interest in EV Tech. These experts primarily address 3 key areas – build rich and easy to understand content for EV consumers, guide the online customer through the buying process; and train the EV Experience Store teams to give

Samarth and Sandeep along with Abhay Deol, brand ambassador of Blive tours

the best experience to the store customers.

BLive works in the segment of creating awareness, accessibility and ensuring affordability of electric vehicles in India. Since the EV market is very nascent and individuals as well as enterprises are still adopting the technology, the target audience for BLive is very huge. “If we look at the India 2Wheeler market, India sells about 2.2 Cr units every year. EVs are about 1%, our presence in the tourism sector and online and offline commerce avenues make all of India our target audience. We are focussed massively on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities where we feel the real India growth story for EVs exists. Enterprises across India have been reaching out to us to help them electrify their fleet and also help their employees’ transition to electric,” says Sandeep.

BLive operates as a platform for the entire EV ecosystem partners from manufacturers, charging companies, EV Tech providers, accessories, finance and insurance. When a customer buys at BLive, he gets choice, expertise and ease of ownership. BLive earns revenue from every sale that happens on the platform. The BLive EV Experience Stores work on a franchise model to deliver the best EV experience to the customer, where they can experience the EVs and then purchase the same at the best price and after sales support.

The duo explains the technology behind BLive. “We have built a strong platform which is a click to brick model. The entire consumer journey from discovery to education to experience to owning is kept on the digital platform. We are also launching an EV lifecycle app which will be AI-enabled to capture the usage, battery life and also provide the user access to charging and service. At the stores we have extended the platform which helps the store staff to give the best experience to the customers who walk in. There is a strong Dealer Management system and CRM

which is integrated with the platform.”

BLive addresses the needs of the B2B and B2C customers to address their EV requirements. Their online platform helps consumers pick the right EV and get it delivered to their homes or they can pick it from the nearest EV Store. Similarly, enterprises look to either electrify their delivery fleet or want to offer their employees EVs to achieve their goal of driving clean mobility. They help such enterprises to put the entire end-to-end EV solution together. To name a few: Magsons, Heritage Village Club, Salarpuria Sattva, Wellness Forever, FAE Bikes and Club Mahindra are some of the clients to whom they have provided these solutions.

Blive currently has over 50+ brands on board including e-bikes, e-scooter and 3 wheeler, Insurance and Finance options and electric cycles. Their e-bike partners are Epick, Svitch, Hero Lectro, Motovolt, Coppernicus, Nexzu, Falidae, E-Motorad and Tata strider. Their 2 wheeler partners are Kinetic Green, Gemopai, Detel, LML, Hayasa Mobility, Battre, Ampere, Hero Electric, Evminda, Esprinto, Cosbike, Techo Electra, Jitendra EV, Ather, Miracle, Boom Motors, Bgauss, Crayon Motors, Odyssy, Evtric, and Dexpress. Their 3 wheeler partners are Euler, Omega Seiki, Mahindra electric, Save electric and Piaggio.

All the brands mentioned above are available on their online platform. Apart from that, they have almost 15+ BLive EV experience stores are present in various states across India – Maharashtra,

Telangana (Hyderabad), West Bengal, Goa, Karnataka and Rajasthan. The South Goa store was recently launched in Arlem and is already seeing brisk sales. They have partnered with financial institutions like IDFC, Kotak, Bajaj Finserv, HDFC, ICICI, Zest, Pine labs, Loan Tap, and Mannapura while their insurance partners are Reliance, Kotak, Go Digit and HDFC Ergo.

The duo elaborates on tying up with different brands. “Being a digital-first platform, brands are always looking forward to connect with us as they understand the reach that an online platform offers. To add to that, we also have BLive Experience Stores, currently across 15+ locations in India, this gives an additional benefit to our partners. We are also a one stop shop for EVs, which brings all different brands and services under one roof - making it a go-to place for customers. Since this, an omnichannel multibrand platform, is a first of its kind initiative in the Indian automotive industry, initially the brands were apprehensive. But when they saw the quality of the experience that BLive was delivering, their confidence in us grew,” says Samarth.

BLive goes on to list out their USPs over that of their competitors. “We have a wide choice of brands – online and

instore, we have exclusive offers that help customers save around 2- 5k along with EV expert’s advice to guide the customers to choose the right product. Apart from, this our premium experience stores offer the best ambience while our easy finance deals and EMIs make EVs affordable as easy to own. Also, we have EV Solutions like EV Chargers, accessories to ensure the use is hassle free.”

Like all other businesses, BLive had their fair share of challenges especially when it came to Covid. “Covid was a great course correction to our business. It gave us an opportunity to go back to the drawing board and see how we can drive more impact. That’s where we decided to don the role of the EV Expert and help intenders turn to EV users.”

The BLive team has been setting up BLive multi-brand Experience Stores all over the country. “The idea of BLive Multi-brand Experience stores is to ensure ease of accessibility for consumers intending to purchase an EV. Being a new category, while customers need the touch and feel, they also need to be handled by an EV Expert through their buying journey. We wish to offer our customers an experience of the EV and the privilege to make an informed decision with multi-brand options to explore under one roof. We have over 15 stores currently across various states such as Goa, Maharashtra, Hyderabad, Kerala and Karnataka and we aim at opening 100 stores by 2023.”

Samarth and Sandeep see Goa as a great place to be the ‘EV Capital’ of the country as it offers unique EV opportunities which no other place does.

Electric two wheelers at the BLive store

Showcasing the Gold winner in Sustainable Leadership, Travel Enterprises category at the Indian Responsible Tourism Awards to Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Tourism and IT Minister Rohan Khaunte

BLIVE’S

MULTI-BRAND

BLive has opened its first multi-brand experience store in Arlem, Margao. Former Chief Minister and MLA of Margao, Digambar Kamat, was in attendance for the store’s inauguration.

Key brands such as Kinetic Green, Hero Lectro, LML - Detel, Batt:RE Gemopai, Techo Electra, E-Motorad, and others are currently available in all BLive store locations. Customers can experience the latest Batt:RE store in stores which is the most awaited highspeed EV with stylish looks. This smart and innovative e-bike is the first of its kind in the Batt:RE range.

Samarth Kholkar, CEO and co-founder of BLive, said

“Goa has a huge number of 2W population which are used by individuals as well as in the tourism sector, through rentals. We want to enable the same to go electric by launching a complete EV ecosystem battery swapping network which will take away any range anxiety. Similarly, we want to also engage with enterprises who would want to switch to electric for their logistics or in campus mobility. Another interesting use case is the rise of electric boats across the globe. We are in talks with international players to launch the same in India with us. We can’t think of a better place than Goa to do the same.”

In a short span, BLive has won numerous national and international awards. It has been the recipient of Gold Award Outlook Traveler ‘Sustainable Leadership: Travel Enterprises’. It has been a finalist at the National Startup awards. It is also the only Indian enterprise

“We are excited to launch our first store in Goa which allows our customers to ‘try and buy’ EVs, experience home demos and avail great offers with easy finance options. We are looking to setup 3-4 more franchisee stores across Goa to educate and enable ownership of electric vehicles.”

With this new store in Goa, BLive is bringing clean tech closer to customers, thus joining the global vision of bringing down carbon emissions to zero. The store is not only going to give the customers a hands-on EV experience but a variety of brands and designs of vehicles to choose from at their convenience. The new location will include an

to be a Distinguished Member of GCUK (Green Cross UK) which was founded by Nobel Laureate Mikhail Gorbachev. BLive was also awarded at India’s ‘Top-15’ Trailblazers by Travel & Leisure Asia

BLive has been at the forefront of leading dialogue on ‘Sustainability’ and has led multiple such initiatives in Goa. They have conducted numerous beach clean-ups and brought Adidas ‘Run for the Oceans’ initiative to India. They launched a unique initiative called H.O.P.E (Humans of Planet Earth) to appreciate efforts of individuals towards saving the environment. Actor, Abhay Deol was the first ambassador of the same.

On the personal front, Samarth is married to Navreet who is an HR Professional at Intuit India and they have a son, Rivaan. Sandeep is married to Rituparna who is an independent HR consultant, and they have a son, Ujaan.

in-store quick service kiosk, battery swapping facilities, and EV charging infrastructure. It will also serve as the brand’s customer experience center. In addition to these amenities, the store will also provide extensive after-sales EV care experience, including roadside assistance, easy finance options, comprehensive service packages, and e-mobility spare parts. Through the experience stores, BLive brings the unique ‘phygital’ experience to help consumers experience EVs and understand EVs before purchase.

Commenting on the launch, Digambar Kamat, said, “The opening of this new BLive multi-brand store is a proud declaration of our commitment to lowering national carbon

emissions and moving toward a more sustainable future. Goa, with its high literacy rate, diverse population, and its gradual steps toward becoming the tourism capital of India, is an ideal location to generate more interest in adopting EV as an alternate mode of transportation.”

Sandeep Mukherjee, cofounder of Blive added, “While EVs are gaining momentum, there is apprehension due to a lack of information amongst consumers. We aim to bridge this gap by providing the consumers with a holistic ‘touch and try’ experience and allay any apprehensions about switching to electric. With every store that we open, we are taking a step closer to our mission of: EV in every home in India.”

Persevering with the idea of a sustainable nation, BLive has opened 20 EV stores throughout the country and the brand further aims to make sustainable transportation accessible to all

Both emphatically acknowledge the support and encouragement that they receive from their families, which push them to do better.

Speaking on their future plans, the duo says they have unique projects in the pipeline. “When it comes to our Funding Plans we plan to raise our Series A in the next 2-3 months, and as

far as expansion plans are concerned we are planning to open 50 new EV Experience Stores by the end of 2022. Regarding our product portfolio, we plan to introduce some unique experiences to make the EV buying experience more immersive. We plan to continue being the biggest EV platform. We are adding more e3Ws, charging partners, and finance partners on a daily basis. We should have at least 100 partners by the end of the year on our platform. We have been doubling our sales on a monthly basis consistently. Plan to create 5000 new EV users by the end of this FY. In the next 5 years, one in every ten EVs in India will be sold on BLive EV platform,” says Sandeep and Samarth with a glint of promise and pride

Sandeep Mukherjee receives the Business Goa Award 2022 for ‘Startup of the Year’ at the hands of Dr Sangam Kurade

BLive’s Margao store (above) and former Chief Minister Digamber Kamat at the opening

High Court upholds Government order on vacating mining leases

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

Adivision bench of the High Court of Bombay at Goa dismissed a batch of petitions filed by former mining leaseholders challenging an order issued by the state government on May 4, 2022 that had directed the petitioners to vacate their leases within one month (by June 6, 2022).

This judgment now paves way for auctioning of mining leases, which the government has been attempting to do for resuming mining activities.

The division bench comprising Justice Sandeep Shinde and Justice R N Laddha quashed the petitioner’s prayer to set aside the notices issued under Rule 12 (1)(hh) of the Mineral Concession Rules (MCR).

Advocate General Devidas Pangam said that this order will pave the way for the process of auctioning mining leases and resume mining in the state. “The petitioners (mining lease holders) have no case for further appeal as the Supreme Court has already ruled in Goa Foundation matters that the leases in Goa have expired,” he opined.

Pointing out that over six months have elapsed after the expiry of the leases, the Directorate of Mines and Geology (DMG) had asked all the leaseholders, whose leases were quashed by the Supreme Court, to comply with the provisions of Rule 12 (1) (hh) of the Mineral Concessions Rules, 2016 within a period of one month with effect from May 6, 2022.

The Mines Director had warned of taking further action as per the MMDR Act and Rules if the leaseholders fail to adhere to the notice.

The High Court Bench said, “Petitioners have argued that, neither judgment in Goa Foundation-II, nor orders, seeking its review (filed by the state and another mining

leasehold) deal or comment or pronounce on Section 8A of MMDR Act and thus it cannot hinder the High Court in deciding the petition on merits.

“We do not agree with this submission for more than one reason. Paragraph-113 of judgment in GF-II refers to ordinance to amend MMDR Act, promulgated by President on 12th January, 2015. Although the observations therein and in paragraph-121, 124 read with 126 were relating to undue haste with which state granted second renewals to 75 mining leases, out of which 31 mining leases, were

renewed on 12.1.2015, a day on which amendment ordinance came into force, clearly shows Amendment Act, 2015 was before the Supreme Court.”

The High Court also said that in fact, paragraph 43 of the judgment records that the Supreme Court had referred to draft Mines and Minerals (Development Regulation) Act, 2014 that was prepared on/or about on November 16, 2014 and also response of Minister of Mines, to unstared question to be answered in Lok Sabha on December 8, 2014.

Thereafter, the Supreme Court referred to nature of proposed amendment relating to competitive bidding introduced under Section 10-B and, in subsequent paragraphs dealt with, as to how with undue haste the state granted second renewals to mining leaseholders, after the amendments proposed to the MMDR Act, were placed in public domain by the Government of India.

“Therefore, petitioner’s contention those observations in the judgment of GF-II were, ‘descriptive’, in nature, does not impress nor convince us. Now, assuming that the Supreme Court did not specifically dealt with Section 8A of the MMDR Act in GF-II judgment, but could it be said that the Supreme Court, was oblivious of 2015 Amendment and provisions of Section 8A, when

review petitions of the state and special leave petition of M/s. Vedanta were dismissed.

The answer is ‘No’, the High Court said.

In the notice, the DMG pointed out that post quashing of the second renewals in February 2018, the Apex Court had granted six months’ time to all the lessees to carry out the transportation of minerals. Again, in October 2020, the Supreme Court allowed time for the transportation of minerals up to the end of January 2021; for the removal of minerals excavated or mined on or before March 15, 2018 subject to payment of royalties and other charges.

The High Court observed that, “In consideration of these admitted facts, the contention of the petitioners that judgment in GF-II being the judgment in personam, binds only parties to GF-II and not applicable to the petitioners, is rejected. Even otherwise, finding in the GFI, that maximum period (20 years) of renewal of deemed mining leases in Goa, has expired on 22nd November, 2007; which has been affirmed in GF-II, equally binds these petitioners. For these reasons, we decline to extend benefit of Section 8A of the MMDR Act to these petitioners.”

Director of Goa Foundation Dr Claude Alvares has termed the judgment historic. “This judgment will end the little

The High Court dismisses petitions of four mining companies challenging an Order to clear the mining lease areas

“The petitioners (mining lease holders) have no case for further appeal as the Supreme Court has already ruled in Goa Foundation matters that the leases in Goa have expired”

Adv. Devidas Pangam Advocate General of Goa

remaining supremacy of the mining lease holders. This judgment is historic for Goa,” he said.

Earlier, in October 2021, Goa Foundation had filed a writ petition against the Goa government demanding such an order be issued in the context of specific directions of the Supreme Court of India. The petitioner succeeded when the government issued the order.

Ponda mining dependents won’t celebrate till Government starts mining officially

Even though the Government published an advertisement for conducting an auction of mining blocks to restart mining in Goa, the mining dependents although happy with the development, are not going to celebrate yet till mining is restarted officially.

Mining dependents said that they have been hearing government assurances on

resuming mining for the past ten years and are in no mood to bite the bait yet.

“Since the day mining was closed, the dependents have been struggling to earn their livelihood,” said Puti Gaonkar,

leader of Goa Mining People’s Front, when asked for his reaction to the Government's decision to conduct the auction of mining blocks.

“We will celebrate the day when mining operations will resume officially. We can’t trust government announcements about auctions and restarting mining.

For the past 10 years, subsequent governments have been promising to restart mining before elections to garner votes. Nothing happens subsequently,” Gaonkar said.

Another mining-dependent Vinayak (Balaji) Gauns, who is also Sarpanch of Dharbandora Panchayat said, “We will distribute sweets to celebrate the day when mining will really start in Goa. Though the auction is scheduled to happen next month, the entire process to restart mining would take a long time. The government was having a lot of time to start the

process in monsoon, but that didn’t happen”

“This judgment will end the little remaining supremacy of the mining lease holders. This judgment is historic for Goa”

“Though the auction is scheduled to happen next month, the entire process to restart mining would take a long time. The government was having a lot of time to start the process in monsoon, but that didn’t happen”

Dr Claude Alvares

Vinayak (Balaji) Gauns

Director, Goa Foundation

Sarpanch, Dharbandora Panchayat

The National Logistics Policy 2022, and Goa’s Preparedness

integration, the ELOG for procedural simplification, and the SIG for ease in facilitation, infrastructure augmentation, and capacity development.

