Business Goa September 2020

september 2020

VOL 6 ISSUE 9 panaji goa

goa’s only business magazine

RNI No.: goaeng/2015/59955

Postal license no.: G-2/RNP/Monthly/Goa-19/2018-20

industry dossier

mining

The State Government has suggested an amendment to the Goa, Daman & Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, to bring the leases in Goa at par with the rest of India

ayesha barretto Radio jockey, singer, compere and writer, speaks about her life and work

u-fra sanitizers Made-in-Goa innovation to combat COVID-19

dr praveen khullar about his plans as President of Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association

tourism

Draft rules of new registration fees has led to displeasure among shack owners and stakeholders

industry

expresses its displeasure over Goa’s dismal performance in ‘Ease of Doing Business’ Rankings

ajai chowdhry

“Modern wars are fought with semiconductors”

The founder of HCL makes an impassioned plea for India to lead the tech revolution

News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features

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contents Cover Story 12

The founder of HCL makes an impassioned plea for the nation to up its technology game

Focus Goa: Real Estate 16

The real estate sector across the globe has suffered immense blows, this time owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Goa-based realtors would like to cash in on ‘Brand Goa’

Focus Goa: GST 18

The Centre has informed States that the estimated shortfall of `2.35 lakh crore this fiscal year can be met by borrowing from the market against future tax revenues

12

Focus Goa: Mining 20

The State Government has suggested an amendment to the Goa, Daman & Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, which is being considered by the Union

Focus Goa: Industry 22

Industry stakeholders are disappointed with Goa’s dismal performance on the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ranking

Focus Goa: Tourism 24 32

Draft rules of new registration fees for the tourism sector, has led to displeasure among shack owners and stakeholders

38

36 16

50

Starting Young 26

Zenelyn Afonso and Rukma Prabhudesai speak about their creative marketing agency and the services offered by them

Innovation 28

Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Hemant Usgaonkar and Frank Fernandes, two highly experienced and skilled engineers, bring to Goa and Goans, ‘U-Fra’ sanitizer units

52

26

45

COLUMNS

46 Corporate Citizen

Daniel Albuquerque discusses the recent amendments made to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016

47 Wealth Doctor

Amiya Sahu speaks about the various risks involved in investing

48 Beyond Classroom

Dr Pradeep Salgaonkar writes on why building brand habits are important for businesses

49 Uncomplicate Business Sunil Dias on indicators that could help to bring businesses back on the growth charts

Goan Brand 30

Jolynn Carneiro has adopted life skills to design quirky products and wholesome content with Nonsense Curry

Interview 32

President of Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Association, Dr Praveen Khullar, speaks about his term in office and the impact of COVID-19 on the pharma business in Goa

Professional Dossier 36

Well-known gynecologist and obstetrician, Dr. Neha (Tarna) Khadpe speaks of her fascination for the medical field, her experiences over the years and women’s health issues

Lady Power 38

Radio jockey, singer, compere and writer, Ayesha Barretto speaks of the myriad things that she loves doing

Bon Appétit 50

Fernando and Griselda speak of Our White Door, a representation of globally accepted concepts with a local touch; and computer engineer-turned-baker, Siya Wadji, on her passion for baking that led to the creation of her venture, Sweetpeeps

06 Editorial 08 Corpo Scan 34 Campus 34 BookShelf 35 Toastmasters 40 Enterprise 42 Hospitality 44 New Biz 45 Biz Bytes 54 Newsmakers 54 BG Quiz 04 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

editorial Vocal for Local september 2020 Publisher & Editor Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Co-Publisher & Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly Advisory Board Datta Damodar Naik Ralph de Sousa Rajiv D’Silva Swapnil Kamat Business Head Annalise Gouveia Chief Reporter Sybil Rodrigues Admin & Accounts Ashok Kolvekar Distribution & Logistics Mayur Santinezkar Contributors in this Issue Ameya Nayak Amiya Sahu Daniel Albuquerque Dr. Pradeep Salgaonkar Sunil Dias Editorial, Advertising & Administrative Office

Business Goa

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

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

The Goan sentiment that an expert is someone from out town is slowly shedding its overgrown plumage – what with our Goan girls and boys shining inside and outside of India in the entrepreneurial and digital space.

The honourable Prime Minister’s clarion call of ‘vocal for local’ is indeed the need of the hour and has the potential to work magic for the micro economy of every State and region.

The economic slowdown and disaster due to the covid-19 pandemic has brought many small businesses to their knees.

Small mom and pop shops that needed your custom to run their household, put a decent meal on the table and children through schools, have been staring at uncertainty about their livelihoods.

Goa has a huge microcosm of small businesses and cottage industries. With lack of formal structures that actually help them flourish, the fortunes of these entrepreneurs have been by and large run on the drive and steam generated by their own self. And with lack of social or economic safeguards, this is a path that many don’t wish for their children to pursue.

Many of the small entrepreneurs are into trading goods of modest worth. A significant number of micro businesses are into manufacturing of engineering parts or repairing machineries for industries. Some others are into service oriented occupations like travel agencies, beauty salons, bake shops and desk top publishing / print shops.

All these self starters have had to bear the brunt of the pandemic.

The ‘vocal for local’ siren is a very powerful tool to churn the local economy.

By promoting and buying local – even hyperlocal, the funds will build a sense of relevance and bolster confidence among people pursuing entrepreneurship or selfemployment.

Cottage industry is another aspect of the State’s economy that has been allowed to wither away and not gain its deserved spot

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly on the table. Many travellers when in Goa, look for original Goan clayware... but the lack of availability at popular spots or the monopoly of selling them through Stateowned emporia has made the economies of scale unviable for the practitioners of traditional Goan craft and handicraft.

Even those eking out a living from farm and animal produce find their meagre earnings at weekly markets, many of which are not functioning even a quarter of their worth of pre-COVID days.

For Goan economy to thrive, it is essential that the micro entrepreneurs of the state, survive.

We can make a beginning by buying from our local vendors – across your price band. I’m sure the market has enough players to compete in a healthy manner with their goods and services across the State.

The caveat, however, is not to engage in this out of charity or goodwill. Do this in the spirit of boosting the local economy.

Encourage where your vendor deserves, dish our constructive criticism when there is scope for improvement. Expect the best and put your views across regarding the same – this will also improve the delivery and quality benchmarks of your vendors.

Many a time we see a business closed and just nod our head wistfully on the entrepreneurial failure. Instead, it is time that NGOs who purpose is to support businesses, should come up to handhold entrepreneurs in their moments of need. We look at other aspects of life like substance abuse, mental health, animal rescue as our responsibility to society. Maybe it is time that some right thinking individuals with entrepreneurship as their passion come forward to curate and create a community of hyperlocal entrepreneur-focussed NGO in a simple and uncomplicated format... so that ‘vocal for local’ becomes a reality.

Who knows, you may someday create a model for the nation to follow

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

06 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

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GIDC to cut off water supply at Verna, if dues not paid by industry Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) has asked industrial units in the Verna Industrial Estate to pay up `3 crore arrears for raw water supply within 10 days, failing which they will cut off the water supply to the industries.

The government has warned industrialists that if the amount is not paid, the matter will be referred to the revenue court for recovery proceedings.

Meanwhile, Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) has written to Chief Minister, Dr Pramod Sawant reminding him of the BJP government’s promise in 2018 to charge industrial units for raw water at `10 per m3, instead of `25 per m3.

However, for the past 3 years

GIDC has continued outstanding raw water to bill industrial arrears amounting to estates at `25, while `3, 04, 87,320 (about industries are paying `3.48 crore) within the bill at `10 per m3. ten days.

Former Chief “You are hereby Minister Manohar directed to pay the Parrikar and Sawant arrears of raw water in 2018 and 2019 bill within 10 days respectively, had Damodar Kochkar from receipt of this assured Verna Industrial notice in order to avoid any Estate that the price of raw action against you, which may water would be reduced, include even disconnection of a promise that industries raw water supply to your unit,” minister Vishwajit Rane and said a notice signed by Field GIDC Chairman Glen Ticlo Manager J V Gawandalkar. were a part of. However, GSIA President, Damodar there seems to be no forward Kochkar, in his letter to acttion on the same.

Dr Sawant, has requested Verna Industries the Government to settle Association has received the issue. The letter dated a notice dated August 28, August 20, 2020 states, “You 2020 from the field officer of will kindly recall that, at the Goa Industrial Development Annual Function of GSIA on Corporation to pay the 28th June 2019, where you

Government still undecided on reduction of excise fees

The State government has still not decided on the reduction of excise fees despite growing demand from bar owners.

The bar operators have been making representations to the Excise Department to grant them financial relief citing loss of business, due to the COVID-19 pandemic since March-end.

While the decision is pending, sources in the government have pointed out to huge loss of economy to the State exchequer, as well.

The bar owners have submitted representations seeking financial relief from the excise department as their businesses were shut due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown. These establishments have claimed

huge financial loss due to the closure. The All Goa Bar and Restaurant Association has been leading the operators seeking from the government rebate in electricity bills and reduction of excise license fees as was assured when they earlier submitted memorandums.

The demand states that fees should be exempted for entire 2020-21 as bars have been closed for half of the financial year. Or at least extend the renewal without fees for a period of 6 months.

The license timing should be extended from 11 pm to 12 pm. The payment of electricity and water bills should be completely exempted from March 2020 as the premises have been shut and the billing is made on the basis of average use when no electricity is used and the same is exorbitant.

These demands were sent to the government last month.

Meanwhile, the Excise Department had twice extended the deadline to submit applications for renewal of licenses

08 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

were the Chief Guest, you had promised our members that the assurance for reduction of raw water rate to `10 per cubic metre given to Verna industries by former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar would be honoured in three months’ time. Since then, we have been following up on this issue with you and in our meeting with you in February 2020, you had informed us that WRD has worked out the cost of pumping raw water from S. I. P. D2-D3 Canal at Davorlim village to Verna Industrial Estate at `9.60 per cm3 and, therefore, the industries should agree to pay `15 per cm3, that is `10 to WRD and `5 to Goa-IDC. The proposed raw water charges at `15 per cm3 were agreed by us”

GIDC finds illegal squatters on open land at industrial estates

Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) and industry representatives were taken by surprise when a routine exercise to survey open spaces in industrial estates, in order to develop them into industrial plots, revealed that few of the open spaces have been encroached upon. This has led to the GIDC officials issuing show-cause notices to the encroachers asking them to demolish or correct the error.

GIDC Managing Director, Derrick P Neto, has promised to take appropriate action against encroachers while also stating that the industry body also plans to put in place a policy that will offer existing entrepreneurs the adjacent plots at a 50% higher price.

These encroachments came to be known after GIDC made an announcement that open spaces would be developed to be made into industrial plots following which GSIA and Verna Industries Association members conducted surveys at open spaces at Verna before

the land could be demarcated for plots.

Commenting on the development, GSIA President Damodar Kochkar said, “GIDC made plans for plots which they sent to me before the board meeting. I saw that on one of the plots, they have made already a structure. At the board meeting, when all plots were discussed, I told them that there is a structure in one of the plots.”

According to GIDC data, Adage Automation Pvt Ltd has encroached into two open plots at Verna admeasuring 1,911 and 1,970 sq. mts.

Neto in his statement has further said that in the next board meeting, a policy decision is going to be made to existing entrepreneurs’ adjacent plots at higher rates which will also aid GIDC in earning revenue. Nonetheless, industry representatives have demanded for strict action to be taken against irregularities with an objective of sending across a stern message to deter any such encroachments in future

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Crowd-funding for economic revival: Costabir With the ongoing pandemic crisis hitting the economy of the state badly, CII-Goa chairman Blaise Costabir has suggested crowd-funding to kick-start revival.

He said that revival of the economy can only come about by increased spending by people and suggested higher spending from financially well off residents of the State.

Urging well-off Goans to spend, Costabir stated that by spending only the economy would crank up and GST would flow to the government.

The CII-Goa Chairman said that Goans need to step up spending on local products and higher spending can be on the simplest of products such as local vegetables.

He also asked residents

to start their own business, especially Goans who have come back from overseas to the State after losing their job.

According to Costabir, Goans need to start their own businesses as they wait for the economy to revive. A person may have to go back to work after the economy revives, but others in the family can continue with the business and it will result in the creation of an enterprise, he explained.

Costabir was speaking on a social media programme where he was expressing his views on economic revival. He said that with the pandemic shutting down physical classes in schools and colleges it is all right to consider 2020-21 as a ‘gap year’

Goa absent on State Startup Ranking 2019 Goa has failed to find a position in the ‘State Startup Ranking 2019’ released by the Department for Promotion and Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce, despite being home to approximately 100 local startups.

The startup ranking list include a total of 22 States and 3 Union Territories.

“The State of Goa does not find itself in the ranking list as it did not participate in the ranking exercise,” a source from the Startup Promotion Cell said. Further addding that Goa could not apply for the ranking framework conducted by the DPIIT as it was included among large states placed in the X category. The State government had even written to the DPIIT to consider the size and population of Goa and change its category from X to Y for better evaluation.

The same issue was also raised during the Global VC Summit of Startup India held in December 2019.

The ranking exercise was conducted by officials

of DPIIT in July-August 2019. All hopes for having Goa featured in the ranking list have now been directed towards the 2020 State Startup Ranking. Officials are certain that Goa would perform well considering the work done in terms of enabling the local startup ecosystem, disbursal of incentives, etc.

The 2019 ranking list saw Gujarat at the top of the class, with the ‘best startup ecosystem; in India while Karnataka and Kerala are ‘top performers’. Andaman and Nicobar Islands is the top ‘performer’ among Union Territories.

The ranking happens to be broadly based on 7 reform areas that include 30 action points that range from institutional support to easing compliances to incubation support, relaxation in public procedures, seed funding support, venture funding support and awareness and outreach. As far as the ranking for the previous year i.e. 2018 is concerned, Goa found itself at the 15th position

10 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

LIC - Goa ranks second all-India in first year premium income

Amidst the pandemic crisis, LIC - Goa division accomplished robust sales of new insurance policies. The Corporation’s local office ranked second all-India in first year premium income from new policies registering a growth rate of 28.2 per cent.

Sanjay Dayal, senior divisional manager, Goa division, revealed that, in the current financial year, as on August 2020, LIC sold 12,761 new policies in the State and earned `112.6 crore premium income. He added that, during 2019-20, the Goa division achieved 66,897 policies with `217.0 crore premium income.

Dayal stated that during the previous financial year, the Goa division settled 103314 maturity and survival benefit cases for an amount of `531.4 crore. Further 2,874 death claims were settled with an outgo of `36.3 crores. At

present, the Goa division is servicing more than 11.4 lakh customers owning insurance policies.

He added that the Goa operations comprise 11 branches and three satellite offices. It has a strength of 3,845 agents, of which 52 belong to the million dollar round table, 16 crorepati and 112 ‘shatakveer’ agents in addition to 108 development officers and 439 administrative staff in various cadres.

LIC recently celebrated ‘Insurance Week’.

The Corporation completed 64 years and continues to better its performance, thereby winning people’s trust.

LIC remains the dominant life insurance company in India with a market share of 75.9 per cent in policies and 68.7 per cent in first year premium as on March 31 2020

Travel Operators demand air bubble with 3 nations With entry restrictions for domestic travellers lifted, the hospitality industry is anxious to have a similar relaxation for international travellers too. Travel operators handling international bookings, including charter operators, have now requested the Goa government to push for an air bubble with Russia, the UK and Poland.

India has extended the ban on international flights till September end. Goa’s charter season takes off in October while bookings usually start as early as AprilMay. This season, bookings have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The representatives of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) met with the tourism secretary J Ashok Kumar and tourism director Menino D’Souza, urging for an air bubble with Russia, the UK and Poland.

Goa receives around 9

lakh international tourists per year, with charter components in the range of 2-2.5 lakh.

Travellers from the UK and Russia constitute the largest chunk of its international guests.

Chief Operating Officer at TCI and Sita, Ernest Dias, said although they have been receiving queries from their regular operator, especially Russia, its important that international flights resume at the earliest if bookings are to start. He added that charter operators are ready to come but international borders have to open. “Our request is to have an air bubble arrangement as it exists in other countries and to allow scheduled and charter flights to land in Goa”.

TTAG President, Nilesh Shah, while pitching for Goa as an international holiday destination, said that it has to be done cautiously with sufficient measures in place, given the pandemic

cover Story

Given the current geopolitical situation, the Government must reform its policies for electronics manufacturing, to enable India’s security and self-reliance says senior IT entrepreneur Ajai Chowdhry

ajai chowdhry

“Modern wars are fought with semiconductors” 12 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

www.businessgoa.in

I

n 1996, ITA 1 agreement was signed by India to bring in a zero-duty regime for IT hardware products by 2005.

This was signed without any discussions with the industry.

It led to the decimation of the SMEs, and destroyed innovation as the country was not prepared for it. A country that created IT products ground up (HCL, Wipro, etc) slowly moved to cheap imports and trading instead of manufacturing.

In 1999, prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee set up the PM’s Task Force for hardware, of which I was a member.

Under the leadership of Late Dr Seshagiri and Jaswant Singh, we created a policy to prepare the industry for 2005.

Alas, it never saw the light of the day.

Come 2005, we wrote a paper on bringing the semiconductors (SIPS) and component-manufacturing ecosystem to India. This also floundered.

Further, in 2009, the government set up a task force chaired by me. This had deep representation of the industry, and we made pathbreaking recommendations – most of which were accepted by the government. We had predicted that the electronics import bill will gallop and exceed the oil import bill. The recommendations were: 1. Setting up of a National Electronics Mission on the basis of space (this was not implemented), 2. MSIPS-incentive scheme for manufacturing: This was implemented, but the internal approval process killed it, 3.

