Business Goa February 2021

february 2021

VOL 7 ISSUE 2 panaji goa

RNI No.: goaeng/2015/59955

Postal license no.: G-2/RNP/Monthly/Goa-19/2021-23

goa’s only business magazine

industry dossier

kilowott

Reshaping digital customer experience globally The story of Goa’s Fernandez brothers, Aaron, Judah and Caleb, the fiery, energetic neurons behind ‘Kilowott’, a truly global IT company headquartered in Goa, is one that needs celebration

blaise costabir interview

union budget focus

tinto

new biz

PōSRō

goabuzz

rajasi dhavalikar lady power

News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features

contents Cover Story 12

The story of Goa’s Fernandez brothers, Aaron, Judah and Caleb, the fiery, energetic neurons behind ‘Kilowott’, a truly global IT company headquartered in Goa, is one that needs celebrations

Focus: Union Budget 2021 16

In the aftermath of the pandemic, the Union Budget 2021 was presented which has placed emphasis on infrastructure, healthcare, privatisation and other aspects in order to boost growth

12

Focus Goa: State Finance 18

22

Goa’s financial liabilities has increased by 47% for the year ended 2019, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India warns that the Government will have to be prudent in its borrowings and consider a repayment strategy to avoid falling into a debt trap

Starting Young 20 24

Parth Teli speaks about starting his company, SkullzMedia and getting into the world of digital advertising

28

Goan Brand 22

Vaikunth Dempo’s venture Aurawell Essentials deals in products using the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda and modern day technological innovation for better living

Interview 24

Blaise Costabir, Chairman, CII Goa Council on how the 125-year old organisation has made a difference to business in a covidised world

20

30

Lady Power 28

32

Rajasi Dhavalikar with her brand, Cottons Daily, speaks about using e-commerce to make her products available all over India

Professional Dossier 30

In today’s stressful life that many of us lead, a physiotherapist is a key to a pain free physique, says Dr Brian D’Costa

Bon Appétit 44

46

44

Celebrate delicious moments and indulge in a range of delectable cuisine at Palasha, at La Cabana; Nolan Mascarenhas is on a quest to rekindle the spark of Goa’s original bread makers and the centre stage to his endeavour is the ‘poder’

47

COLUMNS

38 Beyond Classroom

41 Ad Venture

39 Uncomplicate Business

42 Legal Eagle

Dr. Pradeep Salgaonkar highlights the importance of customer care, which, he feels, is a continuous process

Sunil Dias explains about striving for a healthy balance between optimism and pessimism

40 Corporate Citizen

Daniel Albuquerque writes about the Dispute Board of ICC and another institution known as FIDIC which is closely connected with ICC

04 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

Prabhkar Mundkur highlights the importance of a coach in a team

Ameya A. Nayak elaborates on the concept of commercial courts with reference to the Commercial Courts Act, 2015

06 Editorial 08 Corpo Scan 26 Campus 27 BookShelf 29 New Biz 32 Retail 34 Event 35 Art 36 Biz Bytes 47 Goa Buzz 50 Newsmakers 50 BG Quiz

editorial Support Industry february 2021 Publisher & Editor Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Co-Publisher & Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly Advisory Board Datta Damodar Naik Ralph de Sousa Rajiv D’Silva Dr Vivek Mendonsa Swapnil Kamat Business Head Annalise Gouveia Chief Reporter Sybil Rodrigues Admin & Accounts Ashok Kolvekar Graphic Designer Govit Morajkar Distribution & Logistics Mayur Santinezkar Contributors in this Issue Ameya A Nayak Daniel Albuquerque Dr Pradeep Salgaonkar Prabhakar Mundkur Rohan Bhandare 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.

This is a unique year to present a State Budget.

Although the Chief Minister will be close to completing two years in office, last year has largely consumed the government’s efforts on fighting the pandemic. The firefighting mode notwithstanding, the government has not shown the kind of zeal that is expected to support businesses.