Integration of the Digital System

By DR MANOJ S. KAMAT

The recently announced National Logistics Policy (NLP) 2022 looks great due to its extensive attempt to address cost and inefficiency in our evolving logistics ecosystem.

Background of the NLP 2022

The reference to bringing in logistic policy was first made in 2020 by Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman in her address regarding the budget.

As a precursor to the NLP, in the past 5 years, India has pumped in nearly `15 lakh crores to improve roads, rail, ports and airports’ critical infrastructure for logistics. Digitisation has also been at a fast pace.

The NLP Goals

The NLP 2022’s primary goal is to encourage the free flow of commodities and raise the competitiveness of the sector throughout the country. The NLP aims to cut costs, make cargo movement seamless, and institute an overarching policy to achieve this grand objective. Further, the objective is to move more cargo by train and water. The main thrust is to create a digital platform to get everyone together, including freight companies, ministries, and businesses. The aim is to bring all agencies to one place, in real-time, just like a one-stop shop for everything logistics.

The NLP -Action Plan

The NLP can be simplified to feature 6 vital elements, the IDS, the ULIP for data

Under the Integration of the Digital System (IDS), 30 different systems of seven different departments will be integrated, including road transport, railway, customs, aviation, foreign trade, and commerce ministries. Since all these departments will have their digital data which will be integrated under IDS it will shorten cargo transit time and enable real-time information to all stakeholders.

Ease of Logistics

Under the Ease of Logistics (ELOG), the NLP aims to simplify the rules and the logistics business will be eased. This will streamline the regulations and make the logistics industry perform efficiently while the System Improvement Group (SIG) will be used to monitor all logisticsrelated projects regularly and will facilitate the removal of any hurdle.

System Improvement Group

The SIG will include members from different departments to assist in the periodic assessment of all logistics-related projects to remove coordination barriers. The committee will also come up with solutions to resolve user issues and create a plan of action to formalise the unorganised cargo segment in the logistics industry. The SIG is also mandated to carry out the annual Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) performance index of states in India to help state governments improve their performance.

Logistic Parks

The NLP plans to set up massive logistic parks with

warehousing facilities and effective distribution all under one roof. The policy also looks at developing benchmarking service standards, and standardisation of physical assets among others. It could help people quickly track spare capacity in warehouses, store their products, when needed and then move them using readily available transport.

Capacity Development

Additionally, the policy aims at capacity development with an emphasis on human resources for future industry requirements. The logistics policy thus contemplates bringing all stakeholders under one roof, bringing transparency in the system through information sharing, fixing responsibilities in the state through the creation of nodal points, and, facilitating benchmarking with international best practices.

How will NLP be the gamechanger?

The NLP 2022 certainly can enhance the growth potential of the Indian logistics industry,

which currently holds a pigmy position compared to the global business.

Indian Logistics Market

It was estimated that the Indian Logistics Market would grow to US$ 380 billion in 2025, at a compound annual growth rate between 10 to 12% implying a big business opportunity in India.

Logistic Efficiency

India currently heads the tail of logistic efficiency, and the NLP 2022 can be a great game changer. According to the World Bank Logistics Index of 2018, Germany is ranked No. 1 while India is ranked 44th far behind countries like the United States and China which are at the 14th and 26th positions, respectively.

Business Structure

The business structure of this industry is also extremely complicated with a lot of other intermediaries in between.

India’s logistics industry has within its fold over 200 shipping agencies, 36 logistics services, 129 Inland Container

An analysis of the National Logistics Policy and what it means for India and Goa

Dr Manoj S. Kamat is PhD (Finance) IIT Bombay, and a Post Doc. Fellow in Economic Policy, the writer is currently a Professor & Principal of Shree Mallikarjun & Shri Chetan Manju Desai College at Canacona. He is also a popular columnist and policy commentator. He can be reached at mskamat@gmail.com, 0-9422415010

The NLP announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17th September 2022, received priority cabinet approval on 21st September, within 4 days of its announcement; indicating the seriousness of the Centre to implement it

Depots (ICD), 168 Container Freight Stations (CFS), 50 IT ecosystems, banks and insurance agencies. Moreover, the logistics sector involves more than 20 government agencies, 40 Partner Government Agencies (PGA), 37 export promotion councils, 500 certifications, and over 10,000 commodities.

Value Addition

According to the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India the country spends around 14% of its GDP on logistics costs compared to the BRICS average of 11%. Relatively, countries like Germany and Japan are known for their developed logistics infrastructure and systems and spend just around 8 to 9% of their GDP on logistics costs indicating the miles India has to cover in improving its logistic efficiency, allowing for value addition and business.

Cost Reduction

The NLP 2022 looks at costimproving the sector by facilitating a 10% decrease in indirect logistics costs to enable the growth of 5 to 8% in exports.

Boost Competition

High logistics costs and delays in India also act as an impediment and bring down the competitiveness of domestic goods in the global market. In the absence of elements of process re-engineering in the industry, complete digitisation, and infrastructure for multimodal transport, revitalising the Indian logistic sector was hugely difficult.

Support to MSMEs

The NLP represents a significant advancement for the nation’s logistics business according to the stakeholders in the logistics sector. The industry is satisfied that the policy has been formulated after extensive consultation with the stakeholders and concerned ministries, to their satisfaction. he NLP will support in enhancing the competitiveness of MSMEs, and other sectors such as agriculture and allied

sectors, fast-moving consumer goods and electronics.

NLP Implementation on a fasttrack

The launch of the NLP got a deserving welcome for it lays down a cross-sectoral, multi-jurisdictional and comprehensive framework for India’s logistics sector. The NLP announced by the Prime Minister on 17th September 2022, received priority cabinet approval on 21st September, within 4 days of its announcement; indicating the seriousness of the Centre to implement it.

The Logistics Indicators for Goa It is expected that the centre will intensify its urge with all the States to bring out their policies and be in sync to achieve the core target of improving India’s overall Logistics Performance Index (LPI).

A detailed assessment of LEADS survey results in the context of Goa will help us evaluate the enablers and impediments to Goa’s logistics ecosystem. Such assessment will also help us to review where Goa stands as of today in terms of expected outcomes across the value chain including shippers, terminal infrastructure, logistics service providers, transporters and readiness of our regulatory mechanisms.

Goa’s rank is 18th among the 21 States surveyed, just above the last 3 states on the list that includes Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, and Assam. Goa scored as low as 2.84 in 2021, relative to 2.77 for Bihar, 2.75 for Himachal and 2.63 for Assam, the least performer among 21 States.

Where does Goa lag in Logistics?

As per LEADS 2021, Goa for its logistics sector has pathetic availability and quality of infrastructure especially road, rail, and terminal facilities. Further, the performance concerning logistics ease, the implementation of Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) outlays and the ranged scale of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) ranks also are poor. Based on the perception indicators Goa stands low on the registered count of safety and security at terminals, internet connectivity, and the capability of logistic service providers. The road freight rates and prices of terminal services are found to be unreasonably high.

Goa’s lacklustre performance in logistics as of now strongly underlines the need for a renewed attempt to create robustness of infrastructure and regulations. In that sense, Goa is still not ready to push the needed reforms forward needed to unveil the policy.

What does Goa need to do for the Logistics sector?

Before we set the Goa State Logistics Policy and Goa State Logistics Master Plan rolling, the following things need to be set right:

Implementation of Export Strategy

The Export Strategy of Goa 2018 document prepared by the Federation of Import Export Organisation (FIEO) for the State needs to be timely implemented in letter and spirit. The creation of the trade-enabling infrastructure

envisaged by the above document will greatly help in exploring the fullest potential of the incoming policy for the State.

Logistic Mapping

Secondly, the logistic mapping of Goa highlights the absence of cold chains, food parks, APEDA and MPEDA-approved labs and pack houses in the State, and this needs to be put in place. Thirdly we need to consider that the time and cost for cargo offload, and to be connected to transit locations are enormous in Goa.

Strengthen Existing Logistics Blocks

Of top priority in addition to granting industry status to the logistics sector are the efforts needed to make more arrangements for the movement of cargo container movement via road by using the Balli-Cuncolim Park as the Inland Container Depot (ICD). This will cut travel time between JNPT Mumbai and Goa. Efforts are also needed to augment the palletisation facility for use of Goa’s pharma industry at the airport. Optimal connection of Mopa airport by rail to Konkan railways and complete utilisation of the ICD at VernaIDC presently managed by the Central Warehousing Corporation for augmenting warehousing facilities.

Improve Road Network

In the context of infrastructure augmentation, there is also an urgent need for the 4-laning of the Canacona bypass, Khandepar bridge, Margao bypass, from KaraswadaBambolim, and FarmagudiVasco. Goa has to work on a war footing to make corrections to the bad stretch KochiMangalore-Goa and all roads leading from Hubli and Karwar to Goa, especially the stretch between Ramnagar-Anmod, and Canacona-Cuncolim. Most importantly, the development of human skills needed for the growth of this sector needs a

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

What is the recent controversy regarding the illegal traders of cashew nuts?

We have received reliable information and evidence that on the coastal belt there are plenty of shops selling cashew nuts and not following the norms laid down by the government and FDA for selling food items. If one is going to pack cashew nuts at the premises one needs a packing license which these shops do not have. At GCMA, we had received complaints from tourists who have purchased cashew nuts from these shops and we requested our members to visit a few shops along the beach belt. Our members visited at least fifteen shops and we were shocked to find out that these shops were selling cashew nuts without the requisite declaration from Legal Meteorology Department like MRP, date of manufacturing, address of the shop, FSSAI requirements like FSSAI number, contact number of the proprietor and other important details. When these packets were opened we realised that at the centre of the pouch most of the nuts were of bad quality and not fit for human consumption. There were only a few edible ones and the weight too did not add up as they said it was 500 gms but when we weighed them it was just 420 gms. Out of that 420 gms only around 200 gms were edible and we are not aware under what conditions these nuts were packed. Also, an invoice was not raised when these purchases were made. So as an association we contacted the Legal Meteorology Department, Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and we will appraise the GST Commissioner about the acts of commission and ommission and to put forth the issue to them about this rampant acts of

illegal cashew trading.

What are the alleged illegalities being carried out?

The illegalities being carried out by these shops falls under various categories of the FDA, the Legal Meteorology Department, the FSSAI which includes disclosures to be made on the packet, licenses for the store, a repacking license, which are not provided by these stores. For example the packing address just gives the name of the store with the place rather than the complete address which is an important requirement. This in turns affects Goa’s premier brand which is Zantye’s as most of these stores have put up a board with Zantye on it without having sought our permission to do so. Customers who buy these products are in for a loss because when they realise they have been cheated they usually can’t trace the products back to the store. The only thing they remember is our brand, which results in them informing us by email and this is how it has been brought to our notice

about the illegalities going on along the beach belt.

How are these illegalities affecting the trade in Goa?

Regarding the effect it has on Goa, I would say that Goa is known for its cashew nuts. We have been able to create this brand over the last 60 years by selling cashew nuts at a reasonable price and giving tourists a true taste of Goan cashew nuts. Over the years, various factories like that of Zantye’s, Kamat’s, Lawande’s and Desai’s have not just marketed the product but have provided proper Goan cashew nuts to the tourists. They have realised that Goan cashew nuts have something which is not available in their hometown and has a unique taste. As word spread, the Goan cashew brand was created. Once the brand was created, the local industries began benefitting. Off late, plenty of new traders hailing from out of state have entered the trade and are trying to cheat tourists. Initially they tried cheating tourists by selling them imported cashew nuts which

were processed in another state as Goan cashew nuts. But now since the competition amongst them is so intense they have begun cheating tourists by giving them less quantity or selling inferior quality products. When a tourist goes home and serves these cashew nuts to their friends, brand Goa gets affected. What took us 70 years to create we have lost in the last 2 to 3 years. Plus Goa state has lost out on a large amount of revenue. There are different slabs of GST for plain cashew nuts, flavoured ones and those with a chocolate coating. The state has to earn at least 30% of this but since rules are not being followed, the state is losing out on revenue.

What is the current punishment for such illegalities and as President of GCMA what do you suggest the authorities should do?

We have met the controller of weights and measures and they have informed us that for a first time offence the goods are confiscated. Most of the raids that have been carried out are done by legal meteorology department who fines them `25000/-. If caught a second time they are fined `50,000/and for the third time they are jailed. There are stricter fines as per FDA.

As President of GCMA, I feel authorities should keep a check on illegal trade. If this is allowed to go unchecked, traders who are following all the rules and legalities are affected. It is usually the processors who are still buying Goan cashews at a higher rate that get affected badly. If Goan cashew processors are not able to sell their products in Goa it will kill their businesses. If they shut shop it will be a loss for the Goan economy as there will be less demand for Goan cashew nut which will result in a loss for Goan farmers.

Rohit Zantye, President of Goa Cashew Manufacturing Association (GCMA) speaks on the illegalities being carried out by some traders and the effect this has on Brand Goa

“RAMPANT ILLEGALITY BY SOME CASHEW NUTS TRADERS IS CAUSING HARM TO BRAND GOA”

Rohit Zantye

Cashew nuts are a part of the Goan culture and we take great pride in cashews as we get various products apart from the nuts like bibé, feni and urrack. People usually carry back 3 to 4 kgs of cashew nuts and if these illegalities continue it will not take much time for this brand to be lost. We are always ensuring that we give a fair price for our products. The Agriculture Department has pointed out that Goa produces 20 thousand tonnes of raw cashews which is almost equal to 250 to 300 crores and this money goes to the farmers. Most of our farmers are dependent on this trade and it is their main source of income. If the trade is affected everyone gets affected and this results in loss of revenue and employment for the farmer, the intermediaries and ultimately the state.

How do you propose the authorities should handle the evasion of GST

in these cases?

I feel that authorities should visit these stores as a layman and try to extract information about these illegal stores. They should set an example in these areas by punishing the people running the stores and levying heavy fines on them. This way others who are running such illegalities will be warned and they will stop indulging in such activities. I feel such visits should be made often as the problem has escalated over the last 2 or 3 years. Continuous efforts should be made by various departments to try and sort out this problem.

Cashew nuts are being imported from other states and this spells a loss for our local cashew farmers. What would you suggest as a precaution to avoid this?

People are there in this trade because they are able to generate a large amount of revenue by bypassing the law, by evading taxes, by cheating consumers when it comes to price as well as weight. Currently Goan cashew nuts are sold at a reasonable price and the ones who are part of the illegal trade won’t be able to survive by carrying out the trade in an honest manner. The association is already in the process of applying for a GI tag. Once that is done there will be a definite mark which will be on the packet and help distinguish the Goan product from the one that is brought from out of Goa. Illegal traders are completely misusing brand Goa and liberally using the Goan name on their shops and packets. Till we get the GI tag we have to keep a lookout

and if they are stopped in their malpractices, Goans traders and processors along with farmers can benefit from the trade. Goan cashew nuts have value only if they are sold in Goa. Once they go outside the state no one can trace its origins which end up being a blot on brand Goa.

How do you expect the various departments to nab illegal shop owners?

I think it is very easy and if one were to visit the beach side they would find various outlets selling illegally. They can just enter a store and ask for the relevant documents. If the government wants to protect the consumers as per the law, protect farmers and traders and ultimately brand Goa they have to take action now or it will be too late in the future. Since cashew nuts are an intrinsic part of our culture we would not want to lose out on that

The National Logistics Policy 2022, and Goa’s Preparedness

strategy.

Single-window Mechanism

To our advantage and to make our processes faster, Goa has already put in place the singlewindow mechanism for hasslefree processing of approvals for setting-up logistics facilities.

Regulations

On the regulatory front, there is a need for adequate access to Indian Customs EDI Gateway (ICEGATE) service centres for freight forwarders from Goa and to facilitate ease of documentation of Customs levies for exporters/importers.

Amending Goa IDC Act

The Goa IDC should amend its plot lease allotment, sublease and transfer regulations to permit warehousing activities in its industrial estates. The state government needs to amend the Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) Act.

Introduce RoRo

With the announcement to

start the coastal feeder service between Goa’s MPT and Mumbai’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, the possibility of operating a roll-on-roll-off (RoRo) service ferrying trucks between the two ports, just like the facility offered by the Konkan Railway via rail could also be explored.