Preferential market access for domestically manufactured products – was vigorously opposed by vested interests and never really got traction (now, we are talking about vocal for local), 4. Creating a semiconductor fab – still floundering, and 5. Electronic Development Fund to promote R&D in electronics – partially implemented.

In 2011, the PSA created

a core advisory group for R&D in the Electronic Hardware Sector (CAREL).

I co-chaired this, and we recommended that we should focus on ‘volume’ products and create a strategy to design these through a ‘design challenge’ and then provide these designs to various manufacturers to ‘Make in India’. The following products were suggested: smart meters, micro ATMs, tablets and converged mobile devices for education, tele-medicine, surveillance cameras, lowcost Indian smartphones, and set-top boxes.

There was progress on none of these, except for creating a local STB software.

By now, we could have had Indian products. So, this was a case of missed opportunities, and the country lost precious time to make itself selfsufficient.

By such time, Chinese companies started dominating phone imports into the country. Then came the new electronics policy in which the phased manufacturing programme (PMP) was created specifically for mobile phones. This revived the industry and created a vibrant manufacturing ecosystem albeit with lowvalue addition. However, the domestic brands just could not survive, and today, the industry is dominated by the Chinese.

The geopolitical status has dramatically changed this year. China has been very aggressive, and entered Indian territory. China has

been flexing its muscle in a large number of countries.

China and Pakistan seem to be working together to destabilise India. Most people don’t know, but as per Maroof Raza (TOI, June 6, 2020), the Chinese agenda is to have access to an abundance of water to manufacture microchips.

In the meantime, the government has come up with a very attractive scheme to invite mobile manufacturing and the component ecosystem to India.

A Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme provides 4-6% incentive for those who can do volume manufacturing, and the concept is to get five global champions and five domestic champions. This is applicable from August 1. Twentytwo applications have been received as this has attracted investors globally. It would be good if we take a quick decision within the next three-four weeks to ensure that the interest is kept alive.

Also, the government has rightly turned policy to a new direction, towards Atmanirbhar Bharat in key identified industries, to create global scale. If we really want to utilise the key strengths of India, we must focus on ‘design in India’ as well as ‘manufacture in India’, as design creates IP and higher value addition in the country.

Today, all major IT companies like HCL, TCS, Wipro, do a lot of designing for global customers. But with all this capability, we hardly design

Ajai Chowdhry conferring ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Award’ on Atul Pai Kane at the NRB Group Business Goa Awards 2019; along with presenting sponsor Narayan R. Bandekar

for India.

So, now we need to urgently move beyond mobile phone manufacturing in electronics. We need to look at high volume products like TVs and set-top boxes in consumer electronics, and also go after the $360-billion global market for desktops, laptops, servers and datacom products.

The demand for such products has dramatically increased due to ‘work from home’ and online teaching.

We should look at providing a similar PLI scheme to attract investments.

We have not really paid attention to reviving the MSMEs (the backbone of India) for creating the component ecosystem. They should also be covered under the PLI scheme. A major import item, PCBs, should also be covered under PLI. We have not acted on IT products till now due to WTO, but given the current security threat posed by China, we can easily take such decisions to ensure a trusted value-chain for the digital security of the nation. How do we know anything about ‘backdoors’ and spyware sitting inside electronic hardware? These can result in serious cyber-attacks on major defence, power, space, homeland security, financial infrastructure, and can bring these down overnight. India has already made a start by barring Chinese apps.

The time has come to take action on hardware which can be more dangerous than software. The US has taken strong action on this.

A range of med-tech products should also be identified for design and manufacture in India.

But, SMEs should not be overlooked, as I can see happening in the draft policy.

“Modern wars are fought with semiconductors” – Senator Ben Sasse, Senate Intelligence Committee, USA. Should we or should we not create fabs in India? In

september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 13

cover Story

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Ajai Chowdhry: Flagbearer of India’s IT Vision

A

By sybil rodrigues

jai Chowdhry, began an exciting journey more than four decades ago with a dream of giving India its very own microcomputer.

His sheer clarity of vision and hard work led to a revolution and laid down the foundation for the Indian IT industry, putting India on the map of the major economies of the world. He is one of the six founder members of HCL, India’s original IT garage startup founded in 1976, and today is a Rs 50000 crore (US $7.5 billion) global enterprise.

Chowdhry has been a key force in driving in the growth of HCL. He led the foundation of HCL’s overseas operations, starting with Singapore in 1980s and later expanded to the other South Asian Markets. Chowdhry, son of an IAS officer, was also a major force in driving the growth of HCL Infosystems, the flagship company of the group. He took over the reins of HCL Infosystems in early 90s and became the Chairman of the company in 1999. His leadership infused tremendous energy, into the company, thus taking HCL from a turnover of Rs. 400.6 crores (US $ 89 mn) in 1994 to Rs.11,542 crores (US $ 2.6 bn). Today, the company has emerged as India’s informationenabling powerhouse and was also awarded ‘Business Superbrands’ by The Brand

Council and rated the Most Trusted Indian IT Brand by Economic Times in 2010-11.

Chowdhry has constantly been driving a vision of “IT for the masses” and has been on several Government committees working towards taking personal computers and broadband connections into every village in India.

It was this vision that made HCL Infosystems the first company in India to create special products for the rural market place like a rural PC that works on a car battery or specially developed financial inclusion software and hardware products.

He is the Chairman of the Electronics Sector Skills Council. Chowdhry is also currently the Co-Chairman of the Working Group for Development of Innovation and IP in the ESDM sector.

In 2011, he was decorated with the prestigious Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian honours in the country, in recognition of

his consistent contribution in building the IT industry in India.

Chowdhry was awarded the DATAQUEST ‘IT Person of the Year 2007’ Award and ‘Electronics Man of the Year’

by ELCINA-EFY for 2010. He was also honoured with the CNBC Asia Business Award 2010 for the Viewer’s Choice category.

He was awarded the “India Innovator of the Year Award” by then Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee at the 6th edition of CNBC TV18 India Business Leader Awards 2010.

Chowdhry was also honoured with the Cybermedia Business ICT Award 2013 for Lifetime Achievement in ICT

by Narendra Modi in January 2014.

In August 2014, he has been awarded Honoris Causa (D. Sc.) by the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Design & Manufacturing, Jabalpur in recognition of the significant contribution he has made to the Indian

trying to answer this question, we have lost 10 years or more. Now, the geopolitical situation has dramatically changed. It is no longer a question of “should we or should we not” but “what to do, how to do and when to do”. India, with its electronicsimport bill ballooning to $55 billion and facing a security threat if any of the chips used in the product are designed in China, needs to cover lost ground fast. (Are there

backdoors somewhere?)

I strongly believe we should create a full ecosystem, with strong incentives, to go after this. This will entail: 1. Creating an R&D facility on the lines of IMEC, Belgium, 2. Quickly acquiring secondhand fab of 28 nm, which will take care of a large part of India’s current need, instead of going after the most modern fab; this will not cost more than $500–700 million. Alternatively, attract

a Samsung-type company to move existing fab to India, 3. Setting up a fab, for speciality technologies – GAN, SIC, high-voltage devices, RF, AMS; this will have a good domestic market for inverters, chargers, EV, etc, and will not cost more than $500-700 mn, 4. Upgrading the strategic SCL fab to 90/65 nm, 5. Attracting at least two assembly-test-mark-pack (ATMP) facilities, and

Ajai Chowdhry receives Cybermedia Business ICT Award from Shri Narendra Modiji

14 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

IT industry and thought leadership in the field.

Gifted with a strong sense of entrepreneurship, Chowdhry has been enlisted among ‘India’s Most Powerful Brand Builders’ and has been adjudged among ‘India Inc’s Most Powerful CEOs’ by The Economic Times.

Presently, he is focusing on incubating entrepreneurship by aiding start-ups. He is also on the Board of Indian Angel Network and has invested in many startups. He continues to give back to the society through his in-depth experience and understanding of the industry. He lectures on entrepreneurship at IIT Hyderabad and IIT Patna.

He was nominated by the President of India to be Chairman for IIT Hyderabad and then Chairman of IIT Patna. He has been appointed as the Chairman of International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Naya Raipur.

Chowdhry has also always focused on giving back to the society and this is not limited to his role in contributing to the Indian IT scenario but also several social initiatives which he is a part of. He has established a charitable trust called ‘Swayam’ which is committed to providing educational support to deserving children who, due to financial constraints, do not have the privilege of a firstrate and decent education www.businessgoa.in

6. Creating at least 100 fabless startups and giving PLI benefits to them.

Also, we must bring in an NRI champion to India, with deep experience in semiconductor technology.

This is how Taiwan created its industry – by bringing Morris Chang.

Finally, if we take the right steps, we can be the next electronics hub for the world. It all depends on our aspiration Courtesy: Financial Express

@businessgoa

Ajai Chowdhry contributes `42 lakhs to fight COVID-19 in Goa

D

By ameya nayak

r.

Ajai Chowdhry, Founder, HCL and Padma Bhushan awardee has stepped forward and made a generous donation of `42 Lakhs to the Goa government to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds that he has donated would be utilized to provide five high performance ventilators and five HFNO machines along with one decontaminating chamber for various hospitals. Chowdhry made the donation on behalf of his trust the Swayam Charitable Trust which has constantly been supporting the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD).

Chowdhry and his family has been living in Goa and are residents of the state for atleast five months in a year. Commenting on the

Ajai Chowdhry receives Padma Bhushan from then President of India Smt Pratibha Patil

development, Chowdhry has said, “I feel like I am giving back to the State. I have selected the best Indian ventilator – the award winning Noccarc V310 as I strongly believe in encouraging Indian products. Also, I have selected the world’s first N95

decontaminating machine created by Chakr, an IIT Delhi incubated company.”

Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, while offering his comments on Chowdhry’s contribution, said that he has set an example by contributing generously to the noble

motivate other stalwarts who are in Goa to also make their contributions to the cause.

Chowdhry, while commenting on the outbreak of the pandemic said that this is one of the toughest challenges the world has ever faced, especially in India which happens to be a densely populated country.

He proudly spoke of how the country is his top priority and appealed to everyone to act quickly and support each other as much as we can.

While firmly reinstating that he will continue to support ongoing efforts to battle the virus, Chowdhry advised the State mechanism, private entities and philanthropic organizations to come together and act swiftly to ensure that the right medical equipment and resources are made available in Goa

cause of fighting COVID. Dr Sawant also expressed his gratitude towards Chowdhry and said that his move would

september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 15

focus goa / real estate

@businessgoa

The Realities of Real Estate in times of COVID -19

The real estate space across the globe has suffered immense blows, this time owing to the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the sector in Goa is looking optimistically at the days to come

W

By ameya nayak

hile the ongoing Corona virus pandemic has taken almost every aspect of life for a toss, the nationwide lockdown that followed has drastically stalled major business sectors across India, setting aside essential services. More importantly, a major sector that has faced uncertainty is real estate. The sector across the country, which was one of the top contributors to the nation’s economic growth, has seen a considerable stand still since over a billion people went under severe restrictions since the lockdown was first imposed.

While most realtors across India feel that property prices may witness a fall of about 10 to 20% across locations, the prices of land could see an even bigger fall of about 30% – making this, one of the worst corrections ever since any global financial crisis has occurred.

It is no surprise that the real estate sector has been going through a rough patch for a couple of years now; beginning with demonetisation, the coming in of GST, and RERA in 2016 and the latest being the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Undoubtedly, COVID has led to absolute desolation of real estate with several construction activities

coming to an abrupt halt.

While various realtors in Goa believe that property sales have dipped by up to 60%, they are of the general opinion that elevated dependence on supply chains, labourers migrating, increasing costs and liquidity related concerns are some of the major challenges that this sector has been dealing with. As far as new projects are concerned, the real estate stakeholders in the State have admitted that there have been very few novel projects that have been undertaken by this sector since the beginning of 2020.

Offering her insights into the current realty situation in Goa, well-known realtor Audrey Menezes of Dina Real Estate & Hotel Consultants says that people tend to think negatively on how the pandemic has affected real

16 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

estate on the down side; but surprisingly, properties in Goa especially rentals with respect to residential high end properties have been displaying immense demand with there being a flood of enquiries to get a hold of such properties. Further, such rentals or re-location on part of the purchasers is not because of loss of jobs or employment but more so because people feel the need to have a better life.

“Initially, during the lockdown, clients would want to rent properties in Goa for 2-3 months. However, now her clientele has been approaching her with offers to rent properties for as long as an entire year to try it out and many have also been considering moving to Goa, more so because the pandemic has made the world realize the practicality of the concept of ‘work from home’ which means they could still have their jobs but work from any location”, says Audrey.

She further mentions that, as far as demand between rental and purchase is concerned, the demand for rentals is way higher in comparison to outright purchases especially for houses and fully furnished homes rather than office spaces. While 80% of the buyers are looking for

“The Indian industry is expected to see a surge once the pandemic ends and so will the real estate sector in Goa. There is no place like Goa, in India. Goa is emerging to be a favourite destination for post-retirement living or just a holiday home, among the top honchos of Indian industry!”

Denzil Xavier

Real Estate Consultant

“Various Government employees who had plans to purchase property have had to shelve their plans as the Government offered loan scheme has been discontinued. To make it worse, various employees have also lost their jobs and are facing severe pay cuts that has directly and indirectly affected the market”

Nilesh Salkar

President, credai - goa

fully furnished homes, the remaining 20% are interested in semi-furnished or non furnished home/ apartments.

Most homes being rented are in the range of `60,000 to 1 lakh and many going up to 1.5 lakhs and in certain cases even up to 4 lakhs rental per month.

According to Audrey, the strategy to keep real estate in Goa on the go is based on the ideology of people across the country and for that matter, the globe – of moving to Goa, even if we are struck by COVID. Nevertheless, that has not affected the quality of life in the state.

Geographically speaking, Audrey mentions having almost no enquiries for properties in South Goa which means that the demand is mostly in the Northern district with the highest demand being for plots ‘with a

www.businessgoa.in

view’ or luxury plots specially from the out-of-State clientele who fall within the bracket of HNI or the affluent Indians.

In her view, the reason behind the demand for properties in Goa is because people in Goa tend to handle situations differently, be more cautious, take precautions to remain safe during pandemics and yet balance that with good quality life by venturing out of the homes with social distancing in place. She mentions how there is an increasing need to streamline the field of real estate and buy only from established and genuine realtors who are part of the Goa Association of Realtors, whose members believe in fair practices whether with the quality of the property or the pricing. She feels that the real estate scenario in an aesthetically pleasing state like Goa is only going to get better and hopefully, Goa will manage to sell a lot of the unsold inventory especially the medium sized homes.

In another view, eminent realtor, Denzil Xavier, said that the global COVID pandemic has, needless to say, adversely affected all businesses and cash flows, with real estate industry being no exception to the same.

According to Denzil, some of the prime casualties that the real estate sector in Goa is currently dealing with include: a. Delay in completion of under-construction projects that have come to a complete standstill and post the lockdown, developers are taking time to restart fullfledged operations owing to labour constraints in Goa. b. Dip in sales and deferred launch of new projects that has in turn postponed decision to purchase real estate in this uncertain atmosphere. c. Negligible impact on price in Goa as the state has witnessed less volatility during these tough times compared to the rest of India. Therefore, considering

the fact that Goa is a much sought-after destination for property shopping, the prices especially of land are expected to remain stagnant in the short term. The pricing of built-up spaces both residential and commercial however, has been affected to a certain extent, especially in the secondary market due to various factors, mainly economical. d.

Major impact on commercial real estate leasing due to restructuring and closure of businesses.

Businesses are cutting their losses till such time the whole pandemic is over and done with. The food & beverage industry and tourism sector being severely impacted due to shutdown of business, this has led to cancellation or restructuring of long-term leases.

However, Denzil also says that there have been a couple of positive developments emerging from mid-April, as his firm has been receiving enquiries from NRIs and second home buyers who have been looking to settle down in Goa. Offering his suggestions to keep the real estate scenario in Goa afloat, Denzil says, “Indian industry is expected to see a surge once the pandemic ends and so will the real estate sector in Goa. There is no place like Goa in India. Goa is emerging to be a favourite destination for postretirement living or just a holiday home, among the top honchos of Indian Industry!”

“During the last few months of the pandemic, if one goes by the status of the enquiries that we have received, there seems to be a demand picking up for independent villas with spacious gardens and with picturesque views of the water bodies, fields or just greenery or similar villas in gated complexes having low density of the number of units.

Therefore, it is imperative that Goa’s environment, both natural and social is protected at all times and only then, will

“My clients have been approaching me with offers to rent properties for as long as an entire year – to try it out; and many have also been considering moving to Goa, more so because, the pandemic has made the world realize the practicality of the concept of ‘work from home” Audrey Menezes

Dina Real Estate and Hotel Consultants

we be able to achieve more value for our real estate”, adds Denzil.

Nilesh Salkar, President of CREDAI opines that the realty market is slowly showing improvement but cannot really be labeled as fully healthy yet. “New sales in the past 3-4 months have been sliced to half of what used to occur before COVID happened. Various Government employees who had plans to purchase property have had to shelve their plans as the Government offered loan scheme has been discontinued. To make it

worse, various employees have also lost their jobs and are facing severe pay cuts that has directly and indirectly affected the market”, he adds.