With the State Budget in sight, there is a clamour to seek industry inputs. And like every year, various industry bodies will send in their wish lists. Some of this may result in favourable decisions. Others will be relegated to the bin – only to resurface the next year with added strains to the demand.

Assuming that the government has indeed honourable intentions to support industry, it would not be wrong to say that in so far as business sentiment is concerned, the government’s report card is very dismal.

There is discontent simmering in just about every sector that holds sway in Goa’s economy – manufacturing, tourism, technology, real estate.

We shall not even mention mining, as that matter, as of now, looks quite out of the State government’s circle of influence.

If you have read the local papers, the industry is really not asking for much.

Some have even gone out of their way to accommodate the State’s challenges due to the pandemic and toned down their demand list.

There is a general demand to lower taxes and duties, which the Chief Minister has also been receptive to.

The manufacturing sector’s prime demand is to upgrade the infrastructure and facilities at industrial estates. The common smokescreen that comes to our minds is to equate the condition of most industrial estates while looking at the one at Verna. This is a fallacy and truly an exception – and kudos to the stakeholders of the Verna Industrial Estate.

The State should endeavour to keep Verna as a benchmark for all industrial estates across Goa, especially those in the hinterlands. A

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly walk around some portions of these industrial estates can spook you, what with decrepit and shambling units – quite a few of which are unoccupied. The need to repatriate industrial land which has been reclaimed after the SEZ fiasco is also what some quarters of industry are hoping for.

The tourism sector is asking for taxes to be waived off – especially excise license fees to small hotels, bars and restaurants, who have not been operating for a major portion of the year. There is a demand to not levy any new State duties like municipal taxes – the pandemic having crippled much of the sector, which is seeing a slow rise with the growth of domestic tourists. But with international tourism nowhere close to opening soon, tourism could do with some governmental support.

The real estate sector is seeking relaxation in infrastructure tax, stamp duty and sanad conversion charges.

The other sector which is waiting for relief is technology. The government was all set to float a new IT Policy this year. Goa Technology Association has instead pleaded to implement the 2017 IT Policy – and has sought support for IT businesses – and not just for startups. The IT sector has been generating employment and business, in India and overseas and is looking for infrastructure upgrade and matching grants to employ personnel and manage workspaces.

The Chief Minister has his job cut out before the Budget. He must manage a balancing act to support industry, which will in turn help the State in employment generation. One cannot miss the fact that this Budget will be a run-up to the State Assembly Elections in 2022 and we could have a new administration in time for next year’s State Budget. The industry is watching the government closely. It requires all the support to withstand the blow imposed by the pandemic

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 | february 2021

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Corpo Scan

@businessgoa

GoaMiles to come under purview of Transport Department

The GoaMiles taxi service will soon come under the ambit of the transport department, stated transport minister, Mauvin Godinho, recently.

The decision was taken after three GoaMiles drivers were allegedly assaulted by private taxi owners.

Godinho further stated that they were speaking on a one-on-one basis with different stakeholders and the file to transfer the counters from the Tourism Department to Transport Department was on the move.

Godinho said that there

is confusion about GoaMiles because half of the matters are being controlled by the Tourism Department and the rest by Transport Department.

Godinho mentioned that he has raised the matter

with the Chief Minister and expects him to do the needful at the earliest.

“I want to set things right, but I will be able to deal with the matter only after it comes on my table,” Godinho said

Goa declares jackfruit as product for North and coconut for South under ODOP The Government of Goa has chosen Jackfruit as the product for North Goa District; and Coconut as the product for South Goa District under One District One Product (ODOP) for the State of Goa under the centrally sponsored scheme, Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) of Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

The Goa Government has set up State Level Approval Committee, District Level Committees for each district and finalized One District One Product.

The first meeting of SLAC which was held approved the ODOP along with detailed

discussion on organization set up for implementation of the scheme and various steps required to achieve the targets given by Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Government of India.