Logistics Park

The ensuing logistics policy of Goa must entail a provision for a multi-modal logistics park by incentivising private players to set up logistics infrastructure.

Barge Industry

Some fiscal and legislative incentivisation to Goa’s Barge industry must be tapped with the active intervention from the centre to best use its skills and physical assets.

Conclusion: It is good to hear that Goa is looking at logistics as the sunrise sector when several states such as Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala among others are yet to firm up

their own policy.

The new airport at Mopa will also give a big boost to logistics and exports once completed. With the commissioning of the new airport at Mopa, it is slated to be one of the 15 hubs along the Trans-Atlantic, Mediterranean, and TransPacific flight paths, and will redefine the contours of the logistics industry in Goa. The fully integrated logistics section to handle perishable as also general goods at Mopa airport will enable Goa’s pharma, electronic assembly, marine, and agricultural products to find suitable export markets from Goa to Middle East and Europe.

The Goa Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (Goa IPB) has notified a private land spanning 1.3 lakh sqm at Dharbandora as an investment region and facilitated the establishment of a private logistics park in the area promoted by the Goa’s noted CMM Group. This novel initiative will kick

start the much-needed private investments in the sector.

Also laudable are the efforts of private players like Chowgule Shipyard in Goa and Mumbaibased Shreyas Shipping for the introduction of feeder service which would help the state in saving on time for transporting and also help in cutting down transportation costs.

With a forward-looking logistics policy, Goa could exploit the potential to emerge as a logistics hub in Western India. Such a hub would cater not only to Goa but also to large parts of Southern Maharashtra and Northern Karnataka. The increased volume of traffic has opportunities in all facets of logistics including transportation, warehousing, freight forwarding, express cargo delivery, container, and shipping services, which will largely benefit all stakeholders in the State. It is hoped that policymakers in Goa will pay attention to the precursors before the Goa State Logistics Policy is announced

“Authorities should keep a check on illegal trade. If this is allowed to go unchecked, traders who are following all the rules and legalities are affected”

Kineco Group and Exel Composites celebrate the first anniversary of their joint venture in India

Kineco Exel Composites

India Private Limited, a joint venture established by Kineco Group, India’s leading company in the advanced composites industry and Exel Composites Oyj, a Nasdaq Helsinki listed, world’s biggest company in the pultruded composites industry, marked its first successful year on 14 October 2022.

This joint venture, headquartered in Goa was established on 14th October 2021 with a vision to build a world class enterprise and develop the Indian pultrusion market together and has since then garnered the confidence of many Indian and international customers. Pultrusion is a manufacturing process for converting reinforced fibers and liquid resin into a fiberreinforced plastic, also known as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP).

While Goa based Kineco, provides advanced composites solutions for mass transportation, aerospace, defense and infrastructure sectors across the globe, Exel Composites, headquartered in Finland has sales, R&D, and manufacturing footprint in almost all continents in the world and is globally highly recognised by its customers across a wide range of industries. Kineco Exel Composites reflects

Kineco’s and Exel Composites’ shared commitment to be a technologically differentiated player in India and accelerate the growth of pultruded composite structures, especially in the large and growing industries such as wind power, transportation and telecommunications.

Celebrating the first anniversary of this JV Partnership, founder and Managing Director of Kineco Group and Managing Director of Kineco Exel Composites India, Shekhar Sardessai said, “I am extremely happy to mark the first anniversary of our joint venture with Exel Composites and celebrate one year of our successful partnership. With Kineco Group’s long and established leadership position in the Indian Composites Industry and Exel Composites’ world class technological expertise and composites know-how, particularly in pultrusion, we envision our joint venture Kineco Exel Composites India to emerge as India’s foremost company for specialised pultruded profiles and products for critical industrial applications such as telecommunications, wind power and transportation in India and key overseas markets. Over the last year, Kineco has thoroughly

enjoyed working with Exel Composites. Kineco has always strived to be trustworthy and dependable partner for leading international companies for their business pursuits in India. We look forward to celebrate many milestones together with Exel, while creating long term value for the shareholders of both companies, as we have successfully accomplished in our other strategic longterm partnerships with global leaders. I congratulate the entire team of Kineco Exel and wish them all the very best in making the most of an exciting future that beckons for the joint venture”

Speaking on the occasion, Aditya Reddy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kineco and Joint Managing Director, Indo-National Ltd. (a majority shareholder in Kineco) said, “I congratulate the management teams of Kineco and Exel Composites on demonstrating a successful partnership over the last one year. I am certain that like Kineco and Exel Composites, our joint venture Kineco Exel Composites India too, will prove to be a widely recognised brand in the composites industry for innovation and technology and emerge as the leader in the Indian pultrusion market. We look forward to a mutually

rewarding relationship and extend my warmest wishes for the years ahead”.

“Kineco Exel Composites India’s first year of operation saw the core attributes of a successful joint venture come to life, with the continuous and seamless exchange of knowledge and expertise between the partners and consistent focus on finding superior and sustainable product solutions for challenges faced by our customers.

Kineco’s strong market presence in the Indian composites industry combined with our experience in pultrusion process technology has cemented our joint venture’s competitive positioning in the Indian market. It has been an enriching journey with Kineco and we are happy that our vision and commitment to provide our discerning customers with the best quality pultrusion products is driving the company towards becoming one of the leading pultrusion players in the Indian market. I wish everyone at Kineco Exel Composites heartiest congratulations on marking its first milestone.” said Mikko Rummukainen, Chairman of Board of Directors of Kineco Exel Composites India and Chief Financial Officer of Exel Composites

Shekhar Sardessai, Founder and Managing Director, Kineco Group, Dr. Mikko Rummukainen, Chairman of Kineco Exel Composites India and Aditya Reddy, Chairman of Kineco Limited on the occasion of the first anniversary of Kineco Exel Composites India Pvt Limited

KAMAT GROUP

EP Kamat Group celebrates the success of IPO on the BSE SME platform

To attain a cleaner, greener and safer future, EP Kamat Group has been redefining eco-friendly solutions by offering green products, which are transforming Goa and helping community to reduce their carbon footprints and contribute towards a sustainable environment.

With a vision to be one of the most competitive and preferred greentech companies in India, EP Biocomposites Limited’s IPO (Initial Public Offering) met roaring success with an increasing public trust in the company since its launch. Therefore, to mark the unmeasured success of the EPBL’s BSE SME IPO, and to inspire more SMEs to take this route, EP Kamat Group had organised a celebration at the D’Lila Banquet Hall, Mulgaon, Bicholim-Goa in the presence of the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, who was the Chief Guest; Keynote speaker and Guest of Honour Ajay Thakur - Head, SME and Startup, BSE India; and Dr. Chandrakant Shetye, MLA Bicholim and Chairman of InfoTech Corporation of Goa.

Many greetings, appreciation and applause captured the highlight of the event of the growing success of EP Biocomposites Limited’s BSE IPO.

EPBL’s dedication to provide eco-friendly products have brought about an everlasting change in the state, with

smarter solutions like sewage treatment plants that care for the health and wellbeing of the citizens and the environment by effectively treating and managing waste water generated from residential and commercial complexes. The company also manufactures other green products like bio-digester toilet, effluent treatment plant, FRP door and allied products.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Pramod Sawant said; “It is wonderful to see such promising prospects emerging from our state. With a grand and Swayampurna vision, EP Kamat Group has yet again taken Goa forward towards making it a model state of the country. EPBL’s IPO success is a proof of the trust and credibility that the company holds and I am certain with such dedicated efforts, in near future we will witness a much cleaner and greener state.”

Furthermore, the keynote speaker, Ajay Thakur, praised the efforts and fulfilling promises that EP Kamat Group has seen over the years in Goa.

“BSE today is the largest SME Platform in India with over 400 companies listed. I am truly delighted to see EPBL’s BSE IPO success. The vision of the company is commendable and will take great heights in future. No wonder the IPO was oversubscribed 17.48 times. It is an honour to be part of this celebration that holds many

more promising aspirations for the future and I look forward to witness the grander gestures and a determined endeavour in the coming years.”

EPBL will deploy the IPO funds in growth by expanding its team and geographical footprints and aspire to migrate to mainboard exchange within next 2-3 years.

As the celebration continued, Guest of Honour, Dr. Chandrakant Shetye, poured out his thoughts and gratitude and appreciation for the launch. “EP Kamat Group has been doing a wonderful job in helping the state with ecofriendly products and services. I am happy that they employ more than 85% locals in their factory. EPBL’s BSE IPO is the way forward to many other SME entrepreneurs too.”

Towards the end of the celebration, Rajkumar Kamat, CMD of EP Kamat Group took to the stage to share his experience and aspiration for the state of Goa. “I am truly overwhelmed with such a great response to EP Biocomposites Limited’s BSE IPO. I thank the investors for their confidence in the company and the prospects of the business. This reaffirms the reputation and goodwill that our company has earned in the past. I am certain that with our dedicated efforts EPBL will create sustainable business models committed towards a clean, green and safe planet.”

Kamat also emphasised

that there are bright prospects in the market segment in which the company operates in manufacturing environment friendly and protective products and services.

He further added, “We at EP Kamat Group are now able to offer the right solutions to various needs of the community today. We are working on a cost effective solution for beach shacks, as well as containerised STP’s for builders and housing societies on a lease basis, besides decentralised STP’s in small places for municipalities and panchayats. In addition to bio digesters for individuals and small buildings, I am happy that engineers in the Pollution Control Board besides other departments have realised the positive impact that low cost biodigester tanks create from an environment point of view vis a vis the traditional septic tanks. Our focus would be not only on supplying but also operating and maintaining the plants so that the primary objective of getting recyclable clean water from waste water is achieved, thereby helping the environment and community at large”.

With a promising series of products in the stable, EP Kamat Group stands committed to provide sustainability, promote better economic growth, improve quality of life, protect our ecosystem and nature; and preserve resources for future generations

Dr Pramod Sawant and Dr Chandrakant Shetye along with Rajkumar Kamat and the entire team of EP Kamat Group

Rajkumar Kamat-led team of EP Biocomposites Ltd is feted for its super success on its IPO listing

Premium Linen for the Hotel Industry

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

Camilsons Textiles was established in year 2019 and was launched at the Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit 2019. Camilsons offers a wide selection of institutional bed and bath linen including various fabrics coordinates ideal to furnish your hotel to the highest standard.

Their range of products includes mattresses, bed and bath linen, duvets, pillows and cushions specifically made considering the variety of hospitality clients, and their usage pattern as the main idea.

Camilsons Textiles is an independent business unit of the South Goa’s well known and enterprising Camilsons Group which also owns many other prominent Goan top brands like Wooden Homes India, Kafmar Environmental Services, Kafmar Fuels, The Ark Comforts Luxury Resort and Café De Voyage.

Camilsons aspires to achieve customer satisfaction at every touch point. Their clientele include; hotels, premium clubs, spiritual institutions, gyms, hospitals and corporates. They have their sales headquarters in Goa along with a warehouse and product finishing centre.

Every hotelier faces a challenge when it comes to trustworthy suppliers as they have had to deal with wrong product shipments, quantity

issues and transportation problems. Also, hoteliers face difficulties understanding the technicalities of the fabric which are misinterpreted by most suppliers.

Camilsons textiles was established with the aim of delivering the right product, assisting hoteliers with the necessary technical knowledge and staying in touch with clients’ post-delivery of the products in case of any complaints. They serve many small hotels and resorts with their ‘see before take’ option so that hoteliers can evaluate the goods, and pay for the same through their ‘Linen on Wheels’ service. Their vehicle moves across north to south almost every day to serve the needs of hoteliers across the state. Camilsons Textiles has served many domestic and international clients thus sealing their credentials as one of the most reliable manufacturer, distributor and exporter of premium institutional products.

Camilsons Textiles range of institutional products include mattresses, towels, bed linen, duvet covers, duvets, pillows and pillow cases, bath robes, bath mats, pool towels, plain and jacquard towels, cushion covers, kitchen napkins and bath linen with various grams per square metre (GSMs). They also supply heavy weight

bath towels designed for luxury hotels and resorts. Camilsons Textiles also undertakes custom designed (logo and patterns) orders, specifically for hotels, spas and even to corporates for gifting purposes.

Camilsons Textiles boasts of expertise in supplying mid to premium range bed and bath linen exclusively made for the hospitality industry. They also assist clients with customised brand labels and tags as per their requirement subject to the order’s technical feasibility.

When it comes to hospitality linen it is all about the thread count (TC) and Camilsons Textiles range of bedroom linen includes pure cotton sheets with up to 400 TC at wholesale rates for businesses. These are available in white or with a satin stripe pattern and offer excellent return on investment due to its excellent weave which lasts long even after several washes and feel soft and comfortable on the skin.

The bathroom collection boasts of regular and premium quality towels in white and other colours. These cotton towels offer excellent absorption and are ideal for commercial use. All their linen can be picked up from their warehouse or it can be delivered to one’s business address. Apart from this, Camilsons Textiles offers a selection of other products ideal for furnishing one’s home

or hotel to a high standard. They offer a selection of pillows, duvets and covers and other linen products for beds. They also supply the elegance range of pocket sprung mattresses.

The textile industry is highly volatile with continuous changes across prices, production and availability of raw material and losses associated with the manufacturing processes. Post covid, the textile industry has gone through many ups and downs with the changing Indian raw cotton prices as the demand of the same is frequently changing across the global market. This market is also highly dependable on tourism space as they cater primarily to the hospitality clients.

Camilsons Textiles intends to remain focused on serving institutional markets. Apart from the Goan market, they are proud to have served many merchant exporters and their products have reached many countries across the globe including many prominent hotels in the United States. They will continue serving clients across the hospitality industry as well as increasing their footsteps in the domestic and international market. Camilsons Textiles are also strengthening their product line-up which includes adding new variations to the fabrics as well as mattresses

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Camilsons Textiles was established with the aim of providing premium linen to the hospitality industry. A look at the range of products and services offered by them

Technology meets Tourism

Over the last two decades technology has enhanced our experience as travellers –it has become our tour guide, travel agency, restaurant recommender, location finder, and more. It has also provided suppliers to the tourism industry with convenience, reach and impact – helping them quickly to provide information, provide best offers and facilitate a purchase, collaborate and aggregate to give greater value to travellers.

Augmented Reality (AR) or Virtual Reality (VR) has also brought possibilities and conveniences to the tourism industry, whether it is showcasing a heritage site, a cabin on a cruise ship or a cosy room on a bed-and-breakfast platform.

Today, we can even travel to enchanting places around the world from the comfort of our homes. Imagine an app that lets you see the top of the world without having to climb to the top, or, cross the Grand Canyon in a kayak enjoying the landmark’s sights and sounds.

VR production captures every part of a location and is used to capture tourism destinations in a unique and immersive way.

VR has great potential as a marketing tool, helping capture tourism destinations in enticing and immersive ways.

VR allows a user to experience the feeling of ‘being there’. VR in tourism makes it easier for people to imagine themselves at the location.

360 VR focuses on the real world rather than computer generated imagery. A 360 VR company, uses specialist equipment to shoot a location. The footage is then produced into VR content using specialist software.

VR can bring a destination to life and coax travellers to consider travelling to destinations they wouldn’t have otherwise considered. While travelers especially love VR content related to nature,

wildlife, aquatic, and coastal offerings, travel companies offer virtual hotel tours, VR flight experiences, virtual experiences of landmark destinations and more.

Research conducted by Tourism Australia has found out that almost 20% of consumers had used VR to select a holiday destination. Around 25% of consumers said they planned to use VR in the future to help them decide on a holiday destination.

Certain companies are even using VR tools to provide senior citizens who are receiving end-of-life care with a one-of-a-kind experience.

They are letting seniors travel to places that they never thought they would be able to see – whilst the experience is virtual, the emotions it elicits are real. TourismTech solutions can be highly digitised or provide a experience-enhancing service such as Digitour, a startup that went through a TourismTech acceleration program at Forum for Innovation Incubation Research and Entrepreneurship (FiiRE), that provides immersive audiovisual guided tours of historical heritage monuments through their apps. It meets the needs of the millions of tourists who visit historical monuments every year with a keen interest to understand Indian heritage. Another interesting technological intervention for the travel industry is the Internet of Things (IoT).