All in all, while the real estate scene in the State is currently a varied one, it is expected to be more or less optimistic for investors as well as realtors. However, reputed real estate consultants and developers with a credible standing in the market are more likely to achieve an elevated grip on the business with prospective buyers and property investors, in the milieu of this predicament

september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 17

focus goa / gst

@businessgoamagazine

States look at GST revenue shortfall while Goa urges Centre to disburse GST compensation due, on an urgent basis

The Centre has informed States that the estimated shortfall of `2.35 lakh crore this fiscal year can be met by borrowing from the market against future tax revenues

By sybil rodrigues

U

nion Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman stated that there was no proposal to raise tax rates to make up for the shortfall that has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic hitting economic activity.

Sitharaman has cited a legal opinion from the Attorney General, eliminating the option of the Centre making up for the shortfall from either its coffers or by borrowing on its balance sheet.

The Centre has also made a distinction between revenue lost due to implementation of the GST and the economic slowdown arising out of the COVID crisis. The government said its legal obligation was only to compensate states arising out of the GST rollout.

The Centre has given two options for borrowing by states so as to meet estimated GST compensation shortfall of this year.

The two options are: 1) A special window can be provided to the states in consultation with the RBI at a reasonable interest rate for borrowing of `97000 crore.

The amount can be repaid

after five years (of GST implementation) ending 2022 from cess collection.

2) The states can borrow the entire `2.35 lakh crore shortfalls under the special window.

If the states agree to either of the options, it would effectively mean that cess would continue beyond five years of GST rollout.

Meanwhile, the cash strapped Goa Government has asked the Centre to urgently release the `1080 crore of GST compensation due to Goa from the `11000 crore that the Centre has in its kitty of GST cess.

State Transport Minister, Mauvin Godinho, after the GST council meeting, stated that the State has sought immediate disbursement of

“The revenue shortfall in GST collections has to be compensated by the Centre, this is the law. It is a constitutional provision. All States have made this demand that the Centre should release the compensation to those States that have not been paid” Mauvin Godinho Minister for Transport, Representative to the GST Council

18 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

In 2017, all States agreed to link their local taxes such as VAT into the new nationwide Goods and Services Tax, in return for the Centre promising to make good any loss of revenue in the first five years.

But with the economy slowing down, `70000 crore-shortfall was seen in the last fiscal year and this year it is estimated to widen to `2.35 lakh crore the pending dues.

Godinho said, “Our plea was simple. Bigger States like Maharashtra have pending dues of `22000 crore and more, but Goa’s dues are just 5% of this” Godinho further stated that Goa is disinclined to higher market borrowings at high interest rates as it would put the State in a ‘debt trap’.

“We will brief the Chief Minister and we will choose

the option. Most of the states will opt for option 2 where centre will do the borrowing on behalf of the State and it will be repaid along with interest from the cess collected”, Godinho added.

He also mentioned that the Centre has agreed to extend the GST transition period beyond five years for another three years.

Godinho said that a meeting will be held in early September to note the decisions taken by various states and decide how to raise the amount to collect the shortfall in the compensation cess, what was the rightfully due of the States and this would probably necessitate a change in law.

While States like Goa were more muffled in their criticism, non-NDA ruled states were against the Centre’s move to ask States to borrow and meet the deficit.

“The revenue shortfall in GST collections has to be compensated by the Centre, this is the law. It is a constitutional provision. All States have made this demand that the Centre should release the compensation to those States that have not been paid,” said Godinho.

Subsequently in the third week of September, the GST council will meet once again to review matters.

In 2017, all States agreed to link their local taxes such as VAT into the new nationwide goods and services tax in return for the Centre promising to make good any loss of revenue in the first five years. But with the economy slowing down, ` 70000 croreshortfall was seen in the last fiscal year and this year it is estimated to widen to `2.35 lakh crore

focus goa / mining

@businessgoa

CMO: Central Govt actively considering amendment to the Goa specific mining law

The State Government has suggested an amendment to the Goa, Daman & Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, to bring the leases in Goa at par with the rest of India. The same is under active consideration of the Central Government

C

By sybil rodrigues

hief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant has stated that the amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, as suggested by the Government of Goa, is under active consideration of the central government.

A statement was released by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), stating that the Group of Ministers, formed by the central government, has considered the case of Goa and the concerned department has been directed to prepare a proper report on the subject.

The release further said that Dr Sawant is persistently following up the issue with the central government and is optimistic about a pragmatic solution in this regard. The CMO also mentioned that there was a general perception in Goa that the chances of restarting mining were grim but the Chief Minister has a different view and he has persisted to resolve the issue.

The statement added, “In the month of June 2020, the

Chief Minister held a detailed discussion with the Advocate General Devidas J Pangam for a possible solution.

After an in-depth study and comprehensive discussion, it was decided that a two pronged strategy should be adopted by the state – to file a review petition against Goa Foundation II judgment delivered on February 7, 2018 by the Supreme Court, and also simultaneously pursue amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987.”

The statement maintained that “accordingly, the matter was pursued in Delhi with the Central government.

The central government immediately responded and a meeting of the Chief Minister, along with the Advocate General and the Chief Secretary, with the Group of Ministers consisting of the Union Home Minister, Finance Minister, Railways Minister, Mines Minister, Minister for Steel, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas was held on 8th July,

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20 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

country are beneficiaries of two renewals under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, whereas the mining leases in Goa are singled out by giving benefit of only one renewal.

It further indicated that there cannot be such a distinction between the mining leases in the rest of the country and the mining leases in Goa under the same Act. It was also specified that

Dr Pramod Sawant

The mining leases in the rest of the country are beneficiaries of two renewals under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation Act, whereas the mining leases in Goa are singled out by giving benefit of only one renewal 2019.

A presentation was made before the Group of Ministers in the said meeting.”

It was highlighted in the meeting that the mining leases in the rest of the

Goa Foundation II judgment has resulted in discrimination between Goa and the rest of the country.

Accordingly, to do away with this conspicuous imbalance, the Goa, Daman and Diu Mining Concessions (Abolition and Declaration as Mining Leases) Act, 1987, be suitably amended to redress the discrimination.

The State Government has also taken severe measures to prevent pollution and environmental harm. An authoritarian surveillance is kept on transportation of ore by means of software. The quantity of ore transported is strictly monitored, trucks are properly weighed and pollution is measured by setting up of monitoring stations.

The CMO added that Dr Sawant is aware of the fact that more than three lakh people are affected by the mining ban and the economy of the state is largely dependent on mining.

It is, therefore the venture of the Chief Minister to give reassurance to the people, who have been adversely affected and also revive the economy of the state.

Dr Sawant mentioned that he is committed to resuming mining activities and restart economic activities in the mining belt at the earliest.

The statement read “It is the vision of the Chief Minister to start mining activities in the next 3 to 4 months in accordance with the law and by keeping in mind all environmental norms”

focus goa / Industry

@businessgoa

Industry disappointed with Goa’s dismal performance in ‘Ease of Doing Business’ Index Industry stakeholders speak about Goa’s dismal ranking on the ‘Ease of Doing Business’ scale

I

By sybil rodrigues

ndustry stakeholders stated that Goa’s efforts to bring in change with respect to ‘ease of doing business’ are only on paper. The industry reacted strongly to Goa’s dismal performance in the Centre’s ‘ease of doing business’ rankings, where the State went down five spots to 24 from 19 in 2018.

The practice of sending files for clearance to the minister or chairman of state run corporations is touted to be one of the biggest hurdles in Goa’s case.

Blaise Costabir, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said “At the end, every minister wants files to come to them. The dealing hand who receives the file has a job to do, but he sends every file to the minister which takes a long time.”

Costabir has called for training and capacity building for government staff, particularly the Goa Industrial Development Corporation.

Goa ranked at 19 in 2018 and has now slipped five places in the fourth edition of the business reform action plan (BRAP) ranking of States, as it failed to bring in much needed industry reforms.

Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) President Damodar Kochkar stated that this was an alarming sign for Goa’s industrial scenario and since his taking over as president he has been insisting on the need for ease of doing business in the real sense of the term.

The Department for the Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) identified 187 reforms which States had to implement but instead of seeking compliance documents from various departments, this time

feedback was sought for from local industry stakeholders.

Industry stakeholders stated that despite rules being changed or notifications brought in by the State government, not much has changed for the private sector on ground.

Costabir highlighted about the overnight transfer of a 2.4 lakh sqm industrial plot from Meta Strips to logistics firm Varama Sir India and stated that when required, government departments can function very efficiently.

“The Meta Strips plot was transferred in a day, illegally and when the election code was in place.” With regard to this, he stated that it is possible for the state to do things quickly and efficiently,

“Instead of appointing costly consultants, the government should form a task force involving all the industry associations to prepare a roadmap and ensure that it is followed both in letter and spirit”

manoj caculo

President, Goa Chamber of Commerce

government appears to be ignoring the private sectors concerns.

Manoj Caculo, President

Far from attracting new investments to the state, the Government seems to be bent on making the going tough for the existing industries.

Infrastructure in most industrial estates is crumbling, red tape has increased, costs – both actual and hidden, are constantly going up, making it difficult for industry to survive. The Covid pandemic has heaped lot of misery and financial stress on all sectors of the economy. Even in these trying times, instead of providing relief and assistance to the industry, it is being burdened with additional costs. Government seems to be totally insensitive to the industry needs, promises are broken and there is only

Indicators pertaining to Ease of Doing Business in India Construction Starting a Permit Business

Registering Property

and Goa should be number one and not 24 in ease of doing business.

Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, GSIA and other industrial bodies, earlier this year, had clearly said that the

“Every minister wants files to come to them.

The dealing hand who receives the file has a job to do, but he sends every file to the minister which takes a long time”

Blaise Costabir Chairman, CII-Goa Council

22 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

Paying Taxes

Enforcing Contracts

Resolving Insolvency

of GCCI has shared his views on Goa’s poor ‘Ease of Doing Business’ ranking. He stated that the latest ease of doing business rankings have not come as a surprise to industry stakeholders. “The rankings are no longer decided on the basis of mere theoretical enactment of the BRAPs but on the industry feedback on the effective implementation of these BRAPs and whether these have really helped in streamlining regulatory structures and creating an investor-friendly business climate by cutting down the red tape. While Goa might have ticked a few more boxes (166 out of 187) than the previous years, they have sadly failed in making the life of the entrepreneurs easier.

That is at the root of the current sluggish performance on ease of doing business,” emphasised Caculo.

Getting Electricity

Getting Credit

Trading Across Borders

lip service. Even genuine demands of industry are not met leaving it with a feeling of being totally neglected.

This has actually resulted in no new investments in the state. On the contrary many units have either closed or are on the verge of closure. This is a very worrisome trend.

It is high time that the Government introspects and gets its act together. What is needed is granular thinking within the required quarters of the state administration, as well as the industry bodies.

Instead of appointing costly consultants, the State should form a task force involving all the industry associations to prepare a roadmap and ensure that it is followed both in letter and spirit. Or else Goa’s dream, if at all to scale up in the EODB ranking, will only remain a pipe dream”

Protecting Minority Investors

Focus goa / Tourism

www.businessgoa.in

Tourism Stakeholders and shack owners unhappy with proposed registration fees Draft rules of new registration fees for tourism sector has led to displeasure among shack owners and stakeholders

T

By sybil rodrigues

he government in its draft rules for the tourism sector has announced new fees for various businesses including shacks, dealers, hotels, travel agents and so on.

The government has also invited dissent and recommendations to these draft rules, to be forwarded to the Director of Tourism, before the expiry of period of thirty days from the date of their publication in the government notification, so that they may be taken into consideration at the time of finalisation of the said rules.

As per the draft rules, the registration fees for tourism dealer will be `1,000 while for hotels it will be in three categories. For A Category (sophisticated accommodation), the registration fees for hotels with rooms above 100 would be `1 lakh; the registration fees for hotels with rooms between 50 and 100 would be `75,000; and the registration fees for hotels with less than 50 rooms would be `50,000.

For B Category (medium class accommodation), the registration fees for hotels above 50 rooms would be `50,000; while the registration fees for hotels with less than 50 rooms would be `25,000.

For C Category (economy class accommodation), the registration fees for hotels above 50 rooms would be `20,000; while the registration

fees for hotels with less than 50 rooms would be `10,000.

For D Category (other accommodation), the registration fees for hotels would be `5,000.

For the travel agents conforming to the standards, the registration fees would be for A-Class `20,000, for B-Class `15,000, C-Class `10,000 and for D-Class `5,000.

For change in name of tourism operator and title of business activity, the fees to be charged will be equivalent to registration fees of the particular category.

The duplicate certificate will cost `100. Every certificate of dealer and travel agent shall be valid for a period of one year that is for one financial year beginning from the year of issue. The certificate may be renewed for a further period of one year on the payment of the renewal fees.

In case of hotel, the period of validity of the certificate of registration issued shall be not less than one year but could be maximum for a period of five years, as desired by the applicant in his application for registration.

The same may be applicable for renewal, as the case may be.

For the shack owners, the amount of fees to be deposited by the successful applicant shall be based upon the number of years of experience one holds, in the

24 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

field of operation of shacks. 90 per cent of total beach shack owners having experience of three years or more will be divided in categories namely beaches at stretches A and beaches at stretches B, with fees increasing every year, for the three-year period. The remaining 10 per cent of total beach shack owners having experience of less than three years or without experience will have to pay fees of `50,000, `60,000 and `70,000, for the first, second and the third year, respectively.

After scrutiny of the application, the prescribed authority shall grant license to a hotelier or unemployed youth, as the case may be, for putting up deck beds, umbrellas and chairs on the beaches for commercial use, by charging fees as `20,000 for 20 deck beds, for shack owner; `5,000 per deck-bed per season, for hotelier; and `875 per deck bed per season (subject to a maximum of 8 deck beds per season), for an unemployed youth.

For online travel aggregator providing travel and accommodation booking, the registration and renewal fees per year will be `2 lakh, while for online travel aggregator providing accommodation booking only; it will be `1lakh. Also, for online travel aggregator providing travel booking only, the registration and renewal fees per year will be `1lakh.

The annual fees for registration and renewal for tourist boat and launches including cruise boats is `15,000 for Category A, `10,000 for Category B and `5,000 for Category C. The same for a yacht is `10,000, for houseboat is `5,000, for Tourist Taxi is `500, for tents and tent equipment dealer is `1,000, for camping agency is `1,000, for porter

is `40, for tourist guide and excursion agent is `1,000 and for photographers is `5,000.

For adventure sports operator and water sports operator the annual registration fees is `5,000, while for spice plantation owner it is `3,000.

Shack Owners petition Tourism Director Shack owners from the State met the Tourism Director to put forth their requests to be provided with a concession in fees with regards to licenses for erecting shacks for this upcoming tourist season.

They have also requested for easing the State’s ‘Shack Policy.’

Cruz Cardozo, President of All Goa Shack Owners Association, said that the shack owners had to wrap up their business early last tourist season due to COVID-19.

Cardozo said that they had only three months of business during the last tourist season and from March to May the staff had to be home due to COVID, which resulted in huge losses. “We met the Tourism Director and pleaded for some concession or waiving off fees for tourism license, and other fees for shacks, sun beds and excise fees. Under the shack policy, if a person does not put up a shack in one year they get debarred. We have asked for a relaxation in this rule, for this year only, due to the pandemic.” He further added that while the Director did hear the grievances of the Association, they were also requested to approach the Government and put forward their appeal. He said that they would have to ask the Chief Minister or the government.

“We had reached out to the CM a couple of months ago and he was sympathetic to our issue but we will have to wait for him to act on it. Right

@businessgoamagazine

now, we won’t be able to meet him but we hope that our request will be considered,” said Cardozo.

Cardozo was questioned about the upcoming tourist season to which he said that many shack owners were unsure of whether to put up their shacks or not. He added that it was not possible for them to put pressure on the government but only ask for a concession. “If there aren’t any shacks, tourists may not come. In case shacks do open, the owners will have to strictly abide by government rule and SOPs.” Tourism stakeholders miffed with increase in Registration Fees The major hike proposed for various registration fees in the draft rules published by the Tourism Department has left the stakeholders of the Tourism Industry in a quandary.

“The government may have a point in raising fees as they say that registration charges were not raised for years, but this is not the time to do it” Nilesh Shah President, TTAG

The rules have been drafted consequent to an amendment to the Goa, Daman and Diu Registration of Tourist Trade Act, 1982, a year ago. Menino D’Souza, Director of Tourism, stated that the rules were long overdue and that drafting commenced only after the amendment came into force.

Over the years, there were

many consultations and ruminations and only after being duly evaluated by the law department, the draft rules were placed in the public domain.

D’Souza stated that fees were not hiked for a long time and it was time for the government to decide upon the implementation of these rules. He further added that stakeholders can submit their objections and suggestions till September 29th and the rules would be finalized only after that. He added that the registration fees that a few in the trade are charged is a meager amount as compared to their volumes. He gave an example of hotels stating that irrespective of their category, they pay `5000 as registration fees. Under the proposed rules this has been increased to `1lakh for ‘A’ category hotels – having 100 rooms and more, which classifies as sophisticated

accommodation.

A hotelier compared this to a “punishment” when the industry is awaiting relief from the government due to losses suffered owing to the pandemic.

Nilesh Shah, President of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG), said that this was a wrong time to raise the fees when tourism stakeholders were actually expecting a waiver.

“The government may have a point in raising fees as they say that registration charges were not raised for years, but this is not the time to do it.”

TTAG has called a meeting of its members to seek their views and accordingly a proposal will be prepared to be submitted to the Tourism Department.