The PM FME Scheme has got two components; one is for individual enterprises and second for Groups such as Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmers Producer Organisation (FPO) and Producer Co-operative.

For individual 35% subsidy will be provided with ceiling of `10 lakh, while, for groups, 35% grants, seed capital for SHG, grant for backward and forward linkage and grant for marketing and branding, will be provided

MSME borrowers need to know banking norms: ASSOCHAM Chairman of Assocham’s MSME Council, Manguirish Pai Raiker stated that both, public and private sector banks need to educate borrowers, particularly entrepreneurs about banking norms. He said that bankers and borrowers need to be transparent for both stakeholders to benefit and to settle old financial problems at a larger stage.

Speaking at a session on financial literacy organised by the RBI and the Goa Chamber of Commerce and

“There is a great need to educate the borrower about the norms and regulations so that by following them he is able to get a good CIBIL score and benefit from it” Manguirish Pai Raiker

Industry, Raiker said, “There is a great need to educate the borrower about the norms and regulations so that by following them he is able to

08 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

get a good CIBIL score and benefit from it.”

Entrepreneurs often complain that the process to get working capital loans from banks is cumbersome

GSIA petitions Government to focus on Ease of Doing Business

Damodar Kochkar

The Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) has requested the government to focus on ease of doing business and on increasing local employment.

The industry body has asked the chief minister to improve online services offered by the State and to upgrade the State Data Centre to avoid downtime.

In a memorandum with suggestions that the GSIA submitted to the government, it called for better public transport and bus connectivity between villages and industrial estates to encourage locals to seek employment in industrial estates.

GSIA President, Damodar Kochkar stated that in many of the departments, the employees were not trained to assist the public to avail online services and the process was very cumbersome, and many a time, the websites weren’t functioning. GSIA also provided suggestions and inputs regarding many other inconveniences which affect the functioning of the private sector and had been brought to the notice of the government earlier and that bankers are not forthcoming in sanctioning loans for the manufacturing sector. The session for entrepreneurs was conducted as part of the financial literacy week and focused on credit discipline and credit from formal institutions

Corpo Scan

@business-goa

High cost of operations making KTC services unfeasible

Although the Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) is in the process of adding electric buses to its fleet to renew itself, the Corporation will need more than the electric push to remain on course in the coming years. Lossmaking services, low fares and high cost of operations will continue to make KTCL unviable in the coming years.

KTCL’s school bus service is of big help to school students but a big drain on the already cash-strapped finances. The service makes more losses than profits on the 86 school

buses plying 172 trips per day.

Similarly, the Corporation’s parcel service also ran into losses during the pandemic and had to be discontinued.

KTCL’s annual expenditure is primarily on salaries (54 per cent in 2018-19) and operating expenses (38 per cent). Cutting down on salary expenditure is difficult, as a chunk of it comprises salaries of drivers

Government working on policy to promote electric two-wheelers The Minister for New and Renewable Energy Nilesh Cabral stated that the Government of Goa is working on a comprehensive policy to promote electric two-wheelers and introduce clean mobility scheme to provide subsidy for the first 10,000 electric two-wheelers in the State. The clean mobility scheme will be applicable for the first 10,000 electric twowheelers sold in the State, which will reduce 5,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year and remove ten per cent of polluting vehicles off Goa’s roads. The electric two-

wheeler will take 3-4 hours to get fully charged and can go 100 km on a single charge.

The State government is also installing easily accessible public charging stations throughout Goa. These will be converted into electric two-wheelers or e-Bikes by Convergence Energy Services Limited. The scheme is being implemented

by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a government of India Company, which is also working on making solar power chargers for these twowheelers

Khazans qualify as heritage ecosystem Draft coastal plan allows infra in NDZ If the State government accepts and works out a proposal as suggested by its appointed expert committee on ‘Khazan Land Management’, Goa’s 3000year old khazan ecosystem could be recommended for UNESCO World Heritage site tagging.