Internet of Things (IoT) technology will have a bigger

role to play in post-pandemic travel. For instance, wearable tech devices at airports and other transport terminals can allow travelers to ensure correct social distancing procedures and manage safety compliance guidelines better. Companies storing data gathered from IoT enabled devices can create targeted personalised marketing campaigns, thus ensuring greater success rates and better utilisation of digital marketing budgets.

While we are familiar with the automated home, the connected car, wearable technology, IoT technology in tourism can even ensure that travellers can buy a little extra peace of mind with devices that allow them to locate their luggage at any time through their cell phone. Personalisation is the focal point of virtually every industry, and tourism is not an exception. Offering additional control to travelers using their mobile devices like letting them to book a time slot at a museum, in advance to avoid long lines, improves their experience. Another IoT application in tourism is collecting and storing customer data that allows companies to generate tailored offers based on users’ search history. Customers can receive personalised offers for vacation spots, travel destinations, airlines, and hotels.

Instio, that was selected as one of the startups to be accelerated under the Goa TourismTech Accelerator Program, conducted by FiiRE

Goa, offers an integrated digital solution for mobile check-in, guest management, marketing and service quality monitoring solution for hospitality companies. Instio helps accommodation providers like hotels and resorts to enhance guest experience and attain operational efficiencies.

Tourism Innovation Summit

The Tourism Innovation Summit (TIS), scheduled for 2-4 November in Sevilla, Spain is a leading tourism innovation event that aims to guide tourism-based companies to transform their businesses and become competitive. It will bring together experts across the tourism industry and discuss technology solutions that help to surmount current challenges in the industry. Digitisation and innovation will be focus and various technologies will be showcased in order to help tourism businesses rethink that they have operated before. FiiRE Goa has signed a partnership agreement with TIS earlier this month to extend their support as a leading TourismTech startup accelerator.

Technology plays a big role in reducing costs, enhancing operational efficiency, improvising services and speed of operations and most importantly helps bring in transparency and trust, thus enhancing comfort for travellers. Incubation centres like FiiRE Goa, with their focus on ensuring complete support to entrepreneurs who are innovating to improve global tourism, are the ecosystem enablers that the industry needs. Fully understanding the many improvements that technology can bring to tourism locally and globally, FiiRE Goa, with the right industry, academia and government support, will play a critical role in ensuring that Goa becomes the preferred destination for TourismTech startups

www. business goa.in

VR and IoT helps create user experiences for travelers in virtual tourism

www.

Where classy meets contemporary

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

One of the joys of interior decoration is the ability to take an ordinary looking space and transform it into something beautiful. But where does one find the right décor as per one’s tastes and budget?

This led Shefali Caculo to open her own décor store called ‘Signature Home Décor Studio’, which boasts of elegant, classy and stylish home décor all under one roof.

Shefali was born and brought up in Goa, going on to complete her education with a degree in BCA, which she says she never ended up using. She gives credit to her parents for her strong values and upbringing. “My mother is a very strong woman and has always been my idol.”

Shefali has been a hands-on mother to her boys, Rajveer and Manav, being busy with their education, their co-curricular activities and supported them throughout their school days. After her children left their nest to pursue their further studies, Shefali found herself with a lot of free time on her hands and thought this would be the best time to pursue her passion

of home décor and interior designing. “Interior decoration is something that is very close to my heart. I like decorating my home all the time and whenever I have travelled I have picked up curios for my house. It does not have to be something large and extravagant, a few small changes can redefine the corners of your home and give it a whole new look. As we evolve, our homes should too.”

As someone who loved decorating her living space, Shefali would sometimes

find it difficult to get the right kind of décor for her home. “I believe in touching and feeling the merchandise before buying, which is not possible when one shops online. We end up compromising on the quality. I felt Goa was lacking an exclusive home décor store and that is when my husband, Suraj Caculo, firmly suggested that I should think of conceptualising one. It is his belief and support which led me to pursue my dream - Signature Home Décor Studio.”

The store has all kinds of décor in different categories like living, kitchen and dining, faux flowers and plants, candles and lighting, bath and bath accessories, decoratives, bed linen, furniture, wall accents and floor coverings as well. Shefali sources most of the merchandise from different states of India and also imports table ware, decoratives and faux flowers from different parts of the world such as Italy, Turkey and Vietnam. “We have a beautiful collection of Italian

Shefali Caculo elaborates on her new home décor store which promises opulence, elegance and comfort

Shefali Caculo

Murano glass vases in the store. Turkey has got some fabulous tableware designs and we have made sure that they are a part of our collection. Our wall accents are specially designed in wood and metal, showcasing the talent of Indian artisans. We also have a special range of marble artifacts specially curated for the store.”

Shefali is also trying to further tap into the local talent in India. “We have the best craftsmen and artisans in India”. The store is an assortment of classic and contemporary home décor items and seeks to cater to people who are looking for unique yet appealing décor.

Shefali says that her store caters to every budget and she would like everyone to have a piece of Signature Home Décor Studio in their homes. “I have a wide range for exclusive products which can cater to everyone’s budget. I wanted to have a store that would be welcoming to all clients and

everyone should be able to find something here. I think I have managed to do that as I have people from all corners of Goa coming in and buying something from here.”

Right up from conceptualising the store till the day of the opening Shefali has been on her toes to see that everything is as per her standards. “The journey has been excellent as this is truly my passion and I was completely involved in everything. Suraj has been my biggest support system; right up from going through the design of the store, the layout, the store logo till the lighting, he has done it all. I was very busy with the sourcing and designing of the merchandise and Suraj has done an admirable job in conceptualising my dream for me. I have to give credit to our architect and dear friend, Siddha Sardessai who has worked wonders in designing our store while being extremely

supportive. I can say it has been a smooth journey and I was lucky to receive all my consignments on time except for a few glitches. We opened the doors of the store to public on the 26th of September with a soft launch, which was the first day of Navratri and things have really worked well ever since”, Shefali adds.

Her family is her biggest source of inspiration and

Shefali says that her sons, Rajveer and Manav have been very supportive of her passion. “I am very proud to say that my son, Rajveer has designed the store logo “

Apart from interior designing and dabbling in home décor, Shefali loves cooking and has a full on food blog on Instagram showcasing the various recipes that she has tried out and new ones, as well. She also loves to read and travel whenever time permits.

As far as her future plans are concerned, Shefali says she has been getting a very good response from her clients and customers and plans to open more stores soon.

She signs off with a message to aspiring women entrepreneurs. I think if you have a dream just chase it and go for it. Don’t think of how it is going to work out because you have to always give it a try and that is the first step of making your dream come true”

“We have a beautiful collection of Italian Murano glass vases in the store. Turkey has got some fabulous tableware designs and we have made sure that they are a part of our collection. Our wall accents are specially designed in wood and metal showcasing the talent of Indian artisans. We also have a special range of marble artifacts specially curated for the store”

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

Dr. Pradeep Naik, the former Dean and Professor of Ophthalmology at Goa Medical College has 37 years of medical teaching and service behind him. His academic contributions include his stint as Chairman of Board of Studies in Surgery and Allied Subjects, Chairman of the Board of Studies, Allied Health Science Courses, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Goa University, Chairman of AIC –Goa University and examiner for Undergraduate and PostGraduate degrees at various universities in Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

As a life member of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Tiswadi Branch, Dr. Naik has been a faculty for the CME programs at all IMA branches, and conducted community eye camps for IMA Tiswadi. At the State level he was the State coordinator for the Netra Deep Project and a guest faculty at State level CMEs.

Dr. Naik spent his childhood in Betul where he attended the Government Primary School upto the fourth standard and later joined Mother Perpetual Succor High School in Cuncolim. He completed his graduation from Parvatibai Chowgule College of Arts & Science after which he joined Goa Medical College in 1975 and went on to complete his MBBS.

He goes on to elaborate on what inspired him to become a doctor. “There are two reasons why I became a doctor. I was impressed by the work of our family doctor, Dr. Shivram Usgaonkar, who was practicing in our village. I liked his attitude towards his patients and the dedication with which he treated them. The second reason was that I had inspiring teachers, especially my physics and French teacher who were meticulous in teaching their

students. When I took up medicine, I realised that I could practice as a doctor as well as teach students and that is how I ended up as a doctor and a teacher.”

When Dr Naik graduated in his MBBS exams he had two choices before him, of either taking up gynecology or ophthalmology. “In the merit list I was at the seventh position and those before me filled up the gynecology seats. I went in for ophthalmology and I don’t regret it one bit.”

Speaking about his early years in the profession, Dr Naik says, “I started my career as a doctor in ophthalmology in 1981 and was a junior resident till 1984. This was the most wonderful phase of my life as I had Dr A. K. Mukherjee as my professor and guide, and our department was given the responsibility of handling the National Program for Control of Blindness. I was posted for the first camp as Dr Mukherjee saw my potential and inclination towards serving the community and put me in charge. This would go on to shape my social work in the

later years. Henceforth, I was always in charge of the camps behind held by GMC. After becoming senior resident I would hold camps throughout the year especially in villages. I also joined the Lion Club and Rotary Club and was always part of the medical camps hosted by them. I would usually go on Sundays or holidays thus making community service my passion.” Dr Naik began teaching when he was a resident in the second year.

When Dr Naik completed his post graduation there were no super specialisation courses or fellowship and during MS they were paid for doing cataract surgeries and all anterior segment surgeries.

In 2012-13, Dr Naik was given an opportunity by the Government of Goa to commence para-medical courses. “We had just four and a half months to put everything in place. Right up from framing the ordinances, laying down the rules for the courses, getting the approvals from the government and university to crafting the syllabus and other miscellaneous groundwork, I

did it all.”

Dr Naik speaks on his time as dean of GMC. “As dean of GMC I had plenty of opportunities to enhance the academic side of medicine. Simultaneously I was also the dean, faculty of medicine at Goa University. I had to monitor the academic programs of all colleges under the medicine department. I would go periodically to all these colleges and check on their progress on behalf of the university. I had the opportunity to participate in some of the first postgraduate courses at Ayurvedic Colleges.”

Dr Naik says control of blindness is the most challenging thing about his profession. “During my time the facilities at the grassroots level was non-existent. We didn’t have many ophthalmologists or centers all over the state. Detecting patients with eye problems, encouraging them to come to hospitals to get treated was a huge challenge for us. The camps conducted by various clubs and social organisations were instrumental in helping us. We would stay at small villages along with our teams for a number of days. We went to various Primary Health Centers, and gathered patients; gave them health talks as people were not aware of various procedures that could help them. We would then conduct surgeries, check these patients on a daily basis, do their dressings and discharge the patients after ten days. This procedure would take us a fortnight at least, after which we would move to the next village. Though it was challenging it was extremely satisfying,” he says.

Dr Naik speaks highly of his wife, Dr. Pritam who is the Chief Medical Officer, Directorate of Health Services. “She has been a big support to me and took care of the family

Dr Pradeep Naik highlights his journey as an ophthalmologist and his passion for serving the community

“Community service and spreading awareness about eye care is my passion and mission”

Dr Pradeep Naik

which allowed me to give more time to my Department and social activities.”

Dr Naik has been a recipient of various awards like the WHO Fellowship at ICEH London, Best Medical Teacher by Lions Club of Panjim, ‘Knight of the Blind’ award by Lions District 317D, Dr. Sharat Chandra Endowment ACOIN Award at ACOIN International Conference, Pehalgam, J&K, and ‘Sushrut Samman’ Award as one of the distinguished professors in Ophthalmology, to name a few.

Speaking on his future plans Dr Naik adds that he would like to keep himself abreast of all the latest technology as far as eye care is concerned and do more of community service. “I have retired and have set up my

private practice which leaves me with more free time. When I first started my clinic most of my patients were students. I realised that thanks to online classes and other digital usage, eyesight was affected badly which is not desirable at a young age. I had a discussion with the IMA office bearers and we decided to do an eye checkup of students at every school. We launched a program on Doctors Day and along with two of my students, I have volunteered to treat school students for free. We have included four optometrists in our team who visit schools regularly and whenever any child is detected with poor vision they get referred to me. Every Saturday afternoon, I run a free clinic for school students.

I am also a part of regular camps conducted by the Rotary Clubs and Lion Clubs. I also visit old age homes to check on

the senior citizens there. This is what I enjoy doing and hope to continue as long as I can”

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ICSI GOA CHAPTER ORGANISES ONE DAY CONFERENCE FOR MEMBERS AND PROFESSIONALS

The Goa Chapter of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) as a part of its capacitybuilding program, organised a one-day conference for its members and students, and other professionals.

ICSI President, Devendra Deshpande graced the conference with his address to the members, students, and other audience. The program included deliberations on topics like Contract Act by Nilima Bhadbhade, a well-known Contract Law Expert from Pune’s ILS Law College, and Alternate Source of Funding via Capital Market for growing SMEs by Gagandeep Singh a senior officer from National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE), Mumbai.

CS Pravin Satardekar, Chairman of the Goa Chapter of ICSI stated that the ICSI through its Goa Chapter also signed a MoU with Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry to extend their mutual co-operations for the benefit of their respective stakeholders. Both institutions have a few mutually complementing aims to facilitate business and industry growth, and

hence decided to enter into such a formal arrangement for co-operation. CS Pravin Satardekar thanked Ralph de Sousa, President GCCI, and CS Devendra Deshpande for this significant landmark of extending cooperation between both institutions.

He said, “We see a great opportunity in coming together of both these institutions by way of entering into a formal understanding. This will officially allow both institutions to pool resources together and serve their respective stakeholders in a more productive way. This professional partnership between the two institutions (GCCI and ICSI), would bring to the table many benefits and opportunities such as common programs for students, professionals, and entrepreneurs in the field of law, management, business, accounting, auditing, etc. This will help lower costs and facilitate the organising of more quality programs for the students and professionals.

ICSI has a global presence and MoUs with many other professional institutions

not only in India but across the globe. This will create opportunities for Goan students and professionals. Both institutions can within their competencies, exchange systemic and businessrelated information. Both institutions can agree to exchange information on general economic status and in particular investment opportunities, trade policies, and legislative changes to strengthen trade, technological and industrial cooperation within the state of Goa, India.

The ICSI delegation, led by ICSI President, CS Devendra Deshpande and CS Pravin Satardekar, Chairman Goa Chapter along with other Managing Committee members and senior professionals paid

a visit to the Chief Minister of Goa and briefed him on the various initiatives undertaken by ICSI and its Goa Chapter in serving members, students and the nation/state at large.

CS Pravin Satardekar mentioned that the Goa Chapter has been working very hard to establish a strong professional bond with the Goan industry and serve the industry in better compliance management, policy adherence, and strong business growth.

The Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of the ICSI and discussed the scope and areas available where ICSI, through its Goa Chapter, could participate in the Government efforts to bring in ease of doing business and better business governance policies in Goa

The ICSI delegation, led by ICSI President, CS Devendra Deshpande and CS Pravin Satardekar, Chairman Goa Chapter along with other Managing Committee members with Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant

GOA’S BID TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT, INDUSTRY AND CREATE JOBS

As two-days of engaging interaction and business pitches at Invest Goa Summit 2022 comes to a close, the state says that it has received offers from 19 companies with around 14000 jobs in the pipeline

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

The Government of Goa, FICCI, a premiere business organisation, and Invest India, in association with the Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) organised Invest Goa Summit to kick-start fresh investments in Goa in certain key focus sectors such as IT/ITES/Electronics, Logistics, Start-ups and R&D Centres, Agro and Food Processing, Tourism and Allied Sectors, Education & Entertainment.

Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant was the Chief Guest for the summit. Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho and IT Minister Rohan Khaunte were the Guests of Honour for the function. Lalit Gandhi, President Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Patik Patwari, President, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Hemendra Porwal, President Belgaum Chamber; Ralph de Sousa, President, GCCI; Manoj Caculo, Past President, GCCI; Pratima Dhond, Vice President, GCCI, Dr. V Candevelou, IAS, Principal Secretary; were also present. The event was also attended by some of the foreign consulates, a team from Bellary Chambers, Ernst & Young and Invest India, heads of various

Government Departments, Government Secretaries and many others.

The summit aimed at providing prospective investors a focused platform to meet policy and opinion makers.