Shah added that they were given time till the end of September and will put forward their point of view to the government

september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 25

Starting Young

@businessgoa

Of ‘Chai’ and More

C

Zenelyn Afonso and Rukma Prabhudesai speak of their creative marketing agency and services offered by them

By sybil rodrigues

utting Chai Creatives, is a marketing agency based in Goa, and have their experienced and ubertalented ‘chaiwallas’ to give brands the right kind of marketing boost at a competitive price, so that one’s business always stays on top of its game.

Cutting Chai Creatives is the brain child of Zenelyn Afonso and Rukma Prabhudessai. They have also drafted the help of a close friend who is a design expert, photographer, videographer and 3D visualiser. The agancy was started in January, this year.

Zenelyn is an alumna of Goa Institute of Management (GIM and has more than 3 years of experience in marketing, PR & digital marketing space working with brands such as Grand Hyatt Goa, Numadic, Luxottica and Deltin Group. She is also an internationally certified marketing specialist by Digital Marketer & Google.

Besides this, she is an avid writer, actor, musician and a model having walked for fashion shows like Blenders Pride Magical Nights, India Couture Fashion Week, India Beach Fashion Week, etc. She is also a sportswoman and has represented Goa at the national level on multiple occasions.

Another alumna of GIM, Rukma has worked as a creative ideator and copywriter in Experiential Marketing for Lintas Group, Mumbai. She has worked on brands like ITC, Castrol, Ultra Tech and ICICI Lombard.

Her premier project to release nationally was the radio jingle that she wrote for ICICI Lombard’s ‘PM Fasal Bima Yojana’. She was also fortunate to be one of the core team members for ITC Aashirvaad’s ‘Daane Daane Mein’ campaign which won Gold at the 7th Global Consumer Engagement

Rukma Prabhudesai and Zenelyn Afonso

Forum and Awards. Besides this, she is also a professional dancer, actor and has also worked as a writer for films.

Zenelyn speaks on how Cutting Chai Creatives happened. “Sometimes you get the best of ideas when you least expect them. Our business idea came to us when my friends and I were sitting in a café, chilling!

While we were chatting about everything under the sun, we randomly realized that we all have a set of unique skills and experiences that can form a creative marketing agency. Rukma is a creative writer, ideator and strategist and I have experience in digital marketing. We thought that with all these skills we had the perfect blend needed to lay the foundation of a fullfledged digital agency. We understood we make a good team and founded Cutting Chai Creatives.”

Zenelyn came up with the name Cutting Chai Creatives, when hanging out with her friends at a café in

26 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

Panjim. “We had a discussion about Mumbai’s famous cutting chai. Cutting chai is a special tea that you find at tiny tea stalls in every nook and corner of Mumbai. Its specialty is that it’s easy on the pocket, is half a glass but nevertheless is just the right amount and has a strong fusion of flavours to refresh your senses. And that’s exactly what we thought our business was like. We offer brands competitive pricing packages served with just the right blend of quality marketing efforts and strategies to ensure that businesses always stay on top of their game.

So undoubtedly, we named our startup, Cutting Chai Creatives.”

Initially they offered core digital marketing services and slowly went on to add more and more co-related services to their portfolio. The services they currently offer include creative ideation, social media marketing, digital marketing, SEO, copywriting, branding & design, web and

app design & development, 3D visualization, animation, printing, photography, videography and even ERP solutions. With their latest client, they have also ventured a bit into traditional marketing mediums.

Their target audience is startups and small enterprises who cannot afford to spend large sums on digital marketing, which many reputed agencies in Goa, charge for their marketing services. Hence they decided to target that niche and came up with a lean business model that would enable them to offer competitive pricing packages to small and medium-sized businesses.

They started off by working with local brands and have gradually started to serve national and international brands.

Zenelyn mentions that the agency has always received a positive response from their clients which is pretty overwhelming for them. “Out of the many testimonials that we have received, one that has stayed with us mentions that we have the ‘Midas Touch’ of facilitating exponential RoI and decreasing the cost of acquisition of customers.”

Zenelyn and Rukma have a message for their prospective clients. “We are aware of the steep rates that agencies charge for digital marketing. If you are a small business based out of Goa or anywhere in India who wants to avail of digital marketing services at an affordable price, you can give Cutting Chai Creatives a shot. We offer just the right strategies at an affordable price to boost your business.”

Lastly, they conclude with a message for aspiring entrepreneurs. “Always have a curious outlook to know what problems people around you face and how you can use your expertise to solve them in the best way possible. That’s where your business lies”

innovation

@businessgoa

u-fra sanitizer units

‘Made in Goa’ Sanitizer Units to combat coronavirus

Amidst the ongoing COVID crisis, Hemant Usgaonkar and Frank Fernandes, two highly experienced and skilled engineers bring to Goa and Goans, ‘U-Fra’ sanitizer units

(L-R): U-fra Sanitizer Box Model, Hemant Usgaonkar, Frank Fernandes. Below: U-Fra Tower Light Model

By Ameya nayak

O

wing to the fact that the globe is presently battling the deadly Coronavirus pandemic; hygiene, safety and sanitization related norms have begun to take shape of the new normal. While people, especially in a tiny state like Goa are taking every possible precaution to keep themselves safe, what we needed is an innovative manufacturing process during this time that is of utmost significance to one and all in their battle against COVID; and that is what U-Fra sanitizer units are all about.

Created, designed and marketed by two experienced Goan engineers, Hemant Usgaonkar, former general manager and location in-charge, Siemens Goa, presently an entrepreneur and consultant with a rich experience in power distribution and healthcare sector in Goa, alongside Frank Fernandes, owner of FM Instrumentation, an ISO approved organization for manufacturing processes – bring together their devotion for innovative manufacturing in the form of U-Fra (meaning ‘the one who spreads joy’) sanitizer units that make

use of germicidal sources for sanitization wherein it employs UVC (ultraviolet) power to break down the structure of viruses and pathogens such as the novel Corona virus at a typical wavelength of 254 nano meters.

The UVC power dosage in the U-Fra sanitizer units can be extended to areas where the risk of getting infected seems high, such as waiting rooms, hospital beds, etc where the UVC rays radiated by the unit attacks pathogens and has been designed keeping the safety of people in mind with provisions to control the level of the UVC dosage within the units.

Unlike other sanitizers, the U-Fra sanitizer is a one-time cost product that avoids recurring costs of consumables wherein performance and usage is not personified as a result of which voids arising due to person dependency is eliminated.

Explaining the working mechanism of the sanitizer unit, Hemant and Frank mention that they have two models under the U-Fra brand

28 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

i.e. the ‘Box’ model and the ‘Tower’ model. While the Box model is of significance to sanitize face masks, face shields, groceries, etc the Tower model could be of immense use to sanitize larger spaces.

The radiation emitting from the units does not affect any properties of the material that is sanitized within; thus, making it user friendly with a one-button operation inculcating features programmed to its requirements. Moreover, the Box model has a capacity of 40 litre – quite a sizeable number of articles of varied shapes and sizes can be accommodated within the unit. In other words, U-Fra sanitizer units are products, that when used on masks and shields, make them as good as new, thus saving one the cost of purchasing new ones at regular intervals.

Similarly when used upon groceries, one is assured that they are free from the virus upon coming on contact with the UVC rays emitted from the unit.

U-Fra is an entirely Goan creation that has been thought of, designed and manufactured

in Ponda, within the premises of Frank’s organization FM Instrumentation, by local talent and has been created with an objective to benefits Goans at the grass root level.

Hemant says, “Since U-Fra is a Goan product, we would wholly cater to customisations to the extent possible as per customer requirements and would also ensure that quick service and upgrades would be made available.”

Commenting on the response that this unique product has received, Hemant and Frank say that the demand for this product has been quite high so far; that too, just by means of wordof-mouth where they have been flooded with enquiries from various stakeholders across Goa and few bookings for the units have also been registered.

Finally, commenting on their plan for the future of the product Hemant mentions that some dealers across the state have already come forward and shown interest in stocking the unit. In addition, since both Hemant and Frank have rich experience in handling local industries and multinational companies where quality, price and regulatory requirements are of paramount importance, customers have nothing less but to gain from U-Fra! “It is about time we begin to groom Goa as a manufacturing hub for quality products with the potential to address the Indian market.

Endeavours such as U-Fra would eventually help in developing the Goan ecosystem and attract Goans who are away from the state to come back to conceive state-of-the art products and become increasingly competitive”, says Hemant

Goan Brand

www.businessgoa.in

nonsense curry

Eccentric, with a touch of ‘Nonsense’ A major in photography, Jolynn Carneiro adopted life skills to design quirky products and wholesome content

Sustainable packaging Custom apron

Jolynn Carneiro

N

By sybil rodrigues

onsense Curry by Jolynn Carneiro is a four-year-old independent brand that creates and curates a range of quirky merchandise like neckpieces, lamps, pillows, badges, khadi purses and a lot more.

A graduate from Goa College of Art, Jolynn is armed with a bachelor’s degree in art and has majored in photography.

She put her creativity to use to go beyond photography and is a lifestyle designer.

Passionate about a lot of hands-on stuff, Jolynn designs her life around activities that fill up her day, right up from cartooning to designing khadi merchandise to practicing sustainability, engaging herself in therapeutic activities like zen flower arrangements and strumming songs on her ukulele as well as decorating spaces in a budget friendly manner.

Jolynn goes on to speak about Nonsense Curry and the inspiration behind it all. “It took me a while before I got to Nonsense Curry, since it’s only with time and expertise you can unfold and evolve into something bigger. I started off making lampshades soon after college because I have a fascination for lighting and also because Giggle pops (as I affectionately call my dad) runs a lamp shade shop, which worked as a good base and platform to sell my work on.”

She then progressively shifted to different crafts but it always bothered her that her personality wasn’t reflecting

in her work at that time, even though it was her work and designs. “One day it occurred to me to draw the peculiar things I used to state and one of the things flying around at the time was “you’re such a brinjal’ a connotation of sorts to tell you that ‘you are stupid’ or the highest degree an epitome of lunacy.

I then decided to draw out a sketch that justified this phrase which is how the spitting aubergine emerged, which I then mounted on a khadi pillow because I have a deep yearning towards khadi, a material we now use as our core ingredient of Nonsense Curry. This is the point where I discovered Nonsense Curry and where it took off from ever since into what it has developed today. Nonsense is how I perceive life in a ludicrous manner, whilst curry is my Goan origin and roots.”

Nonsense Curry is a concept brand that encompasses her quirky personality as a designer and artist under one roof that comprises of three different dimensions which is design, aesthetic and Skin Curry. Jolynn elaborates on all the three. “Design is when I cartoon in my own stylized manner and mount artworks on in-house as well as custom merchandise. Aesthetic is where I give you tips and tricks on how to decorate your space in a budget friendly manner through blog-style photographic content and videos as well as practicing sustainability by showing you how to refurbish items to maximize the shelf life on it. Skin Curry is a segment that I

30 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

have recently introduced to our brand.

It is the ideology of wearing your own skin aura and persona as opposed to following current trends and emulating personalities. Under this segment I speak about encouraging women to uplift each other, self love and self awareness, express my personal opinions, and talk about practicing slow fashion.”

Jolynn speaks about her range of products “We specialize in customization, that is creating personalized gifts and merchandise to befit your space and aura, using khadi as our core ingredient, our in-house merchandise consists of khadi books, quirky pins, magnets, stickers, khadi pillows, khadi granny purses, khadi bags, khadi scrolls, terracotta lamp stands and felt shades we call shady holders, head wraps we call rambo wraps, neckpieces we call cowbells to a new range of products that we will be launching very soon.” The custom merchandise at Nonsense Curry all depends on the client’s requirements and most of the time it is custom made gifts for partners, friends and people that the clients hold a close relationship with.

“So far we’ve created khadi aprons with quirky artworks mounted on it, to coasters, travel pillows, quad set pillows, wall tapestry etc. We have our in-house tailors that I work alongside with to make unique products with a clean finish.”

Jolynn has curated artwork for the well acclaimed eatery in Baga, called Fat Fish and speaks on the same. “One of the partners dropped by my father’s store to buy some lampshades for herself which is how she stumbled upon my merchandise and decided to meet me one day and work something out for Fat Fish Goa. We immediately sparked the same ideas and were constantly on the same wave length, so we shook on it and I have been ideating merchandise for them ever since. The creative that I came up with was a voluptuous Sonsy star-fish being a tease, and meets eyes with Mr fatty fishy, whom she cat calls and ogles away in his hammock smacking his lips, pulling his shades down thanking the Gods for the gift of sight. I mounted this artwork on khadi pillows, and custom made books, pouches, coasters.”

Most of Jolynn’s clients are located in metropolitan places and globally, right up from Goa, Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Pune to Dubai, UK, and Australia. Jolynn feels

and agrees along with a lot of online designers that the lockdown didn’t hamper the business and created more sales since they operate digitally.

She mentions the roadblocks encountered by her in her line of work. “At Nonsense Curry we stand our ground of morale and principles, that being said, a lot of fast fashion brands have approached us to endorse things we don’t necessarily stand by, which means saying no to easy money. Secondly sourcing was a bit of a road block here in Goa because not everything is easily available to manufacture a product, which drove me to learn and outsource from out of Goa and through networking.”

As a parting shot, Jolynn

concludes with a message to aspiring entrepreneurs and artistes. “Stay consistent with what you take up, you will be surprised at yourself with what pops up while you do it. You develop your niche with time, so patience is key with every venture. You don’t necessarily have to rely on our educational system to pursue your dreams and goals, but studying what you’re passionate about does help you discipline your craft and allows you some direction. Also be aware and knowledgeable about your field of work by doing as much research and connect with brands that keep you inspired, to learn and understand the ground work and what it takes if you ever want to pursue the same”

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Mail this form along with payment to BUSINESS GOA 409, Citicentre, EDC Patto Plaza, Panaji 403001 Goa INDIA Tel.: 91-832-2437822 Email: businessgoa.media@gmail.com september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 31

interview

@businessgoamagazine

Dr. Praveen Khullar

“Goa has emerged as a hub for pharmaceutical companies. It is the sunrise industry of the State” President of Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Association speaks about his term in office; and the impact of COVID-19 on the pharma business in the State What is the overview of the pharma industry in Goa? Pharmaceutical industry in Goa produces 12% of the total medicines manufactured in India; and about 70% of their produce is exported to the most developed countries in the world; while 30% is consumed in the domestic market.

Pharmaceutical products worth `11,830 crore were exported from Goa (as in 2018-19) while almost worth `5,070 crore were produced for domestic consumption.

About 54 pharma manufacturing units in Goa are currently licensed, employing over 20,000 people.

The pharmaceutical segment has established its concrete presence in Goa and received approvals from regulated bodies like US FDA, UK MHRA etc.

Goa is strategically located with good infrastructure facilities with airport, a seaport, connectivity by road network and other amenities.

Also, locally manufactured equipment by ancillary units are being used in these pharma industries.

Well known Indian pharmaceutical companies have invested in Goa over the last 20 years in building world-class manufacturing facilities.

With better infrastructure and logistics facilities and government support, the companies are expanding their operations.

How has the industry grown over the years?

The pharmaceutical industry in Goa commenced in the late 1960s with the establishment of pharmaceutical companies such as Cosme Farma Laboratories of CMM Group

Goa. This eases the availability of most types of packaging material, consumables and allied services necessary for the smooth running of the industry.

Dr Praveen Khullar

comprised of Carter Wallace, Colfax and Leukoplast.

The next pharmaceutical company, DCI, was established by Ramnath G Kare, followed by Merit & Geno Pharma.

Initially, the growth of the pharmaceutical industry was very slow in Goa because of a number of reasons such as lack of appropriate infrastructure, inadequate availability of industrial land, power and water supply, shortage of skilled labour, wants of technical manpower beside lack of any tax holiday to attract major investments. .

The major growth in the pharmaceutical sector in Goa started in late 1990s.

The five-year tax holiday for Goa announced in the Union Budget in 1993, which was further extended to the period up to 31-3-2004, gave further impetus to the development of the pharmaceutical sector in Goa. From 1995 onwards, an all-round development took place and today

32 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

pharmaceutical industries have over 54 licensed units employing approximately 20000 people directly and indirectly.

The pharmaceutical industry in Goa has gradually emerged as a major component in the industrial development of the State.

Over time, the State has attracted a large number of pharmaceutical units to set up their manufacturing base.

Several small, medium, large and joint ventures in pharmaceuticals have come to be established in Goa, during the last 30 years or so creating the scenario, as it exists today.

Goa has emerged as a hub for pharmaceutical companies.

It is the sunrise industry of the State. Goa has been able to attract big Indian and multinational pharmaceutical companies between the decade of 1993-2003.

The magnitude of the industry has catalyzed a number of ancillary and service units in and around

For a small state, Goa has a considerable number of pharma units. Some really big names and global brands. What do you think has attracted them to the State?

- Central location and good connection through road, rail, sea and air.

- Established base for the pharmaceuticals industry.

- Supportive regulatory environment (State FDA).

- High rate of literacy & English speaking population.

- Emerging destination for knowledge-based industries such as biotechnology and IT. - International airport and good connectivity to major cities of India.

- Well-developed social, physical and industrial infrastructure.

- Industry friendly policies, approachable administrative bodies and government’s focus on ‘ease of doing business’.

- Availability of skilled manpower.

- Pollution free environment.

What does the GPMA aim towards?

GPMA aims towards: - Bringing together all Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in Goa together, on one platform.

- Understand the issues of all its members and present them across to the Government and other stakeholders.

- working with other associations and NGOs for mitigating pharma related issues and betterment of health of local community.

@businessgoa

- To bring to all its members, information on any new legislation through trainings/ webinars.

- High quality medicine providers to world at affordable cost.