The Committee headed

by Dr Simon D’Souza in its report, which would be incorporated as part of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), has said that the Khazan ecosystem amply qualifies as a heritage ecosystem worth promoting for acceptance as an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“The khazan land ecosystems are unique manmade systems established around 3000 years back by our ancestors as a result of intricate ecological, technical and environmental knowledge gained by them through centuries of trial and error efforts,” the report noted

Government to finalise rules for regulating casino operations Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said the government will soon finalise rules for regulating the casino industry.

Sawant stated that the finalisation of rules for regulating casino operations has been pending due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The government had appointed GST commissioner as gaming commissioner last year, to monitor casino operations and to keep a check on violations of the rules.

The government has also banned locals from entering onshore and offshore casinos.

The Chief Minister said that the rules will be notified once they are firmed up.

The file pertaining to the rules was moved by the Home Department to the Chief Minister’s Office twice.

But it was sent back at both the times, as Dr Sawant had sought detailed discussions on the rules before they were finalised

10 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

The draft coastal zone management plan (CZMP) has allowed for creation of tourism-related infrastructure in no-development zones provided they are not in ecologically sensitive areas (ESA).

Among the infrastructure permitted to be set up in NDZs of beaches are parking facilities, toilets, changing rooms, floating jetties, sewage treatment plants, solid waste collection systems, lifeguard towers and cabins.

A senior officer stated that the State government had

specifically recommended several inclusions, including permission to temporary structures in NDZs along the coast and river/estuary banks, except for where the area is marked as ecological sensitive in CZMP plan. The State had also recommended “swimming pools not exceeding 50 sqm in area shall be permitted.

The draft CZMP maps should depict mangroves in khazan lands as mangroves in khazans and also there should not be a buffer for mangroves in khazan lands”

Government to survey CRZ belt within 100-200 mts of High Tide Line As the draft Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) recommends regularization of traditional dwelling units of fishing community, the State government will undertake a detail survey of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) belt within 100-200 metres of high tide line (HTL) to identify the housing needs and land ownership of the community.

The Department of Environment and Climate Change has constituted Fishery Planning Committee (FPC) comprising of representative of GCZMA,

Directorate of Fisheries and three knowledgeable representative of fishermen community, to undertake the detail survey between 100 to 200 metres from the coast for identification of houses of local coastal communities.

The expert committee has already submitted the draft report, which is kept open for public suggestion and comments. The committee has identified a total of 186 fishing wards, which are falling within or adjacent to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)

cover Story kilowott

Reshaping digital customer experience globally

The story of Goa’s Fernandez brothers, Aaron, Judah and Caleb, the fiery, energetic neurons behind ‘Kilowott’, a truly global IT company headquartered in Goa, is one that needs celebration. The three young men from Saligao have made their mark in the IT world through sheer diligence, industry and the ability to envision and tap opportunities. The trio also holds a valuable lesson for budding entrepreneurs. If you truly believe that the world is your oyster, it won’t take you long to weave a string of pearls 12 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

www.businessgoa.in

G

oa’s beaches have known to inspire poets, writers, artists galore over ages.

In the case of Aaron Fernandez, the sands of Goa’s beaches appear to have inspired a sense of entrepreneurship, which have formed the roots of ‘Kilowott’, the state’s first and only IT company, which provides end-to-end solutions across a wide spectrum of technologyrelated services.

In brief, what Walmart is to the American consumer, Kilowott – promoted by Aaron, his brothers Judah and Caleb – is to a tech consumer.

A digital strategy, design and development agency, Kilowott has the capability of offering 360 degree digital transformation services to clients across geographical markets. Today, the company can craft memorable customer experiences through innovative product architecture, digital engineering and user-focused design.

But, Kilowott’s journey to where the company stands right now, spread over three continents, is rooted in the sands of Goa’s beaches, where co-founder Aaron walked about as part of his first ever job in 2002.