Invest Goa also focussed on outlining measures taken by Government of Goa to improve connectivity, ease of doing business and also to showcase the tremendous investment opportunities in the state. The prospective investors were provided an opportunity to discuss on a one to one basis with the Government authorities and the experts from various sectors. These investors were able to interact with heads of various departments so that doubts, queries, and hurdles

could be cleared.

The program was organised in two phases. The first day, 6th October 2022 was a networking session with prospective investors followed by a fashion show depicting the six focus sectors identified and found suitable to Goa.

The main event was held on 7th October. The summit got wide attention and was attended by 250+ business delegates, industry captains, policy makers and other related stakeholders.

Twenty four investors were handed over a Letter of Intent during the event at the hands of Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant. Further, many new and existing investors showed keen interest to take up their

proposals further. The new Goa Industrial Growth & Investment Promotion Policy which is harping on EoDB was made available during the summit and is expected to further boost investments in Goa.

The proceedings of the event were compered by Dr Dattesh Parulekar. Round table discussions were held on 7th evening for the sectors and the compering for the round tables was done by the teams from Ernst & Young and Invest India. The speakers for the round table discussions were the HODs of concerned department, secretaries and experts from the field. Professors and students from GIM and BITS Goa also helped in conducting the sessions smoothly.

State to attract investments worth 5000 crore with 14000 jobs in the pipeline

State Industries Minister, Mauvin Godinho stated that around 19 companies, through the Invest Goa Summit 2022, have approached the Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (IPB) with proposals. These 19 companies have projects involving investments of around 5000 crores with an employment potential of around 14000 jobs.

(L to R) Sanjay Amonkar, Pratima Dhond, Manoj Caculo, Pathik Patwari (President, Gujarat Chamber), Dr Candavelou (Principal Secretary, Finance & Industry, Govt of Goa), Ralph de Sousa (President, Goa Chamber), former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, Industries Minister Mauvin Godinho, IT and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte, Manguirish Pai Raiker, Lalit Gandhi (President, Maharashtra Chamber) and Hemendra Porwal (President, Belgaum Chamber)

Former Union Minister Suresh Prabhu, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant with Lalit Gandhi, President of Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture

“The actual investment proposals from the event are sure to be higher since the proposals were received during the run-up to the event,” Godinho explained.

More than 280 delegates – businessmen, startup founders, members of industry associations, diplomats from foreign embassies and global investors – signed up for the investor summit.

A huge chunk of the investment is expected to come from the `3000 crore theme park that Delta Corp

Ltd intends to set up on private land at Dhargalim.

The State has already declared the 3.76 lakh sqm land at Dhargalim as an investment area with the Goa Investment Promotion Board granting in-principle approval for the project in December 2020.

“Outside interest in doing business in Goa is presently high. Many companies are eager to set up shop in the state. From our side, we are pushing the concept of business with pleasure. Businessmen can always enjoy the uniqueness

of the state as they establish industrial projects,” Godinho said. “Even if a company identifies private land, the IPB will give single window clearance to it,” the Industry Minister emphasised, adding that the constant complaint of lack of industrial activity in the state is no longer true.

“Goa is a happening place now for doing business,” Godinho said, adding that citizens must be happy about the fact that Goa, despite its small size, is the hub for pharma exports and has units producing

sophisticated components for NASA and Apple phone at the Verna Industrial Estate.

Godinho further affirmed that although the new industrial policy does not provide any reservation in private jobs for locals, the state will provide incentives to firms that recruit Goans. Of the 19 tangible proposals received, two are from U.S. companies, while one is from Dutch firm. Among these investment proposals is CMM Group’s logistics park at Dharbandora, which is still awaiting key approvals

Congregation of Goa’s Tech Community

The first Goa IT Developers Summit was held at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. The Summit was a massive success with over 1000 IT professionals, government IT staff, final year IT students and an array of IT Stake holders in attendance.

This Summit was organised by Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in collaboration with the Government of Goa to provide thrust to Chief Minister’s Dr Pramod Sawant’s endeavour of Swayampurna Goa 2.0 with focus on skill development,

infusion of latest IT ideas, employment for the youth and bridging the gap between industry and academia.

There is a huge scope for IT related jobs in Goa especially in full stack technology, artificial intelligence, mobile applications and blockchain. Renowned speakers guided the delegates and relevant panel discussions were held.

Dr Pramod Sawant who was the Chief Guest along with GCCI President Ralph De Sousa, Nitin Kunkolienkar, Milind Prabhu, Chairman,

GCCI’s IT Committee; and Sanjay Amonkar Director General, GCCI were present on the dais.

The Summit was inaugurated jointly by Dr Vivek Kamat, Director of Tech Education; Pravin Volvotkar Director, IT; Dipak Dessai, Director, Skill Development; along with Dr Nina Panandikar, Principal, Don Bosco College of Engineering. Milind Prabhu and Sanjay Amonkar were also present

Dr Sawant praised the efforts taken by GCCI to organise the

summit and suggested that this be made an annual event.

In his inspirational speech Dr Sawant said that Goa has its own dynamics for excelling into the world of information technology. “The huge presence of IT stakeholders and all others in attendance in large numbers here itself is a sign of golden days for IT in Goa. It shows immense drive and passion to be the best in this field that has immense potential.”

He further added “We were aware of the underlying current amongst the software

Goa’s first IT Developers Summit was held recently with an aim to make the State an IT hub and bridge the gap between Industry and Academia

L-R: Atul Utturkar, Mangirish Salelkar, Haston Silva, Juned Khan and Sudesh Sangelkar

L-R: Milind Prabhu, Nitin Kunkolienkar, Dr Pramod Sawant, Ralph de Sousa and Sanjay Amonkar

Rohan Khaunte, Minister for IT and Tourism interacting with delegates through video conferencing

developers and students to excel beyond bounds. However, we needed a platform for you all to understand the exact steps to start your career into hi-tech technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing along with recent technologies such as Java and .net.

Therefore we organised this program with the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry to give you an exact idea of how to approach your career in each of this line of technologies. We want you to understand the opportunity that exists in this field and we want Goa to lead in the field of information technology.”

Dr Sawant said “If you compare salaries of developers in the latest technologies such as blockchain, AI then it will be

many fold compared to basic technologies. We want to give you access to be able to learn these technologies and be aware of the right path to get started in making a strong career in IT. Even the corporates are sometimes not aware of how to approach projects in the latest technologies and only a strong exposure can help Goa to become a hub for IT industry.”

“The Government will ensure a constant set of activities to provide necessary exposure to the IT fraternity in Goa. With a proactive set of steps from the IT department envisions Goa being in the top 25 startup destinations in the world by 2030. Goa has the most promising IT and startup policy that is helping the startup culture flourish in Goa, creating large employment

opportunities. You can look forward to becoming a tech entrepreneur with Government funding support from the startup policy. The Government of Goa has a dynamic staff supported by the startup promotion cell (SPC), working tirelessly to help startups grow in Goa”, he added.

Dr Sawant also launched the first ever IT directory complied by GCCI during the event along with the IT vision document for Goa.

In his welcome speech Ralph De Sousa thanked Dr Sawant for gracing the summit and suggested that a high level Industry Academia Committee be formed to review the IT curriculum on a perpetual basis to keep students abreast of the latest technology and increase their employability index.

Nitin Kunkolienkar also requested infusion of latest IT trends in the curriculum. There are parallel businesses in conjunction with IT which are also in demand and can be exploited by young entrepreneurs, he added.

In a true IT sense, despite being busy with other commitments, IT Minister Rohan Khaunte connected through video conferencing with the delegates and shared details on Goa’s IT vision. He stated that the plan is to make Goa the most sought after IT destination.

He said that IT policy of Goa has been a great success in which many IT companies and startups have been incentivised by the Government. The process will continue to attract more investors to Goa

“The Goa Developer’s Summit is basically a conclave for developers as we have many talented people in the technology world, as far as our state is concerned. Every year we see plenty of engineers and developers graduating from various colleges, but we don’t see passion and drive in the developer community, unlike that in other countries. To foster this, we conducted this conclave. It is just the beginning of a community building initiative wherein we hosted 13 speakers to share their ideas on 13 lay topics in engineering and technologies. The prime theme for all speakers was, identifying

MILIND PRABHU

one particular technology like Block-chain, AI, Cloud, dot net; and to explain to the audience

what the technology is about and the different prospects in India as well as abroad and

lastly how one can go about learning all these technologies.

The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry has decided to host this event as the first step towards building a very strong technology community in the state. We will be hosting continuous events for developers so that we can encourage them in their technological fields. We had well curated speeches by 13 experts in their respective fields and each had a talk time of 15 minutes. We had planned on targeting software developers in any line of technology and students pursuing a career in technology, for this summit”

“GCCI has decided to host this event as the first step towards building a very strong technology community in the State”: Milind Prabhu

“The idea behind Goa Developers Summit was to host a conclave for developers as we have many talented people in the technology world, as far as our State is concerned. Every year we see plenty of engineers and developers graduating from various colleges, but we don’t see passion and drive in the developer community, unlike other countries”

Dr Pramod Sawant with the organising committee of Goa IT Developers Summit

Dr Pramod Sawant with all the delegates and attendees at the Summit

Chairman, IT Committee, GCCI

Goa Heritage Festival in Campal from 15 November

The pioneering Goa Heritage Festival which first focused attention on Panjim’s cultural and architectural heritage over two decades ago is set for a spectacular renaissance on 1519 November, in the Campal Heritage Precinct on the Mandovi riverfront.

Organised and curated once again by Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG) to celebrate the state’s rich and diverse cultural legacies, there will be walks, talks, music, dance, literature and poetry, food, beverages and entertainment for the entire family from morning past sunset. The festival is open to all.

Explained Heta Pandit, Vice Chairperson of GHAG, “For most visitors to Goa it’s heritage is restricted to the historic monuments and picturesque by-lanes of the city. Goa has so much more to offer. Goa Heritage Festival 2022 will showcase glimpses of that heritage through art, music, books, talks, heritage walks, dance and more.”

The five day event will witness 40 Goan artists, 43 Goan craftspersons, 20 heritage walks and tours which explain facets of Goa’s heritage and over

20 local culinary and beverage experiences during the festival.

This edition of the festival will be zero waste. “Goa Heritage Festival will aim to be a zero-waste festival”, added Heta. “Through partnerships with various companies, wastecollection rewards and other systems, we will leave the Campal area clean as it is”, she added.

The Campal Heritage Precinct will play host to this edition of the festival. “While many of the houses in this area still reflect the architectural style of an era gone by, the quiet by-lanes and the beautiful F.L.Gomes Garden with its charming bandstand make it the ideal backdrop to showcase some of Goa’s vibrant culture and history,” said Heta.

Activities through the festival include guided heritage walks across various parts of Goa, an insightful lecture series, literary and poetry sessions on Goa related themes and live music across genres. The kids corner will be a zone dedicated to children where they can immerse themselves in a range of activities, craft sessions, games and reading sessions.

Vivek Menezes is curating an interesting and insightful segment on literature which includes talks and book launches. Mallika Sarabhai, Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, Rana Safvi, Pragya Bhagat, Nature Conservation Society and Goa’s Heta Pandit will be launching their books at the festival.

Jack Ajit Sukhija is curating the heritage walks along with Heta Pandit. He said, “A unique perspective on Goa’s abandoned history, heritage, and culture will be provided through the series of walking tours planned for the Goa Heritage Festival, which will be led by local experts such as Soul Travelling, Make It Happen, and other organisations. Nowadays, we have seen numerous visitors choose heritage excursions, which indicate that they are interested in learning more about Goa and how it has evolved over time.”

Speaking about Goa being an art hub, Cezar Pinto, member of GHAG who is a curator on the art component said, “Today many of the country’s creative luminaries have moved to live in Goa. Coupled with our local artists from the state, Goa is a hub for art. Cultural heritage

includes tangible culture which includes art artifacts, sculptures and buildings. This is the reason we are showcasing different forms of art in this heritage precinct.”

A unique pop-up bazaar will feature at the festival where select local, home-grown brands will offer a glimpse into Goa’s varied handicrafts, art and other traditional produce. The initiative will offer a platform for local talent to showcase their offerings.

A Goan festival is incomplete without its cuisine, music and entertainment. Goa is famed for its cuisine. The five day event will have an array of local Goan delicacies, culinary and beverage offerings. Music and dance will be part of the celebrations.

Since its inception in 2000, Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG) has brought to the fore Goa’s heritage and culture through a series of events, festivals, talks, seminars, research projects and white papers. GHAG has made a consistent effort to highlight the status of Goan heritage both to the general public and to the state authorities and bureaucracy

The Goa Heritage Festival will make a comeback this November and promises five days of the State’s unique culture

Core team of Goa Heritage Festival along with residents of Campal. Standing: Armando Gonsalves, Hari, Alinto Coelho, Vivek Menezes, Derrick Pereira and Carlos de Sousa.

Sitting: Cesar Pinto, Miriam Koshy, Pritha Sardesai, Heta Pandit, Shaheen Gonsalves and Jack Ajit Sukhija

NEW VRUNDAVAN HOSPITAL INAUGURATED AT DEMPO HEALTHCARE

Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Minister for Health, TCP & Forest, Vishwajeet Rane inaugurated New Vrundavan Hospital, in Dempo Healthcare premises at La Campala colony, Miramar, Panaji.

The function was held in the distinguished presence of Rajesh Dempo (Managing Director, Dempo Healthcare), Dr Digambar Naik (Director, New Vrundavan Hospital) and Bhakti Dempo.

New Vrundavan Hospital has been created as an emergency lifesaving hospital and is open 24x7.

All necessary specialists as

well as emergency advanced equipments are available at the emergency and ICU level.

A well-equipped Operation Theatre is available all the time for any emergency surgery.

New Vrundavan Hospital is also equipped with 3 new concepts: 1. Home hospital services to provide all possible medical services at home including a home ICU.

2. A 70s club to help people above the age of 70 to live a longer and healthier life.

3. Express heart care to check the heart urgently at a very low cost, which includes doctor’s check-up, an ECG and ECHO screening to diagnose a heart attack on urgent basis at very low cost. The hospital specialises in kidney dialysis and other high quality medical treatment at affordable cost

Lynx-Lawrence and Mayo to start LYNX Drone Training Academy in Goa

Lynx-Lawrence and Mayo, one of India’s leading engineering equipment providers, has announced its plans to start a full-fledged drone training academy in Goa, which will be certified under the DGCA. Goa having several defense establishments, many parts of Goa are in the Red Zone, where flying of Drones is banned. Lynx Lawrence and Mayo has been selling its drones application for urban development, land surveying, weather monitoring and testing, ago-technology and other sectors for the last five and a half years.

On 26th April 2022, LYNX- LAWRENCE & MAYO, initiated the launch of its 1st Drone Training Academy with the famous SREC -College of Engineering, Coimbatore, and are in the process of procuring a DGCA approval for the RPTO, SREC which already has a strong Aeronautical and Civil Engineering Division with two full fledged aircrafts and a simulator for training.

LYNX- Lawrence and Mayo has planned on setting up DGCA approved RPTO Drone Training academy in Raipur, Vadodara, Karjat in Maharashtra and is open to opportunities with other Aeronautical and Civil Engineering Colleges.

Speaking about its association, Dr. Vivek Mendonsa, Director, Marketing, Lynx - Lawrence and Mayo, said, “We at Lynx have been driving innovation and excellence in the advanced precision equipment for engineering and industry.

To reiterate what our Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said “Over One-lakh drone pilots will be needed in coming years” this is for various applications like town planning, fire-fighting, agricultural spraying, video shooting, courier, dispatch of medicines to remote and in accessible areas in India. The youth of Goa can think of job opportunities abroad, outside the state and their training will prove to be an impetus for infrastructure and construction

industries.”

Group Captain Paramjit Singh Ahluwalia, proprietor, Ahluwalia Pilot Training Institute (APTI), who has been an Air Force Officer, with tremendous flying experience in Bomber, Interdictors and Electronic Warfare Aircrafts.

DGM Ops Trg, Air India & Vice President Fly Wing Simulator Training Centre, Gurgaon. Ahluwalia is currently a DGCA Qualified Drone Pilot and Instructor. He is the Head of Operations to establish and run Drone Training Academies – Pan India “We are greatly honoured to be associated with them. We are ready to face all the demands and challenges of business 4.0 revolution in India. True to our philosophy of continually innovating and experimenting to drive

excellence, we look forward to offer various courses, both short term and long term, that will benefit the drone sector, youth of the country in terms of job opportunities and India, perceived as the drone capital of the world.”