- Innovation and newer technologies to cater unmet needs of patients.

- Ensuring that Goa becomes a leading pharmaceutical hub for world market with best-in-the-class pharmaceutical products.

Government is providing good support to Pharmaceutical Industry and our expectations are that Government should further focus on high quality uninterrupted electricity and water supply which is lifeline to industry

What are the main areas of concern for the industry at the moment?

• Uninterrupted electricity supply to industries.

• Quality water supply to industries.

• Skill development & training.

• Improvement in public transportations for shift works.

GPMA has demonstrated very high level of professional approach to continue supply of essential medicines during this difficult period and it has been only possible due to the teamwork between small and big pharmaceutical companies.

Sharing experiences and concerns openly on routine basis, support and collaboration with Government and administration is managed quite well to have minimum disruptions of operations.

Is the government doing enough to help the industry vis-a-vis the revenue that pharma earns for the State?

Government is providing good support to pharmaceutical industry and our expectations are that Government shall further focus on high quality uninterrupted electricity and water supply which is the lifeline to industry.

Since, pharmaceutical domain is knowledgebased, the industry needs government facilitation in terms of implementing policies to forge strong industry-academia collaboration to provide high skilled manpower.

The GPMA is constituted by varying interests. You have the MNCs and big pharma players along with small and medium manufacturers. How is it to strike a balance and push for the industry demands as varied?

Irrespective of the size of their respective establishments, all members of GPMA have equal stake in collaboration and support to share their concerns and hand holding.

pharma sector in Goa? Covid-19 has resulted in unprecedented slowdown across world and Indian pharmaceutical companies have faced several challenges related to supply chain and availability of skilled manpower.

During the lockdown period, very close co-operation amongst GPMA with Government and entire administration was managed efficiently.

Providing travel permits and other approval in short time despite several operational constraints resulted in smooth manufacturing and uninterrupted supply of essential medicine. There was a 24x7 support and availability of key stakeholders in industry and Government agencies to manage evolving risks, difficulties in resuming supply chain and inputs in initial phase of the lockdown.

However, with great deal

of agility and risk management through standard processes and precautions, the pharmaceutical industry in Goa did a great job to supply medicines across the country and abroad.

The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing and efforts to manage risks and not disrupt supply of medicines is key focus of all pharma manufacturers in Goa.

What is your opinion on a vaccine rolling out this year?

There have been several organizations who are working on bringing a vaccine to combat COVID19, clinical trials of 2-3 companies are ongoing in the country. Internationally, several big pharmaceutical companies are working on vaccine trials. We may expect vaccine availability quite soon, once these clinical trials are completed

What is the rough estimate of local talent employed within the industry? What are your plans to have more people from the state to look at pharma as a career option?

Pharmaceutical companies have a strong work force – around 20000 people, directly and indirectly, are working in the sector. Considerable proportion of this workforce is local. There is a good scope for having a career in pharmaceutical industry as its employs all types of talents like scientists, engineers beside commercial team members.

The objective of industryacademia collaboration is to focus on skill building required for the industry and to empower local talent.

With this, local talent will be equipped to plan their career in pharmaceutical industry in the State.

How has COVID-19 impacted the september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 33

BookShelf

campus

‘Ed-Tech Essentials for New Normal’ webinar organized by GIM

Author: Myra Silveira

Luso Goan Culinary Cook Book

Prof Ajit Parulekar, Prof P. D. Jose, Prof Pravat Surya Kar and Prof Sebastian Morris

Education as we know it, has witnessed a drastic change.

The pandemic has accelerated the journey of including the use of technology in the education system and has fast-forwarded the progress in the education sector by five years in a very short span of a few months according to Ajit Parulekar, Director, Goa Institute of Management.

Parulekar was in conversation with academicians on the theme ‘Ed-Tech Essentials for New Normal’, at a recently held webinar organised by the B-school.

The online discussion was an attempt to enable cross border academic deliberations with stakeholders on the adaptation of new technologies in higher education. Prof Pravat Surya Kar, Associate Professor at GIM moderated the session which also included Prof P. D. Jose, Chair, MOOCs Initiative & Strategy, IIM-Bangalore, and Prof Sebastian Morris, Economics, Public Systems, IIM- Ahmedabad.

The speakers agreed that while the capability of amalgamating technology with education had always been there, it was never put to test until now.

Setting the tone for the discussion, Dr Ajit Parulekar shared his experience of teaching online and the learning that he has grasped from the lectures that he has conducted. “Advantages of online teaching methods include the use of analytics, greater class participation, response statistics and the ease with which pop-quizzes can be conducted,” he

explained Prof P. D. Jose of IIM-B opined that this new reimagined learning will and should continue even after the pandemic ceases to exist.

“Learning in the future will be facilitated by technology that will play the role of a mediator.

Learning centers of the future will not be confined to the classroom and education will be unbundled. Students will be able to learn anywhere and credential driven models will shift towards competency and mastery based models,” he said.

Prof Sebastian Morris of IIM-A focused his thoughts on the challenges and the need to enhance value in the online teaching mode.

“It’s easier to communicate online when a prior rapport has been established between a student and a teacher. You know the individual. But when the mode of teaching is purely online, building this rapport becomes difficult for both the parties. It is difficult to gauge body language and assess the non-verbal means of communication,” he explained. He also stressed on the fact that there is a need for an unwavering commitment to attention when using this mode.

The discussion witnessed a spectrum of participation from academicians, corporates, students and faculty from across the country. The participants posed questions on digital inclusion and challenges with technology, impact of body language, lack of eye-contact in online classes and stackable learning

34 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

@businessgoa

Fashion enthusiast, Myra Silveira, has released a Luso Goan Culinary Cook Book, in collaboration with her father, Chef Jose Vasco Silveira, on the 40th anniversary of Horseshoe Bar and Restaurant.

Myra is the owner and proprietor of SÔSAS, Goa’s first designer store, which she inherited from her uncle Abelio De Sousa, when she was 18 and reading for her 2nd year B.Com. She expanded it to its present status of 30 plus designers from all over India.

She loves to travel, a passion she shares with her husband, Eshan Kolmekar.

Myra speaks about her father, Chef Vasco Silveira.

“My father was born in Malange- Angola, Portuguese Africa and came to Goa in 1977. He fulfilled his dream of owning his own restaurant; Horseshoe Bar & Restaurant (O Ferradura), on 16th April 1980. His passion for authentic Goan cuisine teamed with his love for Portuguese flavours fuelled his journey for the past 40 years. His secret for success is: “The most important thing I look for in this business is passion.”

Myra grew up watching her father cook and experiment with different spices, cuisines and styles.

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of Horseshoe Bar & Restaurant, in collaboration

with her father, she released the Luso-Goan Culinary Cookbook. The book is a compilation of popular Goan dishes which are prepared and served at the restaurant.

She dedicated this cookbook to her parents – for their hard work, sacrifice and perseverance in running Horseshoe Bar & Restaurant for the last 40 years and a special thanks to her husband Eshan for his never ending support and encouragement.

The cookbook showcases some of the well-known and popular Goan Portuguese recipes. She has tried to incorporate both, vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian dishes.

The cookbook contains about 60- 62 recipes.

Most of the recipes in the book are served at Horseshoe Bar & Restaurant.

Myra came upon her father’s diary filled with recipes and notes and on reading it, realized what a treasure it was. “As the 40th anniversary of the restaurant was approaching I decided to compile some of his most popular dishes as a tribute to him. Today, Goan food is mostly forgotten and restaurants and people are opting for Chinese and Indian cuisine,” she says.

Myra had to do a lot of research as most of Chef Vasco’s notes were in Portuguese and with his help managed to get the basics. It took her a few months to put everything together given that Goan cuisine is almost forgotten.

Besides her father, her mother and grandmother also provided her a lot of support and information regarding authentic Goan Portuguese recipes, while her husband provided her the moral and technical support.

Myra shares a message to aspiring authors. “Enagage in research – it’s the backbone of any project or venture” www.businessgoa.in

toastmasters

@businessgoamagazine

Public speaking with confidence

P

ublic speaking” is a terrorizing experience for almost everyone.

Toastmasters builds a conducive environment for members to overcome this fear and communicate with ease.

Founded by Ralph Smedley in 1905 and now headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, USA, the organization’s membership exceeds 3,64,000 in more than 16,200 clubs in 145 countries.

Toastmasters works on 4 core values: Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence.

Any person who walks through the doors of International Centre Goa to attend the club’s meeting is drawn immediately to the positive ambience that the club members create. The fellowship and learning spirit leave an ever lasting impact.

Launched on 22nd February, 2013, ICG Toastmasters club is one of the best performing clubs in Goa and has about 30 members.

The regular club meetings follow a time bound format having Prepared Speeches, Impromptu Table Topics and Expert Evaluations to enrich speaking, listening and observation skills. Every meeting has a theme and a set of role players for its smooth functioning. Apart from the regular meetings, the club also conducts special meetings on different occasions such as Diwali, Independence Day, Teachers’ Day and Landmark meetings.

The annual Christmas meeting is a spectacle of joy and delight! To cement the bonding between members, a Picnic meeting is organised every year.

When a new member joins the club, his/her learning needs are assessed, and he/she is assigned an experienced mentor, to help them find their speaking style and boost their confidence.

The mentor – mentee relationship not only helps in

conquering the fear of public speaking but also forges an everlasting bond.

Variety is the spice of life.This proverb comes to life at the club. Even though the members belong to different age groups and professions like academicians, research scientists, doctors, corporate professionals, students and home makers, the amalgamation of diverse perspectives create a nexus of brilliant ideas. The minimum age to join a Toastmasters club is 18.

“I was a very shy, reserved person but Toastmasters has helped me get over my stage fright and has enhanced my communication skills. I enjoy the camaraderie in our club and have made friends for lifetime,” says Toastmaster Marcia Fernandes, who is one of the most experienced and active club members.

“I have seen 18 year olds as well as 80 year olds participate in our club meetings to groom their skills.

Toastmasters curriculum is well designed and tested to bring out a confident speaker. More importantly, ICG club is a positive and engaging place with lots of

fun,” says Toastmaster Padhmanabhan V., academician at Goa Institute of Management.

In today’s era, corporates look for eloquent communication along with niche knowledge.

Establishing networks is a key ingredient for a profitable business.Having good leadership qualities succour in climbing the corporate ladder. At Toastmasters, every club has an Excom committee which further inculcates leadership qualities.

“My club has given me an opportunity to experiment with and enhance my rusted communication skills, because as most of the homemakers I always thought I really don’t need to be an efficient communicator and least of all a leader.

Today, I can’t believe myself and get amazed by my own development from a shy, introvert homemaker to the president of my club. I owe it all to my club members and my mentor. This really is a place Where Leaders Are Made” believes the President of the ICG Club, Toastmaster Neeru Khera.

The Pathways Learning Programme of Toastmasters is both communication oriented and leadership oriented, thus enabling the member to use their learnings at toastmasters, to further their career.

Post the pandemic,

‘virtual has become the new real’. The meetings are now conducted online.Even though there are challenges , the enthusiasm of the club has not dropped. In fact, the club now has participation from Toastmasters around the world. Online meetings have opened the opportunities for interacting and attending

meetings all over the globe.

Another aspect of the Toastmasters learning programme is the annual contests, which are International Speech, Humorous Speech, Table Topics and Evaluation contests.

The club members have also been participating in all the contests every year.

“Personally ICG Toastmasters Club has made me a better team worker, leader and organiser. It helps me to recognise my areas of improvement and gives me a chance to work with other colleagues to see them achieving heights in communication and team work skills,” are the words of Dr. Ashish Srivastava, practising psychiatrist.

As humans, we strive for personal connect.

Communication is the basis for better professional growth and improved relationships.

The start is what stops most people, but to build a legacy all we need to do is take the first step.Take your first step by observing a meeting at our club. For details contact: President Neeru Khera on 9326127797 or V.P. Public Relations Sertorio Noronha on 9822480899

september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 35

Professional dossier

@businessgoa

“My Profession is my Passion and my Patient is Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, Dr. Neha (Tarna) Khadpe speaks of her my God!” Renowned experiences over the years and women’s health issues By ameya nayak

Early life and education I hail from a small village named Siolim in Bardez Taluka in Goa. However, I’ve spent most of my early years in Mapusa where my mother practiced as a gynecologist.

She was attached to Asilo Hospital, Mapusa and had her own private practice there as well as in Panaji. This was back in the year 1972, when doctors were allowed to have a private practice, while in Government service. With several doctors in the family, I was inclined towards the medical profession from as early as the age of ten.

After finishing my early education in Mapusa, I completed my MBBS degree from Goa Medical College in 1992. Thereafter, I joined the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department at Goa Medical College and completed my Postgraduate Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1996.

Later, I spent six months working at the Wadia Maternity Hospital in Mumbai, during which time I also undertook training in Obstetrical Ultrasound and Laparoscopy. Working at Wadia helped me to develop confidence as it provided me with exposure to a variety of patients. The professors and senior doctors there were extremely helpful, and my interest in the subject grew further.

What made you specialize in Gynecology & Obstetrics over other fields?

My mother Dr. Ratan Naik (Khaunte) is the first Lady FRCS (Edinburgh) from Goa. It was her passion and dedication towards her profession that fascinated and inspired me to follow in her footsteps and become a gynecologist. She was, is, and will always be my role model.

Dr Neha (Tarna) Khadpe

Professional experience as a Gynecologist & Obstetrician In December 1996, I got married and permanently moved to Mumbai where my husband was working. This was when I started working at Singhania’s Hospital in Thane as a resident gynecologist.

My elder son was born in October in 1997 and I took a break from the profession for a while. As they say, life is full of surprises! My husband took up a new job in Goa at TCS in 2000 and we moved back to Goa. I was happy to be back in Goa and I had made up my mind to start my clinic and get back to work, following which I started ‘Devki Clinic’ in 2000 which will be turning 20 on the 29th of October, this year.

My initial years of private practice were a struggle as I had to juggle between my profession, managing things at home, and looking after my children. Sometimes, it would be really difficult to multi-

36 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

My sincere advice to all women would be to make their health a priority.

Considering the chaos a woman undergoes in her daily life, healthy living may take a backseat to household chores, work, family, busy schedules and so on task but I had lot of support from my husband, my inlaws, my mother, and, most importantly, both my sons.

Since I did not have my own hospital, I admitted patients at Dr. Kedar’s Hospital to start with and for the last five years, at Trinity Hospital. I would like to express my gratitude to both Dr. Kedar Padte and Dr. Eugene D’Silva who have always been very encouraging and supportive.

What are some of the health issues women face nowadays?

How should they keep them under check?

Women these days are quite high on awareness, being health and fitness conscious.

This might have more to do with Google equipping them with more information than with their interactions with doctors. They Google their symptoms, diagnose it themselves, and come to us just for a prescription. Some of them already know the treatment coming in.

A few days ago, a fourteen-year-old girl visited me, accompanied by her mother. She had a treatable congenital condition. As soon as she entered, she proceeded to present the selfdiagnosis of her condition and suggested the procedure she felt she needed to undergo. Shockingly, she was absolutely right on both counts. On asking her how she had managed to figure it out, she mentioned that she had ‘googled’ everything.

In this era of abundance of information, whenever I prescribe any medicine, I also have to prepare myself to deal with follow up questions about the rarest of side effects that the patient might read about somewhere on the internet. The upside to this new era of heightened awareness is that women reach out to doctors at the smallest signs of trouble and this helps in early diagnosis and ultimately, prevention of complications.

Your advice to women to stay healthy My sincere advice to all women would be to make their health a priority.

Considering the chaos a woman undergoes in her daily life, healthy living may take a backseat to household chores, work, family, busy schedules and so on.

At least 30 minutes of

@businessgoa

daily exercise in any form such as walking, jogging, Zumba, swimming or yoga can go a long way to keep women healthy. Alongside, I would also recommend they maintain a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables while trying to cut down on carbohydrates and fats. It is also good to avoid packed and processed food and to go for annual health check-ups. We all know that prevention is better than cure. As your body journeys through years, life will leave its marks on us. From your birthmarks to your wrinkles, don’t regret aging which I believe, is a privilege denied to many. The idea is to age gracefully!

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected medical practice?

We’ve had the pandemic since February 2020 and life has been pretty difficult for

The next generation needs to understand that there is a lot of responsibility entrusted in doctors. Passion, perseverance, and determination are the key virtues towards becoming a successful doctor. We have to be humble and compassionate doctors. Some professions have been able to make the switch to work from home, many people have lost jobs, but doctors have been on their toes throughout this pandemic.

Those on the frontline are forced to stay away from their families. All of us have been rapidly adapting to new working conditions such as wearing a face shield, wearing the PPE suits, and using all sorts of protective equipment.

Nonetheless, we are happy to

do so! Our Hippocratic Oath does not let us turn patients away. Our Zoom webinars during this pandemic have kept us constantly in touch with each other and also helped stay abreast of the latest developments in our field.

As an accomplished Gynaecologist and Obstetrician, what would be your advice for youngsters out there who want to pursue the same career?

The next generation needs to understand that there is a lot of responsibility entrusted in doctors.

Passion, perseverance, and determination are the key virtues towards becoming a successful doctor. We have to be humble and compassionate.

One has to constantly keep learning because the knowledge in the field is vast and one has to always

remain updated with the latest advancements in the field. Reading, attending conferences, attending CMEs, interactions and discussion with one’s colleagues in the same profession can be very helpful.

Your success mantra and plans for the future?

My success mantra has always been remaining humble and grounded. Learning to accept ones mistakes and trying not to repeat the same is important.