Stephan Ferrao -State Manager of LYNX –LAWRENCE & MAYO, who has been with the group for 33 Years, said that all 6 Verticals of the business will play a pivotal role in shaping and contributing to Goa’s development and planned and gradual industrialization without disturbing the ecology of the state.

Captain Sheryl D’Cunha, Chief Flying Instructor of LYNX Drone Academy PanIndia is a Commercial Pilot and a DGCA approved drone pilot. She said, “Drones are designed to for application across both industrial and military projects; the drones have already proven their expertise in defence and homeland security, disaster management, traffic monitoring, surveillance and camp security. We have a flexibility to customize our drones for an array of requirements, to provide endto-end UAV solutions and services to the industrial and commercial sectors”

L to R: Captain Sheryl D’Cunha, Stephan Ferrao, Captain Paramjit Singh Ahluwalia, Dr Vivek Mendonsa and Jay Mendonsa

Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant inaugurates New Vrundavan Hospital in the presence of Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Rajesh Dempo, Bhakti Dempo and Dr Digamber Naik

JOURNEY OF A NATION: 75 YEARS OF INDIAN ECONOMY

As India celebrates 75 years of Independence, it is important to recall that as a democratic republic, it has been able to overcome the burden of colonialism and emerge as the world’s third-largest economy.

Sanjaya Baru, economist and political analyst, traces the nature of this transformation, introducing the ideas and events that have shaped economic policy, transforming a feudal, agrarian economy into a modern, industrial and services-based one.

The book is aimed at introducing the postmillennials – a generation that is reaching adulthood as India celebrates its 75th anniversary of independence – to the history of the Indian economy from the time India won freedom.

Baru starts his story from the medieval times when India was at the centre of global trade and commerce, when its share of GDP, along with China, was close to 50 per cent and how the country became impoverished during the colonial period –elucidated first by Dadabhai Naoroji’s drain of wealth theory.

Two important developments took place in the 1930s and 40s – the Indian National Congress formed the National Planning Committee and India’s leading industrialists formed the ‘Bombay Plan”.

Baru shares a detailed account of the debates on planning and state-led development in India and the leading personalities that framed them. This planning era also attracted worldwide attention and several leading Western economists took keen interest in India’s unique experiment with Parliamentary democracy and economic planning.

This book is written for a general audience that wishes to be informed about the nature of India’s economic transformation over the past

75 years. India’s economic rise as a secular, plural democracy holds great value for the entire world. “The first two decades of the twenty-first century have witnessed a significant transformation of the economy. There was a perceptible reduction in poverty, a rapid spread of urbanization and the establishment of a globally competent services economy. India led the world in the production of several agricultural commodities”, says the writer.

Baru paints a vast canvas in a mere 155 pages in this lucid, jargon-free book, where data is kept to the minimum. This book is a must-read for the post-millennial generation interested in the political economy of independent India’s 75-year journey.

Sanjaya Baru has been editor of The Financial Express and Business Standard. media advisor to former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and director for Geo-economics and Strategy, International Institute of Strategic Studies, London.

He has taught at the University of Hyderabad; Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore; and the Indian School of Public Policy, New Delhi

Statewide India at 75 School Quiz

Business Goa Media Group is organising a state-wide ‘India at 75 School Quiz’ across all Talukas in Goa. The idea behind the quiz is to get a maximum number of students to participate in each Taluka. The unique aspect of this quiz is that schools can send as many teams as they wish to. The teams will consist of two students from the same school. There will be a written round from which six teams will qualify for an on-stage Taluka final. The Taluka winner will compete for the State semi-finals which will be of six teams each. From there three teams (from each semi-final) will qualify for the State finals. The Quiz is open for school students reading in Std 7th to Std 10th. Schools have been encouraged to send as many teams as possible for this unique quiz.

There are only two levels for the quiz, written round and on-stage final at the Taluka level. Every participant will get a certificate of participation which will be handed over after the final event has concluded. Rotary Clubs across the State have lent their support to this knowledge initiative and to facilitate the hosting in each taluka. The Quizmaster is Rajiv D’Silva, cofounder of SEQC and winner of numerous quiz titles like Tata Crucible Corporate Quiz, The Economic Times Brand Equity Quiz, WizBiz by Goa Institute of Management, among others. While speaking on the sidelines of the event, the organiser, Harshvardhan Bhatkuly says, “This is a unique opportunity for school students from across Goa, especially the hinterlands, to display their talent and knowledge about India’s current affairs, culture, art, literature,

ethos, politics and with a special focus on the freedom movement. As India celebrates 75 years of independence, we thought this exercise will be of great importance to youngsters to respect and look at the history of India’s struggle to achieve Independence.”

‘India at 75 School Quiz’ is supported by the presenting patron Maria Crescencia Menezes Memorial Educational Trust.

The event is powered by ASG Eye Hospitals, Padma Bhushan Dr Ajai Chowdhry, VIMSON Foundation (Shivanand Salgaocar Group), Paradeep Phosphates Limited, Deccan – Fine

Chemicals (India) Pvt Ltd, Dempo Group, Big Banner Entertainment and Media LLP and Hotel Calangute Towers. The Banking Partner is Union Bank of India along with Corporation Bank and Andhra Bank. The Corporate Partners are Pai Kane Group, LPK Waterfront, Bhatkuly Ventures, Broadway Book Centre, Real Group of Companies. The Institutional Partners of the Quiz are Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Goa Management Association.

The TV Channel Partner is Prime Media Goa while the Magazine Partners are Business Goa and My Goa. Palash Agni Studios is the video partner

Shreya Laad and Sara Sawant from The New Educational Institute, Cacora win Quepem Round

The third set of the All-Goa India at 75 School Quiz was held for Quepem Taluka on 23rd September 2022 at Sarvodaya High School, Curchorem. The event saw participation from around 20 teams, out of which six teams qualified for the on-stage finals. The six teams which qualified from Quepem were Sharva Kudchadkar and Shubhra Bhende from Sarvodaya Educational Society’s High School; Vedang Bhende and Aditya Kalekar from Holy Cross Institute; Taniya Bondre and Tanushree Vyas from The New Educational Institute; Samantha Naik and Antara Gaonkar from The New Educational Institute; Shreya Laad and Sara Sawant from

The New Educational Institute; and Nilay Prabhu Velguencar and Grishma Bhosale from Sarvodaya Educational Society’s High School.

After six grueling rounds of on-stage quizzing, Shreya Laad and Sara Sawant from The New Educational Institute, Cacora emerged as winners. The

winners were given a certificate at the hands of Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, (Publisher-Editor, Business Goa) and Rajiv D’Silva (Quiz Master)

(L to R) Harshvardhan Bhatkuly (Publisher-Editor, Business Goa), Shreya Laad, Sara Sawant and Rajiv D’Silva (Quizmaster)

Business Goa Media Group’s knowledge initiative for school students

www. business goa.in

The fourth set of the All-Goa India at 75 School Quiz was held for Tiswadi Taluka on 26th September 2022 at Institute Menezes Braganza, Panaji. The event saw participation from around 55 teams, out of which six teams qualified for the onstage finals.

The six teams which qualified from Tiswadi were Saanvi Bhatikar and Vindya Bhat from Mushtifund High School; Sneh Juwarkar and Anvay Chati from Dr. K.B. Hedgewar High School; Anushree Khandeparkar and Tanishka Prabhu from Mushtifund High School; Kunal Jha and Chaitanya Naik from People’s High School; Abhinav Kapadi and Ved Amonker from

Deshpande and Vedant Kamat Haldonkar from Mushtifund High School.

Notable mentions were Philander Fernandes and Sheldon Rosario from Don Bosco High School and Ved

Vaze and Anuja Shirodkar from Mushtifund High School, who lost out in the selection round.

The Tiswadi round was a cliffhanger and went on till the last round where an all-girls team Anushree Khandeparkar and Tanishka Prabhu representing Mushtifund High School emerged as winners.

The winners were given a certificate at the hands of Cesar Menezes (Senior industrialist and Trustee, Maria Crescensia Menezes Memorial Educational Trust), and Dr. Maria Emilia Menezes in the presence of Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, (Editor, Business Goa), Rajiv D’Silva (Quiz Master) and Raghu Shetiye (President, Rotary Club Panaji Riviera)

The fifth set of the All-Goa India at 75 School Quiz was held for Ponda Taluka on 27th September 2022 at GVM’s Smt. Nelly Joildo Aguiar Higher Secondary School Hall, Farmagudi, Ponda.

The event saw participation from around 25 teams, out of which six teams qualified for the on-stage finals.

The six teams which qualified from Ponda were Sharvani Phadte and Anant Devimanekar from V.D. and S.V. Wagle High School; Mayank Kumar and Atharv Mandal from A.J. de Almeida High School; Vedant Dhopate and Vishwaraj Patil from GVM’s Utkarsh Vidyamandir; Bhumi Raut and Shubham Jha from GVM’s Utkarsh Vidyamandir;

Trayee Dhaimodkar and Rida Khalif from GVM’s Utkarsh Vidyamandir; and Shubham Savaikar and Swaraj Umarye from A.J. De Almedia High School. Notable mentions were Nidhi Joshi and Niddhi Ajit M.K. from A.J. De Almeida High School who lost out in the written round.

The Ponda Taluka round went on till the last question with GVM’s Utkarsh Vidyamandir students Vedant Dhopate and Viswaraj Patil winning an exciting set of quizzing.

The winners and finalists were given a certificate at the hands of Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, (Editor, Business Goa), and Rajiv D’Silva (Quiz Master)

The sixth set of the All-Goa India at 75 School Quiz was held for Dharbandora Taluka on 29th September 2022 at Gomantak Vidyalaya High School, Tisk-Usgao. The event saw participation from around 42 teams, out of which six teams qualified for the on-stage finals.

The six teams who qualified from Dharbandorawere Ayan Katkol and Sharv Sangodkar from Abhinav Vidyamandir; Sanusha Mishal and Tanisha Soares from Immaculate Conception High School; Sairaj Mamlekar and Ishika Dey from Our Lady of Piety High School; Gayani Govekar and Kiran Kumbhar from Gomantak Vidhyalaya High School; Sakshi

Bidikar and Anvisha Gaude from Gomantak Vidhyalaya High School; and Deepak Pujari and Ziya Mulla from Gomantak Vidhyalaya High School.

The Dharbandora Taluka round was a convincing victory for students of Abhinav Vidyamandir, Mollem - Ayan Kathol and Sharv Sangodkar.

The winners were given a certificate at the hands of Sarpanch of Dharbandora, Vinayak (Balaji) Gauns and techpreneur and founder of Genora Technologies, Milind Prabhu in the presence of Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, (Editor, Business Goa), and Rajiv D’Silva (Quiz Master)

Vedant Dhopate and Viswaraj Patil from GVM’s Utkarsh Vidyamandir win Ponda

Mushtifund High School’s Anushree Khandeparkar and Tanishka Prabhu win Tiswadi

Abhinav Vidyamandir, Mollem - Ayan Kathol and Sharv Sangodkar win Dharbandora

(L to R) Harshvardhan Bhatkuly (Publisher-Editor, Business Goa), Rajiv D'Silva (Quizmaster), Cesar Menezes (senior industrialist and Trustee, Maria Crescensia Menezes Memorial Educational Trust), Anushree Khandeparkar, Tanishka Prabhu, Dr Maria Emelia Menezes and Raghu Shetiye (President, Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera)

(L to R) Harshvardhan Bhatkuly (Publisher-Editor, Business Goa) Vedant Dhopate and Viswaraj Patil and Rajiv D’silva (Quizmaster)

(L to R) Rajiv D’Silva (Quizmaster), Milind Prabhu (techpreneur and founder of Genora Technologies), Sharv Sangodkar and Ayan Kathol, Vinayak (Balaji) Gauns (Sarpanch of Dharbandora) and Harshvardhan Bhatkuly (Publisher-Editor, Business Goa)

Dr. K.B. Hedgewar; and Poorvi

Counto Motors launch the Mercedes Benz EQS580 - a luxury EV in Goa

in intuitive technology with zero layer concepts, is the most advanced infotainment screen ever mounted in a series built car. Measuring 56 inches and spreading from A-Pillar to A-Pillar, the MBUX hyper-screen comes as a standard fitment with the EQS 580 and offers a glimpse into future technology created by Mercedes-Benz engineers, keeping the customer at the centre.

The latest buzz in the motown and automotive industry worldwide- the EQS luxury EV made its much awaited debut in Goa. Mercedes Benz EQS580 4Matic was unveiled by Counto Motors Goa, franchise partners for Mercedes Benz in Goa. The EQS 580 4MATIC is a very significant product as it is Mercedes-Benz’s first ever locally manufactured luxury EV in India, and also the 14th ‘Made in India’ Mercedes-Benz model.

The ‘Made in India’ EQS was unveiled by Aakash Khaunte, MD, Counto Motors Goa; in the presence of Mangesh Tendulkar,

CEO, Counto Motors Goa; along with dignitaries from Mercedes-Benz India. Counto Motors Goa also organized a fashion show inspired by the theme of sustainability, with the EQS champions. The fashion show highlighted the creation of leading fashion designer Verma D’Mello, who showcased her designs at Cannes and more recently concluded the fashion week in New York. The fashion show at Counto Motors Goa added a touch of fascination and allure to the evening, dedicated to magnificence and class, which the EQS effortlessly represents.

The EQS becomes India’s longest range EV with an unparalleled range of up to 677 kms (WLTP)| 857 kms (ARAI certified) significantly alleviating any range anxiety.

The world’s most aerodynamic production car: The EQS 580 4MATIC is the world's most aerodynamic production vehicle, with a drag coefficient of 0.20.The EQS 580 can be charged up to 300 kms (WLTP) in just 15 minutes at a ultra- fast DC charging station. The most advanced infotainment system: The MBUX hyper-screen, which sets new benchmarks

Rear Axle Steering: The EQS offers innovations like rear-axle steering with a 10° steering angle adjustment for first 500 customers. This shortens the turning radius of the vehicle significantly. This innovative feature drives three distinct benefits for customers: effortless road-holding, significant increase in vehicle’s agility and better maneuverability when parking in tight spots.

Peace of mind: With a service interval of 2 years or 30,000 kms, a vehicle warranty at 3 years and Battery warranty of 8 years/unlimited kms, Mercedes-Benz offers complete peace of mind for EQS customers. The Service Ease Maintenance package price starts as low as `1 Lac. The Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4MATIC is available at a price of `1.55 crores (all India exshowroom)

The seventh set of the AllGoa India at 75 School Quiz was held for Canacona Taluka on 7th October 2022 at Shree Mallikarjun & Shri Chetan Manju Desai College, Delem Campus, Canacona. The event saw participation from around 40 teams out of which six teams qualified for the on-stage finals. The six teams that qualified from Canacona were Shriya Mestry and Makarand Velip from Shree Balram - Day Care School; Four teams consisting of Maithali Gaondongrikar and Amita Gaonkar; Sankalp Tawadkar and Pranavi Dessai;

School; and Swayam Dessai and Omsparsh Phal Dessai from Shri Nirakar Vidyalaya.

The Canacona Taluka round saw a victory for students of Shree Balram - Day Care School, Shristhal, Shriya Mestry and Makarand Velip.

The duo kept a steady lead to win the Taluka convincingly, even before they went into the last rapid fire round to seal their victory at Canacona.

The winners were given a certificate at the hands of Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, (Editor, Business Goa), and Rajiv D’Silva (Quiz Master)

Shriya Mestry and Makarand Velip of Shree Balram-Day Care School win at Canacona

(L to R) Rajiv D’Silva (Quizmaster) and Harshvardhan Bhatkuly (Publisher-Editor, Business Goa) hand over the winner’s certificate to Shriya Mestry and Makarand Velip of Shree Balaram Day-Care School

Tarun Malvi and Shamith Pagi; Samruddhi Komarpant and Pooja Gaonkar, were from Shree Balram Residential High

‘INDIA AT 75 SCHOOL QUIZ’ PRESENTED BY MARIA CRESCENCIA MENEZES MEMORIAL EDUCATIONAL TRUST

(L to R) CEO, Counto Motors Goa, Mangesh Tendulkar; Managing Director, Counto Motors Goa, Aakash Khaunte, Mercedes-Benz India officials Ashish Salvi, Mohammed Sharique

Goa Management Association congratulates AIMA President, Shrinivas Dempo

engaging with top-notch ideas that will propel India’s growth. Our key strength lies in the people – a galaxy of industry leaders and academicians who have made the nation proud. As an industrialist with a keen eye on education, I would want to keep the focus strong on industry-academia connect,” said Dempo.

Ateam of Goa Management Association (GMA) led by Amin Ladak, Past Chairman, called upon industry leader and newly appointed president of All India Management Association (AIMA), Shrinivas Dempo to congratulate him for having taken over the leadership role at the nation’s

apex body of management professionals.

“It is a matter of pride for us at GMA that Dempo has been called upon to lead AIMA – the topmost body of management professionals that is constantly advising the nation’s leaders and chalking out a path for new management

ideas that are adopted by industry and society. This is the first time a Goan has been called to grace this prestigious office,” said Ladak. “AIMA is a thought leader and the talent pool of the organisation is the bedrock of India’s reputation as a knowledge economy. At AIMA, we are constantly

“Having Dempo at the helm of affairs at AIMA, will help GMA to expand its imprint in Goa with industry and management institutes,” said Deepak Bandekar, Chairman elect of Goa Management Association.

Members who were part of the GMA delegation included Harshvardhan Bhatkuly (past Chairman of GMA) and executive committee members, Ghanashyam Halkar and CA Rohan Bhandare

(L to R) Rohan Bhandare, Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, Shrinivas Dempo, Amin Ladak, Deepak Bandekar and Ghanashyam Halkar

Succession Planning

Astudy shows that the average lifespan of an Indian family business is 24 years. Only about 30% of family businesses get passed on to the second generation, 12% of that is passed down successfully to the third generation, and only 3% to the fourth generation. The transition of management, ownership and control of the business to the next generation of leaders most often lies within the family. Indeed, some of the Indian success stories are attributed to business communities like Marwaris, Jains, Gujaratis, Chettiars, Reddys, GSBs (North Canara). The Goan picture, however, is dismal. Many prominent families who were in mining, manufacturing, real estate, retail and wholesale trade as well as agency dealers have either disintegrated or turned dysfunctional. Some of the reasons for such outcomes can be attributed to lack of training, internal culture and structure, incompetence and disinterest in family business, inability to deal with professionals as well as lack of objectivity of external view.

Family Disputes and Break-ups

Succession planning is sine qua non or absolutely necessity for family enterprises. Family disputes trigger a mixture of issues woven through generations into major divides amongst close relatives. Most often, one issue leads to another and sometimes this leads to collapse of the entire business resulting in bankruptcy. A classic example is the closure of a prominently located heritage hotel in Panaji with an iconic brand known for old world warm hospitality, excellent food, business meets and family gatherings with a loyal customer base. The family feud indicates gross absence of succession planning in conduct of the prosperous enterprise. For the same reason there has been a public spat between siblings and parents of a reputed family in Margao. Aristocratic family members of one of Goa’s tallest socio-political leaders are still fighting after his death over 30 years ago, for distribution of properties, ruining their prosperous business.

Reliance Model: A progressive step

There is a lot to learn from the principles and practices followed by Reliance Industries Group which can be a guide even for small businesses. They have learnt from the mistake of not executing a Will by the founder Dhirubhai Ambani resulting in a dispute between the brothers Mukesh and

Anil, despite great wealth which could last for generations. Their mother Kokilaban had to intervene with veto power. Taking lessons from this, Mukesh Ambani, without differentiating between sons and daughter, groomed his two sons Akash and Anant and his daughter Isha to take over the business by giving them appropriate and good education in well known American Universities. Thereafter, he has involved them, over six to seven years, in business operations. They have started from lowest rung with non-executive director positions and subsequently risen to independent decision making processes and business deals without his involvement. Now, Akash is in charge of Jio Network Communication, Anant is head of Renewable Energy, and Isha is heading Reliance Retail Ventures. Each of these businesses is of almost equal value. Each of them commands respect from shareholders and other stakeholders because of their proven competencies. Mukesh Ambani now plays a passive role as Chairman of the Group to support them in case of need but very active otherwise to achieve his vision.

Execution of Will

If the family does not have business interests, the estate can be passed after death by executing a Will and allocating assets among legal heirs, family members and others as per the wishes of the Testator. Here one should be careful to execute the Will as per personal law under which one is governed viz. Indian Succession Act, Hindu Succession Act, Mohammedan Law, Portuguese Civil Code. However, it is not advisable to give the entire business interest or estate to the children however loving and caring they may be if one does not wish to have the experience of aviator Vijayapat Singhania, founder of Raymond Textile Group. Nor should one declare retirement

one fine day and hand over the business to family members without understanding the consequences of such actions. This can be a disaster for the family.

Private Family Trusts

Nowadays many high net worth families and wealthy individuals are considering the option of creating business/family trusts for continuity of business and to reduce disputes in case of challenges to Wills. These trusts can be structured to meet specific needs of the family and offer greater flexibility. Through a trust, benefits can be passed on to family members at appropriate times. Scenarios such as when children are young or until they are groomed for running the business, to support differently abled children, to carry on the vision of the founders of the business to support social welfare like education, research, health are just some of the examples to create a trust. TATA Trust is a classic example.

Settlors can themselves be beneficiaries too to take care of their old age through the trust fund via trustees.There is also a unique benefit of a trust. Once the trust is created, settlors of the trust have no control over the assets transferred and hence they are safeguarded from any action taken by creditors in case of an insolvency crisis. This protects the beneficiary’s future.

A variety of factors intervene after business enterprises take roots which either flourish or perish. Time never stands still and along with it, world over, science and technology imports a variety of developments that need dexterous handling to suit tastes, competence and organisational abilities of successors leading the families. There is a resolute need to address succession planning in most of the families, so that wealth created is nurtured and placed in capable hands, earlier you do it, the better

The author elaborates on the importance of Succession Planning with regards to Indian business families

(L to R) Akash, Anant and Isha Ambani with parents Nita and Mukesh

Anil Counto: An entrepreneur with vision and drive

The writer highlights the journey of Anil Counto, who has made a mark for himself in the business world

Ihave met hundreds of fine entrepreneurs in my life. Hence, to pick and choose a few of them is not easy.

My earliest recollection of Anil (Nanda) Counto (Khaunte) goes to the year 1968. My uncle Eng. Anant K. Tamba was close friends with him.

Counto established the Alcon Group of Companies with Victor Albuquerque, partner and co-founder. Counto was and is always full of energy and ideas, which he was and is very vocal and expressive about. In 1973, his Alcon group started the business of real estate/ construction and made big strides in the same. Later, they started their ventures in the hospitality sector in a big way by constructing hotels and resorts.

Much later, the Alcon Group went through a seperation and Counto went solo and continued to make a big mark for himself and his enterprise. Today his Group is one of

the most diversified groups in Goa, with interests in real estate and construction, manufacturing, services, hospitality, exports, trading, electronics, automobiles and logistics. The group has a joint venture with ACC Ltd. for manufacture of cement and ready mix concrete.

For niche special products for construction industry Alcon Anil Counto Enterprise has a joint venture manufacturing unit with Ambuja Cement Ltd. Their product was developed in the in-house lab. Further, the Group has ventured into ready mix plasters manufacture with special properties. In a separate unit, the company also manufactures special purpose machines catering to the ultrasonic cleaning application for industrial components, where all the auto and engineering Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS) are the main customers.

In the hospitality vertical, the Group has a presence in three segments of beach resort (Ronil Resort), business hotel property (Hotel Delmon) and a heritage restaurant (O Coqueiro), showcasing unique Goan cuisine.

Trading operation is in

automobiles – Mercedes Benz and Hyundai dealerships. Alcon also works in coastal logistics, and has its own mini port and constructs floating jetties.

The Group lays large emphasis on research and development in the fields of cement and concrete industries with its specialised laboratory.

What fascinates me is Counto’s efforts in the educational and social sectors. In the educational sector he is one of the main drivers behind Mustifund Saunstha, and educational trust which is more than 100 years old and has its own buildings/campus in Panaji as well as Cujira Complex.

I believe that banks, etc. funded these two campuses chiefly on account of a strong, unstinted and selfless support pledged by Counto to Mustifund Saunstha. Thousands of parents and students have benefitted over decades in the schools etc. run by Mustifund Saunstha.

Counto is also the President of Aurobindo Society – Panaji Centre. He is founder settler and President of Disha Charitable Trust for special children, a truly salutary initiative. He is the founder and trustee of Vidya Vikas Mandal which imparts education from KG to Post Graduation to about 5,000 students in Margao. He is involved in a lot of social work and has been decorated with numerous awards at state level and national level.

Counto, a civil engineering graduate from VJTI Engineering College in Mumbai, has come a long way to change the educational and entrepreneurial face of Goa. But, what amazes me the most is his energy and enthusiasm and zest for life. This combination seems unbeatable

The columnist is a senior chartered accountant. He is Chairman of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, Goa; and Director of EDC, Goa. Email: srkgoa@gmail.com

Anil Counto

Anil Counto’s business Group is one of the most diversified groups in Goa, with interests in real estate and construction, manufacturing, services, hospitality, exports, trading, electronics, automobiles and logistics

‘loopy’ world!

The writer contemplates on the concept of life coming full circle Ijust celebrated my birthday last week. When you are in your sixties, I guess you tend to ruminate about LIFE. I have no such indulgences but I did ruminate about the phenomenon of loop or full circle in the universe. Let me take some random examples from different domains to illustrate what I mean.

In 1986, we were celebrating my daughter’s first birthday in Chennai. Suddenly at 10 am, all the havan and pooja rituals were called to a halt and the pandits and the guests herded themselves

next episode. That is the loop I am talking about.

Episodic (delayed gratification) –binge (instant gratification) – episodic (tenterhooks)!!!

Fashion is another obvious culprit. Bell bottoms were in (so comfortable), bell bottoms were out (so uncomfortable), and bell bottoms are in again (with a new name, flared pants). Fringe was in (and how), fringe was passé (very proletarian) and fringe is back (uber cool). Sarees were in (only choice for many women), sarees

Long hair was in (mark of beauty for a girl), long hair was out (short is low maintenance) and long hair in so much in today, not just women but even guys have long hair!

Outdoor was in (a fistful of sky), outdoor was out (eeks, all the insects and the sweating) and outdoor is in again (far from the madding crowd).

Stepmoms were not in (Kaikeyi), then stepmoms became cool (yours, mine and ours) and stepmoms are back to being the male dog again (Cate Blanchett in

The loop of watching

in front of a dilapidated Solidaire TV. It was Mahabharat time on DD and what amused me and appalled me was the collective behaviour of the people present, without as much as ‘by your leave’! When I complained to my mother-in-law in whose house it was, she simply shrugged and said, the birthday celebrations can continue after Mahabharat, but this episode of Mahabharat won’t come back.

Cut to the year 2016 perhaps. I was watching this show on Netflix called 13 reasons why and I was shocked and delighted that I could binge-watch (note, new phrase added to the thesaurus) a whole season without having to wait for next week. I had goosebumps just at the possibility!

Cut to 2022. I started to watch a show called Adhura Sach on Disney+Hotstar. I had settled down to binge watching. Imagine my surprise when after the first episode which was gripping all my senses, I learn I have to wait till next Friday for the

with great anticipation, as they were aired once a week, is back. I

watch Mahabharat in the late 1980s.

made for binge-watching platform OTT began airing the

in a weekly serialised format, last month

were out (only ‘auntyjis’ wear sarees), sarees are in (chic wear, wear them with blouse, without, as a dress, stitch-them-and-slipinto them, wear as anything else you want). The list is endless.

My generation used floppy, pen drive, hard disk, and cloud for storage. I remember when a laptop I bought did not have provision for the floppy disk and the salesman said it was optional. I remember yelling at him that it is like buying a car with the option of a fuel tank! The day is not far off when Apple will say; cloud is too unsafe, so go back to some form of hard disk!

Dalia for breakfast was in (easy to make), dalia was out (very lower middle class), dalia is in again (very vegan you know). Ragi was in (farmers’ staple), ragi was out (ugh!), ragi is in again (it reverses ageing!) Ghee was in (signature of upper classes), ghee was out (OMG it is so fattening) and ghee is in again (a superfood that is bovine’s gift to mankind).

Cinderella).

Duffels were in (made of used cloth, they were the only travel accessory), duffels were out (polymer suitcases on wheels) and duffels are in again (yaks can’t carry polymer on wheels please).

You get the drift of what I am saying? Everything in life seems to operate on a loop. We have a proverb in Kannada that translates loosely as ‘flipping the dosa’. It is as simple as that. If you look at the genre of fantasy/sci-fi films in English in the last decade, the way they have embraced witchery, magic, cult science and time travel is so reminiscent of all the things we read with awe and amazement as children in our literature.

So my post birthday epiphany is summarised beautifully by Justin Timberlake: what goes around comes around

The columnist is co-founder of bakery and restaurant business (www.concoctions.fr) with her French Michelinstar chef life partner. Email: nandini@carmaconnect.in

entrire

stopped

when

Diwali: Illuminate the light of Financial Freedom

The author elaborates on finance essentials to be taken care of during the festive season

Diwali is the festival of joy, traditions and new beginnings, the ebullience on the streets, dazzling oil lamps, lanterns, rangoli and Diwali shopping just can’t go unnoticed. Many people spend ample money during this festive season. The festival of lights also teaches us lessons in financial and investment planning.

The points below highlight the four personal finance essentials to be done during this festive season.

Start Investing for your Financial Goals

From retirement planning to saving for education and marriage, every investor has a lot of financial goals to fulfil. Each of these goals have to be planned well in advance and regular savings can provide exceptional returns over the long run. A concrete investment plan can help you keep on track rather than just investing into products you have no idea about.

Start Estate Planning

One area which gets the least focus is estate planning. People work hard and save and accumulate funds throughout our lives to own assets such as property, cars, jewellery, and even retirement investments. They would like to pass down their hard earned savings in a judicious manner to the next generation. Whatever we accumulate during our life forms our estate that we pass on to our next generations. Estate planning is not limited to wealthy people. Anyone who has a family must make sure he has a Will. Too many people do not envision estate planning because they think they do not own enough, they are not old enough, it will be costly or confusing, and they will have plenty of time to do it later. None of us really like to think about our own mortality but you need to be prepared for the unthinkable. Stopping

fights even before they start is yet another reason why estate planning is necessary.

Diversify your risks

Don’t keep all your funds in one investment product, diversify your investments, and mitigate the risk. Diversification lets you achieve maximum returns from your portfolio, reduces volatility and it is the best for long term investments. If one asset class fails to perform up to the expectations, then the other asset classes would make up for the losses. Therefore, investors need not worry about market volatility as the diversified portfolio would provide some stability. But over-diversification can have negative results too.

Resolve your Debt

Being deep in debt can be stressful to you, your family, and majorly your health. The worry over how to pay the bills with rising inflation and the struggle to save for the future has impacted the population of India. Debt is often the result of poor financial habits developed over a period of time. One of the simplest methods to get out of a debt spiral is simply by taking close look at ones income and expenses. Though many people dislike the idea of living on a budget, the reality is that everyone does. People have

a lot of loans and by the time one loan is ending people start planning for the next loan, all their life they work to only pay off the debt, and this pattern does not stop until they take a strong step to stop. Remember, it took years (possibly even decades) to build up those outstanding balances. Recovery will be a similarly slow process.

This Diwali, let us illuminate the light of financial freedom to live a financially secure life for years to come. There is nothing wrong in spending money on Diwali celebrations but why not spend it in a way where you can earn huge profits.

Everyone needs to evaluate their finances, cleanse themselves of bad financial habits, and invest. Early and smart investments mean better returns. When planning to invest, knowledge is the key and goal-based investing incorporates the changes in the existing financial plan and helps you gain maximum benefit. If you have decided on a goal, you can start investing from an earlier stage to meet those goals, these goals could be like retirement, buying a home, a car etc. while you are working for your goals It is important to identify investments that support those goals and keep a check incase if they are not performing well. Ensure that the existing investments are in sync with goals or objectives. Fortune favours those who plan for the future

Everyone needs to evaluate their finances, cleanse themselves of bad financial habits, and invest. Early and smart investments mean better returns

Allowing fathers to never miss a moment of the pregnancy journey

The doctor-writer speaks on the father’s involvement during a pregnancy and the initiative taken up by him to bridge the gap for fathers who are unable to participate in the pregnancy when they are away at work

Pregnancy is often thought of as an exclusively female experience. While that is true biologically, it deeply affects those closely associated with the pregnant woman – in particular the child’s father.