My profession is my passion and my patient is my God. My future plans are primarily just to continue on the trajectory I am to continue to be compassionate and dedicated to my patients.

I still continue to believe that “The hands that serve are holier than the lips that pray.” I thank Business Goa for giving me this opportunity to express myself

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ayesha barretto

“If I’m passionate about something, I will go all in for it and see it through to the very end” Radio jockey, singer, compere and writer, Ayesha Barretto speaks of the myriad things that she loves doing Pic: Edric Geroge, Studio Right Click

A

By sybil rodrigues

yesha Barretto had a typical childhood like everyone else in Goa. She studied at The Rosary High School, Miramar till the 10th standard, did her higher secondary from Dhempe College of Arts and Science and completed her graduation from Sophia College, Mumbai with a BA in English Literature. She went ahead and pursued a post- graduate diploma in journalism from Dhempe College of Arts & Science, before becoming a professional Radio Jockey.

Describing herself as a ‘tomboy’ who loved climbing trees, wearing shorts riding bikes and exploring deserted cemeteries, Ayesha elaborates on what made her choose RJing as a profession. “It’s a funny story really! Growing up, my dad was away a lot, being in the merchant navy; and as such he would be away for long periods of time at a stretch. Now, given his love for music and the fact that he wanted his kids to recognise his voice when he returned, he started recording cassette tapes of his voice followed by a song dedicated either to my mum, sister, brother or me, and at times, even our dog (whom he called his four legged son)! He would record an entire tape at a time in this manner and send it to us with anyone coming off the ship to India. The first song I remember him dedicating to me was Pretty Young Thing

by Michael Jackson and I remember looking at the stereo thinking “I want to be talking out of the music box like papa and playing such cool songs”. And that’s where it all began. And it stayed with me right through to the time when I went to college in Bombay. Luckily for me, private radio stations began to boom at the same time.”

Ayesha Barretto

Ayesha describes her early years in the profession as both, tough and easy. Tough because radio stations hadn’t opened up in Goa at that time and easy because with an immense passion for radio, she would do whatever it took to make her dreams come true. “After my graduation, I had to make a choice of living in Mumbai and following my dream or coming home and seeing what I could make of my time in Goa. Sadly, even though I got my dream job there, I was unable to adjust to living in the big city – the daily commute, the crowds and the rat race got the better of me and so I packed up everything I had amassed in my time there and headed home.” Luckily for her, she was able to secure a slot at All India Radio where she was able to put her abilities to test. It was the launch pad she needed and the stepping

38 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

stone to getting to where she wanted.

Ayesha is a writer, compere and a singer. She elaborates on juggling the three apart from the life that she has carved for herself on radio.

“There are a couple of things you need to know about me; for one, I have never wanted a mundane, predictable, stuckin-a-rut kind of life. Secondly, as long as I’m passionate about something, I will go all in for it and see it through to the very end. Lastly, I have always been a people’s person and gone down paths where I could interact with or connect to the most number of people possible. So writing, singing and compering just checked all these boxes for me.”

She then goes on to speak about the aspects of her work that excite her most.

“I think that would have to be the surprising curve balls each avenue of my life brings

from live, on air calls taking unexpected turns and keeping me on my toes mentally to interviewing unbelievable individuals both on air and on paper and from the most bizarre song requests to the most inexplicable demands at events, I think I’ve probably seen and done them all! But of course, the cherries on top of it all are the amazing people all my passion projects have allowed me to cross paths with and meet!”

Over the years, Ayesha has hosted various programs and shows, which have brought her in contact with tons of people. “It’s not the programs and shows that I remember; it’s the people. The people who tell me that their outlook or behaviour has changed because of a topic that I’ve discussed or a guest who I’ve had on air; the people who tell me that their night was made all the more special and memorable because I’d been there; and the people who have turned from clients into friends and then family!

Ayesha’s initial choice to do the many myriad things that keep her busy was met by a lot of shock and surprise from her extended family because, as families do, they expected so much more from her. Also, these so called career choices at the time were pretty much unheard of back in the day. But Ayesha’s family backed her up and supported her through thick and thin. “Thankfully, my parents and siblings were super supportive – standing behind me every step of the way, celebrating my every high and pulling me out of my every low. My friends too supported me in more ways than I can count! From giving me quotes for stories that I was writing and leads and contact numbers for people to interview to recommending

@businessgoamagazine

me for events and showing up at gigs that I was hosting, I could not have asked for better!”

Everybody in the entertainment industry has been affected by the pandemic and the lockdown that followed. Everything that Ayesha loved be it writing, singing and compering came to a full stop. She has been able to continue with her radio show ever day, although for the first two weeks of the lockdown she had to do it from home, and she took her time getting used to it.

She elaborates on how things have changed for her after the pandemic. “Things are now starting to change on the first three fronts with people requesting me to host online events, intimate weddings and sing for online gigs and watch parties. So it’s been a series of new challenges, but ones that I’ve welcomed with open arms!”

Facing new challenges that

the pandemic has brought her way keeps Ayesha excited. She is also looking forward to the day when she can travel again, because that’s her other love apart from everything else that she does. “Also meeting friends from halfway across the world at a new location, exploring new cities and cultures together and making memories that last a lifetime are on my list. Truth be told, the pandemic has taught me to cherish the little plans – like a group video call with friends, pizza night with my nieces or a weekend with my folks, at our ancestral house, playing cards, talking and listening to music” Ayesha signs off with her success mantra for youngsters.

“I honestly believe, to each his or her own. At the end of the day, the only advice I can offer is to just follow your heart and do what you love because that is exactly what will keep you going and push you to do your best, all day, everyday”

CII IWN Goa hosts online session

Clockwise from left: Nita Brid, Sheetal Pai Kane (Chairperson IWN Goa Chapter), Madhavi Lall, Arch Rita mody Joshi, Shikha Pandey and Sonia Shirsat

T

o mark its anniversary, CII-IWN Goa Chapter hosted an online session “Building Up the Women Around You”, moderated by Sheetal Pai Kane, Chairperson IWN Goa Chapter.

The panelists shared their words of wisdom. “The world is full of possibilities and each opportunity needs to be seized,” stated Madhavi Lall, Chairperson, CII IWN WR. Shikha Pandey, renowned cricketer said “Behind every

successful man, there is a strong woman” should now be “Behind every successful woman is a group of striving women.” Neeta Brid, GM Fomento Resorts & Hotels said, “If you have a vision and truly believe in it, there should be focus as if you aim for the stars then you will definitely reach somewhere close.” The world famous Fado singer Sonia Shirsat continued with “Keep challenging and believing in yourself ”

september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 39

enterprise

On the 10th Anniversary of Goa’s largest business networking organisation, Business Goa congratulates the

stars of

Arvind nanda / Eco Pest Klean

Getting rid of pests, the organic way Arvind Nanda speaks about her venture, Eco Pest Klean and how BNI has helped her business grow

A

By sybil rodrigues

rvind Nanda is a first generation entrepreneur in her family with an experience of twelve years in the field of sales and marketing. She has worked with banks, the retail sector, education and has always loved a challenge. Her business Eco Pest Klean, is a reliable name in pest management services.

Arvind speaks on her business.

“What started as a search for a good pest control for me became the push I needed to enter this segment and make it a brand that it is now developing into. We are highly trained and skilful at creating an environment free of bugs and diseases for our customers. We specialize in reducing or eliminating pest infestation using our high-quality tools, pro-active focus and specialised workforce.”

Eco Pest Klean’s solutions are preferred amongst various sectors of the industry. Their control solutions cover residential, educational and commercial properties.

Residential properties include homes, residential buildings, garden areas, bungalow’s pest infestation; whereas commercial properties include restaurants, schools, colleges, offices, commercial buildings or plots and other commercial spaces. When it comes to dealing with pests, Eco Pest Klean adopts latest in technology and concentrated materials to deal with certain category of pests which are otherwise immune to regular pest control methods.

Starting Her Enterprise: Arvind started her business with a vision to provide the best organic, eco-friendly solutions for pest control with a structured customer service. This is the core benefit of organic pest control. Organic pesticides are typically effective for a longer period of time than chemical sprays, as most organic pesticides use both biological controls (scents, tastes, natural oils, etc.) combined with safer, green chemicals to prevent pests.

“We all know the harm that harsh pesticides cause on our health. Whereas chemical sprays may be effective, they often have harmful effects on the surrounding environment (including animals, soil, and water when it runs off). Organic pest control products are typically much safer and more beneficial for the environment, overall.”

Like all other businesses, Arvind too

world.”

Arvind Nanda

faced her fair share of challenges. “When it comes to challenges the biggest one was creating awareness about organic pest control solutions to clients. There is an entirely different shift in the mindsets of people and educating them how organic is the way to go was quite a task. It was a slow start 3 years, back but now it has given us a foothold in the market and we can proudly say that we have successfully created a niche for ourselves here.” Eco Pest Klean provides timely service and customer satisfaction post treatment, with a dedicated team of professionals.

The BNI Edge: Arvind then elaborates on her association with BNI. “It started 3 years back when I visited a BNI Chapter here in Goa as an observer from Gurgaon.

I was floored by the energy, support and enthusiasm that the members had for each other; and above all the potential women entrepreneurs have to develop themselves, is immense. After joining BNI Goa, we started with 7 clients and now are serving more than 250+ clients.

This three-year journey has been an evolution for me, having a family of more than 500+ members who are my extended family now. We have worked with clients from various segments – corporate, villas, builders, construction sites (pre & post), hotels, and restaurants, all thanks to BNI. This shift to Goa has been a life changer for me and the confidence to do it came from BNI. Rajkumar Kamat, our ED had a vision to bring the business owners in Goa on an international stage and I can proudly say that he has not only given a platform to them but also to women entrepreneurs to move ahead boldly and strongly and make a mark in the business

40 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

The COVID-19 Challenge: Arvind mentions the hurdles faced by her in her business due to COVID 19. “Initially when Covid 19 hit, we were closed for a month. That period gave us an insight as to how we would want to approach our work going forward.

A few of our staff members had left for their hometown and we didn’t stop them, knowing that they want to be with their family. There was no salary deduction and we provided them food rations for themselves and their families.”

From here on they diversified into sanitisation treatments. It gave them a complete turnaround and the muchneeded direction that was the need of the hour. This step helped them completely change the way they were looking to do business. As of now they are back working at full strength, doing pest treatments along with the much-needed sanitisation work as well.

Arvind is also involved in bringing to Goa another venture called PAB (Pick-a-Book) which gives a chance to explore the world of books through the eyes of other readers. It was started in Sri Lanka and now has made way to Goa giving people a way to learn and explore their imagination. ‘Pick A Book’ encourages the reading habit by getting all participants to select a book, read and research on it thoroughly and present a summary which also helps to hone their public-speaking and presentation skills.

By doing this, ‘Pick-a-Book’ not only inculcates the habit of reading but also helps to impart a wealth of knowledge.

The Future of Business: “This is the future we envision for Goa, bringing the talents of our children, passion for reading from our mothers/ parents / wives and path to success of our entrepreneurs, to a common platform.” Arvind says, “It’s no secret that owning a business can be an incredibly enriching experience… but it is not as glamorous as some may think.

There remains one constant ingredient to success: motivation. You already have everything that you need to be successful in this new world and you have to make it for yourselves. It doesn’t matter what your business is, success will be what you make it to be. Stay strong, stay optimistic and let’s make it big”

Properties in Goa

Member of

hospitality

@businessgoa

Goa Marriott Resort is ready for guests: Gaurav Apte

G

aurav Apte, General Manager, Goa Marriott Resort and Spa has expressed his views on opening up the hotel for guests.

“The tourism industry has been one of the industries hardest hit by the pandemic.

As a result of cancellations of flights, tours, events, hotel reservations and a resultant decline in inbound travel, hotel occupancy rates and average room rates have dropped sharply causing unprecedented declines in profit margins leading to a major imbalance in the world’s economy.

The pandemic has created such a scare that it is taking time for travellers to gain confidence in order to travel once again. It is heartening to see that travellers are choosing to reschedule plans rather than cancel their visit.

Unlike other sectors, tourism will take longer to recover, especially leisure

Gaurav Apte

tourism. Many Indian States including Goa extensively depend on tourism as a source of State revenue.

Goa being the smallest

42 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

State and known for its stunning beaches and nightlife largely depends upon the tourism sector for revenue and employment, as well as many migrant workers who travel to Goa to work in the industry.

Unlike other Indian and International hospitality brands, Marriott International, under the ‘Commitment to Clean’ inititative are committed to providing guests with a safe environment that aligns with expert protocols for working to defeat Covid-19.

Consisting of in-house and outside experts in food and water safety, hygiene and infection prevention, and hotel operations, We at the Goa Marriott Resort and Spa are taking equal steps to safeguard the health and safety of our guests and associates.

We have come up with a virtual commitment to clean video which showcases the health and safety initiatives taken at the property level during our guests’ stay with us.

We are cleaning our public surfaces with increased frequency, dedicated staff,

and recommended cleaning agents.

Hand sanitizing stations are being installed at hotel entrances, at our front desks, our elevator banks, and meeting spaces. Signage’s in public spaces are installed to remind guests to maintain social distancing. We have added partitions at check-in to provide an extra level of precaution for our guests and our associates. In guest rooms, we have elevated our rigorous protocols to thoroughly clean all surfaces with hospitalgrade disinfectants. Our mobile technologies are providing reassurance and distancing options for our guests. In over 3,200 hotels, our phone can be used to check in, access your room, order room service, view our restaurant menus and for contactless payment options at check out.

Keeping the current scenario in mind, Marriott International have called for repackaging their hotel services, focussing on contactless services and are introducing competitive value added stay package and offerings for travelers to help them enjoy and curate their own staycations at the hotels.

‘SAVE MORE EARN MORE’ is our one such STAYCATION package currently live across all Marriott South Asia properties, specially curated for the leisure clientele targeting mainly the families and couples, locals, transit customers to help them enjoy endless experiences while choosing from a bouquet of offerings at our hotels.

The package offerings include room accommo dat ion, complimentary breakfast, Free Upgrade to next category room, 2 kids up to 12 years stay and dine free and one or more specially curated offering to make guest stay even more exciting. Booking dates till 30th October 2020. Stay dates up to 31st December 2020”

@businessgoa

Intimate Timeless Weddings at IHCL, Goa

C

elebrate the beginning of a new chapter with an intimate celebration amidst loved ones at IHCL, Goa’s exquisite properties.

Write your own fairy-tale with Intimate Timeless Weddings – offering unique locations, carefully curated menus, exotic themes and the quintessential Taj service, which has been re-strengthened with an assurance of the highest standards of safety.

Thematic weddings steeped in elegance and grandeur or breezy nuptials on the shore, IHCL, Goa’s array of exceptional hotels, serve as breathtaking backdrops for a dream wedding. Be it surrounded by the shades of the sun, sea and sand; against the backdrop of an idyllic paradise; amidst nature at her most glorious or in the heart

Iconic Beach Resorts, Landmark City Hotel, Signature Hospitality

Intimate Timeless Weddings – offering unique locations, carefully curated menus, exotic themes and the quintessential Taj service of the capital city; the iconic Taj, Vivanta and SeleQtions hotels are sure to create a once in a lifetime experience for the special day.

Redefine destination weddings with nonchalant getaways in a slice of heaven.

“Regally yours” is now a popular choice at IHCL, Goa for couples who have always envisioned a fairy-

tale wedding. Choose from picture-perfect outdoor venues, impressive banquet halls and paradisiacal private gardens. A dedicated team of experts bring together wedding specialists who will curate every whim, fancy or wish the heart desires; a team of Master Chefs will customise the menus as required with a melange of culinary wonders; talented florists that will

amplify the revelry with exotic floral arrangements and dedicated staff who make it their mission to transform dreams into reality.

Special curated wedding experiences, extravagantly opulent service and venues that reverberates with romance seamlessly blend in to create priceless moments at the legendary IHCL, Goa hotels

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new biz

www.businessgoa.in

Capricon Engineering launches its made-in-Goa products The Vascobased company has launched new product lines and service offerings in the hygiene and safety space

V

insanWorld, is an integrated advertising, communications and events agency, based in Goa, with branches in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Dubai. The agency began its journey in the glorious 90s, when India was accelerating as one of the fastest emerging economies. Since then, VinsanWorld has been delivering result-oriented marketing solutions to support businesses to grow exponentially and equip themselves for changing times.

Challenging times need innovative ideas. Companies are driven to innovate, try new things, make changes and diversify – with minimal disruption. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only put global health systems into unprecedented stress but has also brought ‘hygiene’ and ‘safety’ into the mainstream conversation.

With innovation and diversification as its mainstay, Vinsan World’s sister concern Capricon Engineering Works has launched new product lines and service offerings in the hygiene and safety space.

Capricon Engineering Works recently became one of the first companies in Goa to introduce disinfection services for homes, offices and vehicles. The USP of the service is that it uses a silane based retentive self-disinfection coating that keeps surfaces free from a broad spectrum of viruses and bacteria for upto 30 days. Its high performance antimicrobial coating physically controls and ruptures the target organism’s cell membrane on contact. In addition, Capricon also offers ATP testing, wherein the hygiene or cleanliness of a surface can be evaluated after application. This

Sanjay Shetye

“We have learnt the importance of adaptability, innovation and positivity with the onset of the pandemic.

While we have always wanted to launch our own products and service offerings, this was the opportune moment to roll them out” sanjay shetye

Owner, Capricon Engineering

disinfection and sanitization service has received a positive response and so far has been utilized by companies like IFB Ltd., Magsons, Zarhak Moulders-Shakti products, Delfino’s Pharmacy, 79 Pet Shop, Baker’s Street, Chief Minister’s bungalow, minister’s meeting rooms and other top corporate houses, religious places, homes and vehicles.

Capricon Engineering is also seeking to establish itself in the home and officebased sanitization space, through the introduction of a new range of sanitizers,

44 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

Capri Qleen Advanced Hand Sanitizers, in gel and liquid based variants. The sanitizers combine the goodness of tulsi oil with a lime fragrance. The lemon fragrance ensures a sensorial cleanse while tulsi oil boosts skin immunity and moisturizes hands. It has an ethyl alcohol IP of 71% and kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria and viruses instantly. The sanitizers are available in four sizes – 90 ml, 200ml, 500ml and 5 litres and are competitively priced. The products are manufactured only in Goa, in response to the Prime Minister’s clarion call for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and vocal for local.

Along with sanitizers, the company’s product line also includes a range of highquality designer masks, Capri Pro reusableface masks with anti-viral strength.

The distinctive feature of these masks is that it is coated with a self-disinfectant that is lab tested and renders the mask effective against bacteria and viruses for up to 30 washes. They have a comfortable facial fit due to their ergonomic design.

Capri Pro has laid a special emphasis towards clear respiration via the masks.

The masks are easy to wear and carry comfortable elastic ear loops with good drape ability. For the style conscious, there is a substantial variety of design and patterns to choose from. The masks are also customizable for brand-specific and corporate clients.

Sanjay Shetye, owner, Capricorn Engineering Works says, “With the outbreak of the Coronavirus, it became clear that a diversified product and service offering is not only essential but critical. We have learnt the importance of adaptability, innovation and positivity with the onset of the pandemic. While we have always wanted to launch our own products and service offerings, this was the opportune moment to roll them out, as we had the luxury of time and capacity.

So, now our key focus for Capricon will be on building our brands – launching offerings like sanitizers, face masks and disinfection services and improving our consumers’ experience by introducing new products lines.”

Capricon Engineering will continue its journey of expansion through offering a selection of high quality products at affordable prices. Vinsan World’s advertising and events business has already made significant progress in the past decade. Alongside, Capricon Engineering will strengthen its fundamentals to drive both growth and innovation

Biz bytes

@businessgoamagazine

CII Goa facilitates air cargo for industries through Emirates

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o help Industry with easy movement of cargo on a daily basis, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Goa, in the last six months, have initiated several meetings with the Emirates Skycargo, discussed and deliberated with industry, Air Cargo Association, Goa Pharmaceutical Manufacturer’s Association (GPMA) and others on feasibility and operational aspects of logistics.

After several meetings with Govt. of Goa, Airport Authorities, Custom Authorities Emirates are now operationally ready to commence from Goa. Emirates Skycargo has shown keen interest to operate its cargo freighters aircrafts from Goa International Airport Dabolim.

On an average 60 tonnes of pharma cargo is

transported to Mumbai or Bengaluru on a daily basis to be exported out of India mainly to the US or European markets. Companies incur heavy trucking costs (Avg: Rs.40,000 per truck) and other inter-state duties which can be avoided if shipments are exported directly out of Goa. Emirates has reviewed the current facilities at Dabolim, and although there are infrastructural challenges, they are closely working with the Airport Authority of India to get some basic amenities sorted out to ensure that the cargo is handled correctly and product integrity is

maintained. Emirates is a GDP certified airline ensuring pharma shipments will be handled as per the highest industry standards.

For Emirates to operate its first flight from Goa, they require a commitment of a minimum of 45 tonnes of exports per flight. To achieve this target, it needs to be a good mix of skidded cargo and loose cartons to optimise the aircraft space.

Emirates is mainly attracted to the pharma exports out of Goa to the US and Europe.

Hence they would like to see a commitment from pharma companies for the first flight to announce the flight immediately. “Once Emirates operates 2 or 3 flights, we can then have a mix of pharma, general cargo and Perishable products contribute to the

exports,” said a CII Goa communique.

Companies can also use the Emirates network to import their cargo directly into Goa from all over the world and avoid routing the same through other states.

Having brand Emirates operating from Goa, will develop Goa into one of the biggest logistics hub in the region. This will also attract other businesses to set up shop generating revenue to the state and create employment opportunities to the youth of Goa. Once the cargo flights are successfully operated out of Goa, CII-Goa and the GPMA will also engage with Emirates to operate passenger flights which would benefit all Goans who travel for leisure or work and bring in investors and tourists from across the globe giving a much needed boost to the state economy

september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 45

corporate citizen / Daniel Albuquerque

Covid-19: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC)

The author discusses the recent amendments made to the IBC, 2016, through an ordinance where a moratorium on insolvency applications has been enforced which is intended for 6 months, starting from 25 March 2020, and may be extended up to a year

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otwithstanding anything contained in sections 7, 9 and 10, no application for initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process of a corporate debtor shall be filed for any default arising on or after 25th March, 2020 for a period of six months or such further period, not exceeding one year from such date, as may be notified in this behalf. – Section 10A, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016, Amendment, Ordinance, 2020.

Further there is a caveat to the above mentioned section: Provided that no application shall ever be filed for initiation of corporate insolvency resolution process of a corporate debtor for the said default occurring during the said period.

Explanation: For removal of doubts, it is hereby clarified that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any default committed under the sections before 25th March, 2020. This simply means that if a debtor has defaulted in payment of debt before 25 March 2020, for that debtor, the promised relief or suspension of initiation of initiation of corporate insolvency process is not applicable.

The Case: State Bank of India (SBI) versus Reliance Communications (RCom): While the Covid-19 may have been an Act of God, in legal terms, that is to say an unforeseen calamity over which humans have no power, to some debt-ridden companies, on the brink of insolvency and bankruptcy, it has been a Godsend, a boon. Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s telecommunications company, RCom must have thanked its stars as the above stated amendment to IBC, suspension of initiation of corporate insolvency process, was introduced through an amendment.

The total debt of the company is a colossal `46,000 crores, however the company’s lenders have put up a gigantic sum of `90,000 crores.

However, the matter here is restricted only what the State Bank of India (SBI) brought up before the Mumbai National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), a sum of `1,600 crores only. SBI had prayed to appoint an Insolvency Resolution Professional (IRP) to assess the assets of the company, RCom, as a part of the procedure of insolvency leading to

bankruptcy. The tribunal gave its assent to the lending bank and accordingly passed the order. Challenging this order in the Delhi High Court, RCom pleaded for relief; which was granted, wherein the High Court has stayed the proceedings and has asked the concerned parties to file their replies before 6th October, 2020.

Lessons from the Case: The big lesson from the case is that there are no lessons learnt, for every corporate leader, is convinced such contingency will not occur to him. For their belief in the debt based growth is absolute.

Some of the recent instances suffice to demonstrate the proposition that lessons from insolvency and bankruptcy are not learnt: a) V.G. Siddhartha who became synonymous with his Cafe Coffee Day venture, having suffered from the pressure from the lenders as well as the harassment by the tax authorities as stated by him in his suicide note, ended his life jumping off a bridge. b) Rana Kapoor and Yes Bank Ltd. were inseparably bound to each other; it was among the most successful private banks in the country until the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) found irregularities such as under-reporting the bad loans, finally caught up with him and he ended up with zero shares. c) Naresh Goyal, founder of Jet Airways, one time a successful and the largest private airlines in India, suffered from severe competition and demands from the lenders until the regulatory authorities grounded his fleet and shattered his dreams. There are many others such as the Singh brothers – Malvinder and Shivinder, the monarchs of pharma and healthcare industries, steel magnate brothers Shashi and Ravi Ruia of Essar, etc.

On the other hand, not everything is lost. Anil Ambani does not have to go very far to draw visible and real lessons for himself. He and his brother Mukesh, as they parted ways in 2005 from the inherited group of companies of their father, the business was divided down the middle. Mukesh, mostly with petrochemicals, sober, steady and focused, rose to global heights of business

The columnist is a writer with Oxford University Press and a published author. Email: albuquerque.daniel@gmail.com 46 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

in spite of the financial meltdown, industrial slow down and to crown it all, the Covid-19 pandemic. Unwittingly, he dealt a mortal blow to his brother’s RCom, as he plunged into telecommunications with Reliance Jio which is ruling the market with a staggering 34% of the market share that is expected rise to 50% in the coming couple of years.

Anil, a financially savvy manager with an overriding ambition was extremely happy with the telecommunication companies, a quick money maker, and a great news maker with high end investments, press conferences and Bollywood glamour. Business trends changed winds, Anil’s fortunes sailed short, and money lenders exercised pressure; he got caught up in unrelenting litigation and ended up from the heights of 49 billion dollars just to a single billion. He was even ready to pledge his personal assets to offset the debts, which the court disallowed. The takeaway from the Ambani brothers is that while the current Jio share price is closing in on `2,000, that of RCom just above `2.

A small crutch like a stay order on initiation of insolvency proceedings is not the last word. What about a plethora of financial regulatory bodies in India – Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA), Forward Marks Commission of India (FMC), Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority PFRDA? Do they have any positive roles to solve corporate problems? Checking on the synonyms for regulatory, one finds these disconcerting and distressing terms: authoritarian, dictatorial, narrow, dogmatic etc. Even these do not have the last word. The last word is with the last man of India, who remains silent, but who has to bear the brunt of losses caused by lending banks, agencies, entrepreneurs who couldn’t care less to save their firms, board of directors who neglected their responsibilities and investors who remained silent at Annual General Meetings. The little man of India is exactly like R.K. Laxman’s cartoon character, the common man, who observes everything in silence and bears all the burdens without a murmur

wealth doctor / amiya sahu

Understand Risk Before Investing!

The writer pens down various risks that one should consider before investing

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ast month, I came across a trading platform in which one could earn as much as 82% in a minute! Yes, you read it right and there is no error! In exactly 60 seconds, the wealth could increase from INR 10,000 to 18,200 or one lakh to one lakh eighty-two thousand. The platform is easy to operate, hence addictive; and is extremely risky.

We should have no doubt in that fact that every investment comes with a risk.

We need to understand it before investing in any asset. As markets and assets differ in their return characteristics, so do in terms of risk. The risk-taking nature of investors also vary. Mostly, we are riskaverse; while some enjoy taking risk. The possible return from an asset has a direct relationship with its riskiness. This means a higher return, usually, will come with higher risk, and if we are not willing to take any risk, we should be content with lower returns. The irony is investors look for higher returns while not being ready to take appropriate risk. To be wealthier, one should be ready to take risk.

The simplest definition of risk is ‘uncertain possibilities’. Risk is always futuristic. We take risk every day in our personal and work life. Eating street food, which is very tempting and exciting, could be risky; over speeding is risky; there can be numerous such activities.

There is a thrill and excitement in taking risk.

While investing, we encounter various types of risk. The important ones are explained below: (1) Market Risk: Uncertainties which affect the market as a whole is market risk.

Different markets have different risks and they have different return possibilities.

Markets in which price fluctuations are not much are less risky. The debt market is an example. As the price of equity shares fluctuate much more, the equity market is riskier.

(2) Asset Risk: Are such which are unique to a particular asset. For example, the risk of equity shares of Infosys and Bajaj Auto will be unique – as these companies belong to different sectors offering different products / services. Within each market segment, different securities debt, equity, and others have different risk. Some have low, and some have high risk. They can be understood using credit

rating (in case of debt) and beta (in case of equity shares). A high beta stock is riskier than a low beta stock. As of 11 August 2020, Infosys had a beta of 0.47 while Indusind Bank had a beta of 1.63.

(3) Liquidity Risk: This arises if we are unable to sell an asset or find it difficult to convert an asset into cash. Certain safe investments are highly liquid as it is easy to find a buyer e.g. bullion, and foreign currency. Equity shares which are listed in a stock exchange, are liquid as well. We can sell them when the stock market is open. But all shares may not have similar liquidity. Mutual funds also have good liquidity.

(4) Default Risk: Default risk arises from non-payment of promised amounts.

Hence, applies mostly to assets that have obligatory returns. The best example is the debt instruments which promise interest payments and return of the principal amount. When non-payment occurs, we get into a situation of default.

One must consider a greater element of default risk with Ponzi schemes which promise very high returns than market returns. There are numerous examples

when large companies have defaulted in payments to their investors.

(5) Inflation Risk: When our average returns are less than the average inflation rate, we have inflation risk. Our wealth erodes in such a situation. Due to COIVID impact, the returns from bank deposits have fallen below the current inflation rates.

(6) Re-investment Risk: refers to a situation when we are not able to protect the current rate of returns if we carry forward our investments in the same assets. This occurs if a particular investment is cancelled or the characteristics of the assets change which reduces the returns. Renewal of bank deposits and growth options in mutual funds encounter this risk.

(7) Longevity Risk: This arises when we live beyond the anticipated age and with an increase in life expectancy. In such a situation, we may face severe difficulties as we would have exhausted our savings.

Investing without the knowledge of RISK is like jumping into the middle of the sea without knowing how to swim

The writer teaches at Goa institute of Management. Email: amiyasahur@gim.ac.in september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 47

Beyond classroom / dr. pradeep salgaonkar

Building Brand Habits The author speaks on why building brand habits are important for businesses

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rmed with a double layered cotton mask and a bottle of sanitizer in my pocket, I set out for shopping at the friendly neighbourhood grocery store. I picked up all essential kitchen requirements like pulses, rice, atta, masalas etc. and lots of biscuits of different varieties. The consumption of biscuits of my family has increased hugely post lockdown and now it has become a routine to consume biscuits over an evening cup of tea.

Over the last few months, three prominent behavioural changes have taken place among consumers; and are transformed into habits now. One, the consumption of data and online content through various OTT platforms available; two, the consumption of home cooked food along with packaged foods and snacks like noodles and biscuits; and three, focus on health, fitness and boosting immunity and consumption of related products. These findings are based on empirical research conducted by us on the consumption habits of people during the pandemic.

The interesting thing is not the increase in consumption of these categories of products, but the fact that this consumption will become a habitual consumption. And it’s good news and a big input to the industry for strategy formulation. Agreed, the consumption is due to free time available at the disposal of people and the non-availability of certain categories of products, like readyto-eat snacks, which normally came from nearby restaurants or fast food joints.

However, the demand is real and here to stay. Continuous consumption of any product leads to habit formation and some of these behaviours (habits) will be continued in the future, as well as after the COVID times are normalized and the COVID scare is completely gone. Just as the people that once used desktops for all their computing work, have shifted to laptops and now to mobiles and onward to wearables, the routine usage of these mobile devices have shifted leading to newer habit formation. What do we do today when we are uncertain about a particular aspect? We Google the query on our mobile. It’s a strong habit. What do we do when we want some motivational stuff? We go to YouTube, and play the video of our choice. It’s a habit. It is an

automatic behaviour in a particular context, formed over a period of time, with repeated usage, forming a routine.

Understanding how habits are formed Strong habits are formed as a normal process in humans when an activity is repeated on continual basis, first knowingly and later unknowingly, over a period of time till it becomes almost automatic through associative learning.

Within psychology, ‘habits’ are defined as those actions that are triggered almost automatically in response to certain contextual cues that are associated with them. For example, in COVID times most people have developed habit of using sanitizer after touching anything or wash hands often.

The act of going outside of home prompts many people to carry a bottle of sanitizer in their pocket besides the face mask, and sanitize their hands after every time they come in contact with something external. Thus a mere repetition of a simple action in a certain context, over a period of time, leads to habitual behaviour formation that is automatically repeated in that context in the future. According to research published in European Journal of Social Psychology it takes a minimum of 21 days to start forming habits and on an average about 66 days for habits to become automatic.

According to habit expert Charles Duhigg, habit formation goes through three stages – cue, routine and reward.

A cue could be any stimulus that builds pressure or creates a craving and makes someone to take a particular action because there is a reward associated with the action. And when these actions are repeated often it leads to habit formation.

Habitual behaviour could be triggered by any of the following cues – time, location, preceding event, an emotional state or other people. For example a craving could be triggered for a cup of coffee the moment it is 4 pm or a craving for a fruit or something sweet may be triggered post meals. Boredom may take you to Facebook or Instagram or just consuming online games and so on. It’s all habitual behaviour and consumption.

Habits are important for businesses Marketers should strive to create ‘brand habit’ among its consumers.They should

make consumers habitual buyers, going a step ahead from just loyal buyers. To achieve this, it is essential to understand the cues that can lead to habitual behaviour and the types of cravings that may crop up associated with their products. For example, Dairy Milk and Dark Fantasy biscuit advertisements promoted the products as something sweet post meal, is an attempt to inculcate habits in consumers. A toothpaste brand promoting brushing after dinner is trying to build a habit of brushing at night.

Another fine example which always strikes my mind is the brand habit creation attempt by Coke via their earlier advertisement campaign “Thanda matlab Coca Cola”. A series of advertisements released, created the impact of brand habit. Another impactful campaign was

by American Express that said, ‘Don’t leave home without it.’ And today it’s a strong habit to carry debit/credit cards along. These slogans are a simple yet powerful everyday persuasions to consumers with a strong stimulus for habit formation.

Strong brand habits could be built by being customer centric. During COVID times, most people have developed newer patterns of consumption habits because of the changed circumstances.

People are habituated to consuming more noodles and homemade snacks.

Nestlé has witnessed a rise in its ‘in-home indulgence’ segment of products. Being customer centric and to seal these habits, Nestlé introduced new products under ‘MAGGI- Cooking Made Simple’ service.

Google, for instance, continuously researches and innovates to give the latest and best experiences to its users.