Studies have shown that the fathers’ involvement in pregnancy reduces negative health behaviours in mothers and even lowers the risk of pre-term birth, low birth weight and fetal growth restriction. So what happens when fathers are unable to participate because they are away at work?

In Goa, many seafarers miss out on pregnancy – and sometimes the birth of their children. A system which allows video conferencing allows the fathers to be part of this exciting journey no matter where they are. This concept also allows pregnant women to enjoy the support of their husbands during antenatal visits to the doctor, and for fathers to actively participate in the pregnancy even while they are away.

Coined as Gracias Connect, this initiative took on a new facet during the covid-19 pandemic. Forced by health restrictions to stay away from clinics while their pregnant wives navigated antenatal visits alone, many men took advantage of our unique concept that uses video calling to include those unable to make it to routine check ups.

The idea for Gracias Connect was sparked during my honeymoon two years ago, when my wife and I met dozens of hardworking seafarers on our cruise, toiling 12-14 hours every day, seven days a week, for months on end. In port, they would call home, grasping at snatches of family time. Some happened to be husbands of my patients.

We decided to open up opportunities for parents-to-be working away from home to be part of the pregnancy process through video conferencing during their wives’ appointments. From seafarers to those in the armed forces, frontline warriors in quarantine, those working on the rigs and those posted in other jobs away from their wives, this facility can make an incredible difference to the journey of parenthood.

Typically, pregnant women in Goa attend antenatal appointments either with their mother or mother-in-law. The tendency is that the pregnant woman finds her new – and often overwhelming – experience undermined or dismissed as trivial by the seasoned companion. We

often hear phrases such as: ‘We have been through this; it happens’; ‘Stop it, even we had to deal with this’.

With fathers-to-be, the experience is equally new and confusing. They are most often concerned about their wives’ moodiness, irritability, general change in behaviour as well as the constant vomiting, strange cravings and their effect on the health of the unborn child. It helps for them to be reassured by experts, and they are able to adjust their reactions to their wives’ behaviours more intentionally, rationally and patiently.

Distance and the stress of work can put pressure on any spousal relationship. Throw fluctuating hormone levels into the mix and it is a sure shot recipe for fireworks. Pregnancy hormones affect the level of neurotransmitters, brain chemicals which regulate mood. Understanding that the overwhelmed woman on the phone is actually a melting pot of mood swings, sleep deprivation, exhaustion, nausea, strange food cravings and aversions, and sometimes even heartburn and constipation can prompt spouses to be more understanding and offer more leeway in terms of relationship triggers.

With Gracias Connect, antenatal visits enable counselling for the father, often sitting miles away, sometimes distraught with worry about the progress of the pregnancy, any complications that might have cropped up, and the health of both mother and child. It offers them the

The writer is an obstetrician and gynaecologist at Gracias Maternity Hospital,Margao. Email: emanuelgraciasmd@gmail.com

opportunity to clear doubts that they might have and ask questions that their wives may not want to ask. It is an especially emotional time when they hear their child’s heartbeat through the fetal doppler. This allows them to feel connected to the pregnancy experience even though they may be on the other side of the planet.

The concept is also useful to doctors and hospital staff. Over the course of the pregnancy, these virtual visits by the father help build trust in our expertise and risk management capabilities. This allows us to make quick, life-saving decisions during delivery with the vital support of the father who already has complete confidence in the team. It also offers doctors the opportunity to inform husbands how their wives are being taken care of, and if there are issues of concern that can be alleviated with their intervention.

Being involved as a father is a relatively new behaviour. With the rise of nuclear families and the growing independence of women, paternal participation is vital to the smooth progress of pregnancy and the inevitable concern over labour and childbirth.

Through an initiative like this, fathers can stay involved throughout the pregnancy, feel connected to the process by participating more actively and frequently, and enjoy the excitement of impending parenthood no matter how far away they are from home

A lifestyle gourmet store in the heart of Panaji

What began as IHCL’s culinary food delivery platform – Qmin app, has now metamorphosed into a lifestyle gourmet store – Qmin Shop, in its physical avatar. With its vibrant and aesthetic décor elements – pops of colour and statement lighting, spacious interiors exuding a cosy and trendy vibe, Qmin Shop, the newly opened gourmet shop at Vivanta Goa, Panaji is located in the heart of the capital city, providing the perfect setting for an ideal hangout destination and the prefect space to satiate your gourmet needs.

Part gourmet store, part café, one can have the best of both worlds here. Relish a sandwich or a pastry and coffee, and then meander to the various gourmet offerings, attractively and neatly displayed on wooden shelves, dotting the periphery of the expansive store. From sourcing the finest gourmet products, to creating a bespoke luxury gift hamper filled with an array of artisan produce and indulging in savoury treats like puffs and samosas or decadent desserts including pastries and tea cakes, Qmin Shop showcases a plethora of flavours with uncompromised quality and premium grade ingredients. The emphasis on the finest produce, quality sourced, is hard-tomiss.

Moreover, if one wishes to take a break from cooking and yet savour a treat to the taste buds, the Qmin Shop offers a variety of ‘Heat the Treats’ options from the ‘Ready to Go’ section, that can be carried back

to enjoy at leisure within the comforts of home. Chicken Xacuti, Dal Makhni, Prawn Balchao, Pork Sorpotel, Mutton Biryani and much more to choose from and something for every palate. The ecofriendly packaging, using bio-degradable material and customised insulation boxes ensure that the dishes retain their flavours, texture, and taste.

Offering an assortment of freshly baked breads and viennoiserie, choose from Baguettes, Goan Balchao Buns, Pain au Chocolate, Almond Croissant and more. Vibrant interiors, comfortable seating, and delicious baked goods paired with an array of coffee selections together forms the perfect blend to a relaxed soiree. The store also has an outdoor seating option for those who prefer an alfresco setting.

In an effort to promote small-scale artisans in Goa, Qmin Shop brings a variety

of fresh produce and home-made delights prepared by the local women. These include Coconut Oil, Cashew Nuts, Red Rice, Bolinha, Bebinca and Ladoos among other choices traditional to Goa. The store also features a wide collection of delicatessen, cheese, cookies, coffees, pastas, sauces, juices, olive oil, and chocolates.

Open daily from 11 am to 9pm, Qmin Shop, located centrally in Panaji, Goa, with its incomparable selection of flavoursome epicurean products, is a one-stop gourmet shop for food enthusiasts and gourmands in Goa. For those looking to catch up with friends and family over coffee and conversations, the in-store high energy café within the Qmin Shop is the ideal destination. The separate entrance, apart from the main entry from the Hotel lobby, affords one the discreet option to enter in Qmin Shop

Qmin Shop boasts of a café and gourmet store coming together to offer customers the best of both worlds

Vanilla Milleffuilie

Red Velvet cupcake

Goa Management Association’s AGM and Annual Day held. Cesar Menezes receives ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. Deepak Bandekar takes over as Chairman of GMA

Goa’s premier thought leadership organisation, Goa Management Association (GMA), celebrated its 47th Annual General Meeting and Annual Day amidst great fanfare. There was change of guard at the AGM, when Amin Ladak handed over the baton of Chairmanship to Deepak Bandekar, Executive Director of R N S Bandekar and Sons. Blaise Costabir, President of GMA, presided over the AGM.

The business session and Annual Day saw the attendance of Goa’s industry captains and academic stalwarts. Shrinivas Dempo, President of All India Management Association (AIMA) was the Chief Guest of the function. Dempo spoke on the technological edge that India enjoys at the global level. Having attended an overseas programe in the United States on behalf of AIMA, Dempo spoke of how India can leapfrog into being a technological superpower. The keynote address was delivered by T K Arun, former editor

The Economic Times, Delhi. Arun’s speech touched a chord when he spoke of India Inc still looking at western economies for validation and suggested that India has enough and more to look outside for wealth creation.

The Annual GMA Awards were handed over to Delight Pereira of MES College, Vasco (Student of the Year, Under-Graduate), Naman Maheshwari of Goa Institute of Management (Student of the Year, Post-Graduate), Poonam Narvekar of Umang Software (Young Manager of the Year), and Raj Bakhale of MRF Ltd (Manager of the Year).

Senior industrialist Cesar Menezes was decorated with ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his contribution to industry and management. Menezes has served as president of Goa Management Association from 2005-2009

Pics: Lawrence Fernandes

V B Prabhu Verlekar

Raj Bakhale

Pravas Naik

Virendra Acharya

Goutam RajRohan Bhandare

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

Dr Prita Mallya

Farzana Laljee

T K Arun

Mangirish Salelkar

Vinay Pinto

Rajesh Mehrotra

Brig Kiran Thacker

Nevin Ladak

Dr Nirmala Rajanala

Rashmi Menezes

Mahesh Pai

Sunil Dias

Blaise Costabir

Dr Krishna Gopal Rajanala

Amin Ladak

Clare Costabir

Narayan Bandekar

Ralph De Sousa

Shrinivas Dempo

Aishwarya Usgaonkar

C&C Trades and Magsons Group launches Champagne & Cigars at Panaji

C&C Trades, an alliance partner of Goa’s leading supermarket chain, The Magsons Group, has brought in one of its premium category offerings, titled Champagne & Cigars.

The store now showcases some of the world’s best spirits, malts, wines, beers and of course, champagnes!

To add to the innovative flavor, C&C Trades now hosts Goa’s first boutique store, Cigar Bar showcasing the most premium hand rolled cigars from the new world such as Nicaragua, Honduras, Dominica, as also from the cigar capital of the world, Havana and Cuba.

On sale will also be cigars from some of India’s oldest cigar rolling firms, M/s Fenn Thompson of Kerala having been suppliers to some of the favourite smokes of Sir Winston Churchill during his days. The cigars are stored in a controlled

environment in specially fabricated humidors at the store. These specialty cigars are meant for the cigar aficionados with prices ranging from `700 to `3000 per stick! The sale of cigars and other tobacco products are not permitted to those below the age of 18 years. The store also stocks a wide range of premium spirits such as Mezcal, Cocalero, Single Malts etc.

C&C threw open a preview

of their premium offerings on 15th October 2022 at Magsons Towers, Miramar to select invitees who had the opportunity to meet and mingle with evangelists and high profile celebrities from the world of cigars and Single Malts like Anish Trivedi, Prahlad Kakkar, Daniel Carroll, Joy Sarkar of Cigar Connexion, Bangalore and Cingari, authorized importers of the Cuban Habanos Cigars, New

Delhi. It was an evening of great networking with flowing champagne from NOI and curated cheese platters from Gourmestan.

This was followed by a limited, close knit masterclass on pairing of cigars with fine liquor at the Black Sheep Bistro conducted by the evangelist of Gurkha Cigars, Daniel Carroll. All the finer aspects of rolling of cigars, preservation, cutting and lighting of the cigar sticks was explained in detail to the appreciative participants. Cigars were paired with Single Malts like Paul John Bold, Hennessey Cognac, Makazai Dark Rum and Quaffine Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur. Delicious bite sized snacks were curated and served by Black Sheep Bistro.

It was a joyous occasion with everything premium, brought in by Goa’s premium supermarket chain, Magsons

Dr Jennifer Lewis Kamat

Delight Pereira

Dr Astrid Monteiro

Bharat Kamat

Rusai Fernandes

Sanjay Amonkar

Dr Saidas Khorjuvekar

Poonam Narvekar

Dr Manoj Kamat

Urmila Dias

Naman Maheshwari

Dr Manasvi Kamat

Menino Goes Proenca

Charles Bonifacio

Dr Seema Salgaonkar

Rajiv Narvekar

Dr Pradeep Salgaonkar

Dr Dhillon Dessai

Cesar Menezes

Champagne & Cigars at Magsons Towers, Miramar

Managing Director of Geno Pharmaceuticals Private Limited, Dr. Sagar Dilip Salgaocar has been appointed as Co-Chairman for ASSOCHAM Goa Council. Dr. Sagar D. Salgaocar has pursued MBBS and MS (Ortho). Apart from being acknowledged as a pharma industry expert, Dr. Sagar is also the Managing Director of ‘EstiloModerno Realty’, a real estate company. He is passionate about sports and is a part of Geno Sports Club. He has immensely contributed towards society through CSR interventions initiated by Geno Foundation. Commenting on this new role, Dr. Salgaocar said “I am delighted to be appointed as Co-Chairman for ASSOCHAM Goa Council. ASSOCHAM, as one of the oldest and apex knowledge chambers of India, has such a rich heritage and lineage of leadership. I would work with all zeal and zest to leverage the unfolding opportunities in the state of Goa”

Santosh Tari is a well-known graphic designer and art director who hasworked at a senior level in various advertising agencies in Mumbai, including R K Swamy BBDO, ImageAds, Percept, Interpub, FSA, Clea.

Tari moved to Goa in 1998 to start his advertising agency, Discovery Vynotee. A professional with a keen sense of visual communication, Tari has a long list of clients that he has worked with during his entrepreneurial stint in Goa.

Recently, he made headlines for designing the logo for the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup India 2022, that was held in the state. “The logo has been designed keeping in mind that it is for girls under 17, the football connect, a game that Goans love, identity of a girl and the Goan heritage, while the colours depicts the sun, sand and sea which is what Goa is about,” said Tari, explaining the concept behind the logo

Dr Thamban Meloth has been appointed the new Director of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR, an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Dr Meloth has been associated with NCPOR since 2002 in various roles. Prior to this, he was associated with the National Institute of Oceanography as research fellow and scientist. Dr Meloth’s current research focuses on the climate variability and its impact on glaciers in Polar Regions. He was instrumental in establishing India’s first and state-of-the-art Ice Core Laboratory in 2005. He has undertaken several scientific expeditions to Antarctica, the Arctic, Himalayas and Southern Ocean. He was also a member of an exclusive team that undertook an extremely challenging 2300 km snow journey over the frozen Antarctic continent as part of the first Indian Scientific Expedition from the South Pole to the North Pole in 2010

The world of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has evolved over the past decade, to become an integral part of corporate governance. The World Economic Forum (WEF) defines CSR as a social policy that aims to improve well-being and economic development in society.

The Copperleaf team, under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity, was fortunate to participate in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a TB-free India by 2025. Ni-kshay MitraVishwanath S. Pai Bir, Director, COO of Vishwamukta Pvt. Ltd. Unit Copperleaf provided nutritional baskets, as nutritional support to TB patients, to the Medical Officer in-charge Dr. Atul Pai Bir, CHC Sankhali in the presence of the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, at CHC Sankhali.

The Copperleaf team has thanked Dr. Atul Pai Bir for recommending this initiative and getting them on board to provide nutritional support for 10 TB patients.

They have also acknowledged the central and state governments for encouraging private organisations to be part of this initiative. The team hopes that all stakeholders will work together to make TBfree India by 2025, five years ahead of the globally set deadline of 2030

1. The Zurich Financial Services Group was initially set up to provide which type ofservice?

2. Which Indian hotels group was established by Patu Keswani in 2002?

3. In 1993, with which Indian company did Procter & Gamble form an alliance?

4. In January 2004, which economist published ‘In Defense of Globalization’, a book in which he argues that globalization, when properly governed, is the most powerful force for social good?

5. In which year did Reliance Industries first float its shares on the stock exchange?

6. Which Indian automotive project was known as ‘Project Mint’ in its early stages?

7. According to Hurun India Rich List 2022, which Indian leads the donees list?

8. Power Engineering, India’s leading genset maker is part of which Goan group?

9. Dan Wieden, the advertising stalwart, is known for craftingwhich timeless line for Nike?

10. Which pharma company makes Iodex?

11. Identify this founder of a famous fashion brand

Answers to BG Quiz

L'Oreal

Sagar Dilip Salgaoncar appointed co-Chairman for ASSOCHAM Goa Council

Pai Bir COO of Vishwamukta Pvt Ltd. becomes Ni-kshay Mitra

Santosh

Dr Meloth

Dr. Atul Pai Bir, Dr. Pramod Sawant and Vishwanath Pai Bir (second from right) and others