Thus customer engagement through customer centricity is essential for brand habit building. Building brand habit involves continued efforts on the part of the organization. Organizations must identify relevant cues, encourage creation of routine and offer a meaningful reward to the consumer in using the product.

It helps to observe current behaviours and habits of consumers for developing new interfaces for better engagement in future. Use of creative taglines that are ‘habit’ focused will work better. For example, Nike’s tagline, ‘Just do it’ works well. Telling a compelling brand story gels well with the modern consumers.

The writer is Founder Director, Saldots Academy; corporate trainer and facilitator; past chairman of Goa Management Association. Email: pradeepsalgaonkar@gmail.com 48 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

Uncomplicate Business / sunil dias

Is your business primed for post-COVID growth?

The writer speaks about how COVID has affected the economy and mentions certain indicators that could help to bring businesses back on the growth charts

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eh dil mange more was the famous Pepsi slogan from the late 90s. One of the reasons it became a runaway hit was the way it played on our obsession for growth, for always seeking that little bit more. This obsession with growth is there in all spheres of our life, whether it is the hunger for more GDP or a bigger car or house or more money or a bigger business. Growth has strong perceived linkage to prosperity.

This obsession with economic growth is recent. Till the 18th century, the population hardly grew. Nor did the economy. For most people, the clothes on their back and a few pots and pans were the bulk of their possessions. So, things were stagnant. Other than ambitious kings, everyone pretty much remained at the same place. Economic growth started with rising consumerism in Europe that drove a cycle of growth. A lot of this demand was based on unimportant stuff, such as silk slippers, suede gloves and fancy butter dishes. Yet, as Bernard Mandeville argued in his 1723 book The Fable of the Bees, what made countries rich was ‘shopping for pleasure’. It’s the consumption of the seemingly silliest things that makes economies grow. The only way to generate wealth, argued Mandeville, was to ensure high demand for absurd and unnecessary things.

Even the concept of GDP is fairly new.

Developed by Simon Kuznets in the 1930s. It was only after World War II that it entered the mainstream and grew to become the universal measure of the growth of the economy.

The pandemic has thrown all growth out of the window. GDP has degrown across the world. Most companies, other than a lucky few, have degrown. In some cases, the degrowth has been off the charts. In these uncertain times, how do businesses decide whether their growth (or degrowth) is par for the course? I don’t have an answer. Yet, there are some indicators of ‘good growth’ in the past.

If you find these indicators for your business, it’s very likely your business will be back to growth soon.

Indicator 1: A Happy ecosystem A happy ecosystem is the best indicator of sustainable growth. Your growth should have kept you and everyone else happyor at least not sad. Why? If everyone’s happy, it indicates a sustainable ecosystem. If suppliers are not happy with payment timelines, chances are they’ll drag their feet on the next order. If a customer feels cheated, they’ll move to available alternatives. If employees have increased work pressure with increased growth, performance may suffer, or their growth in the organization is out of sync with business growth. Long story short, it pays to keep everyone happy with your growth for it to be sustainable.

One warning – differentiate between inertia and happiness. Everyone’s happiness shouldn’t be at the cost of future growth. Many companies showed excellent growth, with all stakeholders apparently happy. Suddenly the ground opened beneath their feet. They were too content with the current situation.

Nokia is a telling example. They moved from being a fast-growing company with happy employees to zilch in a short period.

Indicator 2: Consistent Growth Consistency is important. Other than expected or explainable seasonality (or pandemics!), there shouldn’t be troughs or peaks within or across years.

Inconsistency is bad. You swing between understaffing (hunting for employees) to overstaffing (underutilized employees).

You swing between periods where suppliers want to dump stock and where you want stock but the suppliers can’t or won’t provide you with it. Roller-coasters are fun, but not for your business.

Indicator 3: Profitable Growth Profitability should not take a beating at the altar of growth. Selling at the cost of margins is an easy game to get in, but very difficult to get out off. Unless, you were pricing at a premium and are reducing the premium due to the product / service

life cycle, don’t use price as a lever to spur growth.

Some of the e-commerce businesses are examples of how not to do it. Growing at the speed of light and losing money at a similar rate. It could be argued that valuations of some of these loss-making companies is through the roof. But those are the exceptions rather than the norm.

The private equity players bought into Flipkart, assuming they would sell to a larger player – and they found one in Walmart. So, unless you are looking at playing the valuations game (or have very deep pockets!), a general rule is to never lose money on a sale.

If you’re profitable, just make sure that the profits don’t just remain on the books.

Businesses need cash. As someone once said: Turnover is vanity, Profit is sanity, and Cash is reality.

Indicator 4: Knowing why you grew It’s easy to celebrate good growth. And why not? Yet, it’s critical to understand and analyse reasons for growth. If there’s no answer, the growth is not sustainable. It is also crucial to analyse flat or negative growth. This normally happens at a superficial level and often results in a blame-game. Sales personnel not selling, GST implementation etc are few examples. Yet, try to go beyond the surface while analysing poor growth, separate the controllable and uncontrollable factors from each other and plan and implement interventions in the controllable factors.

Summary Some businesses take a conscious decision to grow slow. Slow growth allows for a personalized experience for customers and (possibly) better quality of life for the promoters. Yet, be wary that it’s not a symptom of inertia or conservatism. Some big names have gone under by not moving fast enough and responding to market needs. Not planning and executing everyday is the biggest risk, even if you choose to grow slowly

The author runs iv-advisors, a consulting firm helping businesses become bigger and better. Email:sunildias@iv-advisors.com

Specifying the reward – the benefit or solution that the consumers will get by using the product, adds on. Offering higher value is a sure way to get better

engagement. Habit marketing should be focused on changing product experience so that consumers are self-triggered to buy. Also, building a relationship

with customers leads to a better brand habit building that ensures growth and profitability. Hence, persuade and engage consumers to build strong brand habits

september 2020 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 49

bon Appétit

@businessgoa

our white door

The ‘Door’way to delectable delights

Fernando and Griselda speak of their venture which is a representation of globally accepted concepts with a local touch Dodol Samosa

Fernando and Griselda Monte da Silva

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By Sybil Rodrigues

ur White Door is a family run catering business, by Griselda and Fernando Monte da Silva. While Griselda is a chef who has worked in the culinary space across several cities in India and overseas, Fernando is a photo-journalist, and food and travel writer. The two decided to tinker with Goan food in order to make it more appealing to today’s audience, for whom photo-friendly food is paramount.

Fernando speaks on the idea and inspiration behind Our White Door. “We were looking for people who could work with what we had in mind – a slightly left of field menu – for the evening festivities.

Unfortunately, we wound up coming short on that front. When we realized, to quote U2, that we couldn’t find what we were looking for, at the time of the wedding, we understood that there was a niche of sorts. There was a dearth of caterers who were willing to approach food other than the manner familiar to them, with regard to being hired to handle large-scale events in Goa – in 2017, the literal ‘hired gun’ in the culinary space in Goa was hard to come by. We decided to fill that gap, by cooking for those who needed the kind of services that we provide.”

The idea was to give clients the liberty to decide what they wanted to eat. “In Goa, as consumers ourselves, we often find that people give you a list of what they make, and you have to pick your various courses from those pre-set lists.”

Both Fernando and Griselda feel that dining shouldn’t be a complex affair. They sit down with their clients, chat about dietary restrictions, allergies, and flavour-profile preferences. Most importantly, they look into memories involving food. They often have to take into consideration that a memorable meal can evoke all kinds of emotional

responses, and they want to create as many favourable memories as possible.

Once they collect this data, they go back and craft a menu, accounting for the kind of service the client wants, the number of courses involved, and all the restrictive factors mentioned above. Every menu is a one-off created for the event in question.

Their signature dishes are always a labour of love, a representation of globally accepted concepts or dishes with the incorporation of a local ‘hero’ or focal point. One of the best examples that they can point out is their ‘Dodol Samosa’, which has been lauded as ‘a must-eat when in Goa’, and now gets sent off to people across the country. They were the first people in Goa to commercially make Japanese Cheesecake, known in social-media circles for its characteristic ‘jiggle’, and airy texture. They have finally launched their own custom versions of the profiterole. Fernando explains about their two variants of profiteroles.

“Our own signature variants include two interesting combinations. The first is filled with mango crème pâtissiere, with a thin layer of white chocolate on top of the choux bun. The mango puree used to make the cream is sourced from an Afonso mango tree that is standing on the plot of our ancestral home since 1969. We preserve all we can until it runs out, and then wait for the next crop to repeat the process. The second of these variants is the Triple Chocolate. We use various kinds of chocolate in the crème pâtissiere, and different avatars of these for crunch and dusting as well.” They try to shop local, for dishes where they don’t need to use imported produce, and in the process, wind up buying from small scale farms and village-based suppliers. It was precisely that ideology that led to the creation of their uber-popular, eggless ‘Tambdi Bhaji Quiche’.

The lockdown, they feel, has been a double-edged sword for them. In many

50 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

ways, there have been surges in orders, especially with less people going out to eat, and more people ordering in. It helps that they deliver their food across Goa as well. However, the downside is that there has been a surge in people cooking from home. As a couple who runs Our White Door, there is a broad division of tasks.

Griselda is in charge of the kitchen and Fernando handles operations. However, they are both very fluid in the way they work and at the end of the day, it is a team effort. It’s just the two of them running the business without any staff, and they are grateful for the help and support received from everyone who comes forward to help them when they need extra hands on deck. Fernando goes on to speak about roadblocks and difficulties faced by them in their line of work “It can sometimes be hard to get through to the local population to try something new; to take a risk on the unknown. In Goa, we find that people prefer to stick to the dishes that they’ve tried and tested, rather than along the path less taken. Another issue that we often face is that having to pre-plan isn’t looked upon favourably.

People are used to being able to walk into a store, and pick things up from a shelf, so sometimes when we say that we have a 24-hour turnaround window, it isn’t seen as a favourable factor to account for.”

They sign off with a message to aspiring culinary artists. “I think there are two things we’d like to talk about on this front. The first is to pick an area that you’re good at, or a kind of cuisine that really interests you, and do all you can to be good at it. The second, and we can’t stress on this enough, is make sure that every single aspect of your costing is accounted for. A lot of this happens because in Goa, people are largely selfsufficient. People often fail to account for cost of time, which could go into doing something else productive, and needs to be paid for. I think that these two things are both supremely important in getting costs on point, which at the end of the day is the difference between working hard and working smart” Triple Chocolate profiteroles

bon Appétit

@businessgoa

sweetpeeps

On a sweet journey

Siya Wadji

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By ameya nayak

s a teenager, Siya had always been interested in baking, especially fresh vanilla and chocolate flavoured cakes at home during vacations which used to be her favourite pastime. Never had she thought that she would eventually make her hobby for baking her career!

Computer software and programming always had an enormous impact on her mind, as a result of which Siya graduated as a Computer Engineer from PCCE, Verna. Thereafter, she worked at an IT company for about a year where it struck her that that’s not what she wanted to do or be. This led her to figure out her way to become the cake artist that she is today and begin her own venture, Sweetpeeps!

Speaking of how Sweetpeeps happened, Siya mentions her inescapable love for gigantic and ambrosial cake indulgence which made her take keen

interest in their presentation, décor, aesthetic value, figurine making and so on that ultimately made her take the step and start Sweetpeeps, which is currently based at St. Inez in Panaji.

At Sweetpeeps, Siya believes in baking cakes from scratch and decorating them with all the love and care possible – a task that requires immense patience.

They have a variety of cakes ranging from regular cakes to birthday cakes to wedding cakes to structured cakes and the chandelier cake which happens to be a Sweetpeeps specialty. Their eventual goal is to make the customers cake dream come true! Siya further says, “I have had this on my mind since I was a kid. I truly wanted to become an entrepreneur; and like it is said, one shouldn’t let go off an opportunity that comes knocking at their door. Sweetpeeps was that opportunity for me!”

52 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

A computer engineer-turned-baker, Siya Wadji speaks of her passion for baking that led to the creation of her ‘sweet’ venture, Sweetpeeps Sweetpeeps believes in quality over quantity hence the mission is to deliver the best with no compromises whatsoever on the quality of the cakes. Their signature bakes include the Rasmalai cake, the Belgian Chocolate Brownies and the New York baked Cheesecake.

When it comes to customer feedback, Siya says that the response has been overwhelming where each passing day makes her realize that there is still a lot that has to be accomplished. Sweetpeeps is glad to cater to its customers who have been part of the business since day one along with new clients that keep adding to the family every day, making it bigger and better!

In addition, Siya pompously says that the target is to make happy moments special with their cakes, thus molding themselves to fit each customer’s unique wants and desires. While she wishes to reach out to as many cake lovers as possible, expanding Sweetpeeps is her plan. She says, “Letting people know that Sweetpeeps is not just about baking cakes, it is the artistic way of presenting cakes, which is the goal.”

When asked what message she would like to put out there for her customers, Siya signs off saying, “Cakes have always amused me since the time I learnt what a cake was. And now, finally, I have something of my own... Sweetpeeps!

‘Love what you do and you will soar high’, I believe. So now that I have ventured into this world of business, everyday seems to be a new lesson. Every cake is taken up as a challenge, to not merely finish it on time, but to get the best of what I put in. When you finally get it on the table and walk away, you know you did something for someone’s special day.

This is very rewarding and you know it’s worth every inch of the effort that goes into its creation”

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Gurunath Kelekar releases Konkani book Kashe Ashille Gandhiji

Jennifer Lewis Kamat to lead FSAI Goa Chapter

Dr. Mahendra Kudchadkar is President of IFAS

Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay takes over as Director (Operations), goa Shipyard Ltd

Goan freedom fighter and staunch Gandhian, Gurunath Kelekar has written a book in Konkani Kashe Ashille Gandhiji (How was Gandhiji). The book highlights the life of the ‘Father of the Nation’.

Kelekar, has earlier also translated Gandhi’s autobiography The Story of My Experiments with Truth in Konkani and been the recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for the same.

Kashe Ashille Gandhiji is a book that reveals significant information on the life of the great leader – right from the time of his birth on October 2nd, 1869 to his assassination on January 30th, 1948; with extracts about his transformation into ‘Mahatma’ and the Satyagraha movement as well Dr. Mahendra Kudchadkar has been unanimously elected as President of the Indian Foot and Ankle Society (IFAS), a national body for foot and ankle surgery in India, for the year 2020-21.

Dr Kudchadkar said that he is proud to head IFAS in India for 2020-21; with over 800 memebers which is a rarity to a medical practitioner in Goa.

“I am humbled and honoured by the privilege as I was elected unopposed.”

While elaborating that this superspeciality provides training for younger orthopaedic surgeons who wish to specialize in foot and ankle surgery, Dr Kudchadkar said that the platform also provides international exposure to aspiring foot and ankle specialists.

Moreover, he expressed his gratitude to his national mentor Dr. Rajiv Shah and international mentor Dr. Kartikh Hariharan who is based in the UK

Dr Jayant Vaidya leads major advancement in breast cancer therapy

The University College London (UCL) has made a major breakthrough in breast cancer research in which one shot of radiotherapy is to be administered to the patient, unlike traditional mode of treatment that requires weeks of therapy. The findings of this novel study, led by Dr. Jayant Vaidya, professor of Surgery and Oncology at the UCL Surgery and Interventional Science along with Professor Michael Baum & Professor Jeffrey S Tobias as co-authors of Targeted Intraoperative Radiotherapy (TARGITIORT) that involve large international randomized trials have been published in the British Medical Journal that confirms its effectiveness in the long term. Dr. Vaidya has stated that their findings make for major revolutionary treatment wherein women can have their surgery and radiation therapy for breast cancer at the same time 54 | Business Goa industry Dossier | september 2020

Fire & Security Association of India (Goa Chapter) recently had the online installation ceremony of their newly elected office bearers and Dr. Jennifer Lewis Kamat was elected president.

The newly elected president said that she would work hard to spread the awareness of ‘Safety and Security’ to the citizens for ‘Safe and Secure Goa’.

She also envisaged that the educational and awareness program in cyber crime and security will be organized for the citizens, along with which there would be educational and awareness programs on safety and behaviour of structures and materials during and after fire, programs in schools and institutes, hotels and hospitals, pharma companies and other manufacturing units, as well as women safety programs

Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay has assumed charge as Director (Operations) of Goa Shipyard Limited from 1st Sept 2020.

Upadhyay has taken over from S J Kamat who superannuated on 31st August 2020.

Prior to taking over as Director (Operations), Upadhyay was at the helm of Forward Project Group Department responsible for increasing GSL’s outreach into global defense market. He had spearheaded GSL’s export projects of 11 Fast Interceptor Boats and Damage Control Simulator and has hands-on production experience on Missile Corvettes, Offshore Patrol Vessels and Fast Patrol Vessels and other class of vessels

135 1. In 1983, which Indian advertising guru retired from Clarion as Chief Executive and Executive Vice President?

2. Which major brand group of Reebok is named after a famous golf player?

3. Which is the first musical instrument to appear on an Indian coin?

4. Where in Gujarat did Reliance set up its first petrochemical complex?

5. In 1990, who launched a personal fashion label named Lavanya?

6. Which professional services company did Bruce Henderson establish in 1963?

7. The Pyramid store was started by which Indian business group?

8. Hans Wilsdorf is associated with with luxury brand?

9. Identify this famous business writer Answers to BG Quiz 134: 1. Financial Times 2. General Motors 3. Herbert Hoover 4. Kozhikode 5. Dreamworks SKG Pictures 6. Jagdish Bhagwati 7. Dr Anji Reddy 8. Michael Kors Email your answers to businessgoa.media@gmail.com First all correct entry will get 1 year’s subscription to Business Goa

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