17-year-old Aaron was on a summer break from high school when he signed up for a gig, which involved distributing flyers along Goa’s gold coast – the SinquerimBaga beach stretch – to promote a restaurant. His paycheck at the time was just INR 1,000 a week. It wasn’t a cushy job by any means, but it was an opportunity to earn some pocket money. And Rs. 1000 in the early 2000s was still a princely sum for a young student.

The stint implanted an idea in young Aaron’s mind.

The ‘flyer distributor’ decided to scale up a trajectory, Aaron would soon familiarise himself in his journey as an entrepreneur years later.

Nordic Intent headquarters at Porvorim

He took up the responsibility to become a coordinator for the flyer delivery service, getting his friends and colleagues from college to sign up as flyer distributors.

Soon, more coastal restaurants and clubs joined his client portfolio. Aaron scaled up again. This time he started a small design firm, which would design flyers, which his team would distribute. What followed was a cutting-edge event aggregator website, called ‘Pablo’, which collated a comprehensive and a constantly updated listing of events in Goa. Despite its advantages, the project didn’t take flight.

Clients were not familiar with online advertising and SEO was unheard of. The concept was ahead of its time and

didn’t find takers. Though his first website failed, the learnings from it were immense.

All these developments were just the early pit stops in his entrepreneurship journey for the co-founder of Kilowott, before Judah and Caleb joined in.

Even though Aaron’s beginnings as an entrepreneur were humble, for a class backbencher, his vision stretched far, far ahead, quite in sync with a phrase he had heard somewhere, early in life.

“I had heard of a phrase which went this way. ‘Front-benchers make good employees, while backbenchers make good employers’. It panned out that way in real life too,” says Aaron.

Bootcamps and team learnings are essential at Kilowott

After college, he migrated to Norway, where he took up a job with a design company. He cloaked his entrepreneurial ambitions for the time being. It was a new country, a new culture and a new work environment.

It took getting used to.

What struck him most, was the unique Scandinavian knack for incorporating an element of finesse which is often associated with their philosophy of life.

Before long, the entrepreneur in him rose to the fore, as he utilised the skills he had picked up in Goa to the benefit of his Norwegian employer, a retail company. Before long Aaron set up an e-commerce division and moved the product stores online which saw a steep hike in revenues.

“I was already familiar with website development.

I helped my employer with business innovation and helped the firm start an online store, after which the company’s sales shot up. Soon, I got more involved in the company’s online promotion campaigns,” Aaron said. The success in e-commerce led to him being head-hunted into the second largest equestrian e-commerce outfit in the world Horze.com.

But building a successful business isn’t just about gliding through the good times. You need to ride out the bad phases too.

When pink slips were handed to several employees, including Aaron, amid a costcutting drive, it was Aaron’s business wit, which helped him change track in time and put him on a fast track of entrepreneurism.

It was a classic illustration of turning adversity into advantage and Aaron dug deep. It was time to put his shoulder to the proverbial plough.

“I was caught in a bind.

I wanted to start my own company, but at the same time, I also wanted money to

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 13

Cover Story sustain myself. So, I took up a job at a large media company and at the same time also signed up as a working partner at a design agency,” he says.

The design firm began offering a series of innovative products – thanks to Aaron, who wanted to scale up its operations. But the agency was unable to see the big picture. By then Aaron had spotted an opportunity. He was convinced about starting a company in India. He parted ways with the firm and forged ahead along with the support of his brothers Judah and Caleb.

The media company he was employed with at the time, as part of his day job, had a large requirement of design and development chores. Aaron stepped in and pitched them design services by outsourcing them from India, which was already a world renowned BPO market.

The plan worked.

In 2014, Caleb, Aaron’s youngest brother moved to the Indian commercial capital of Mumbai, after a stint in Norway, where they set up ‘­Kodework’, a website development firm, primarily to execute work outsourced from Norway.

Caleb had graduated in BCom from St. Xavier’s College in Mapusa and took charge of the company’s back-end operations like administration, finance, taxation, legal & compliance aspects.

The brothers also laid out long-term targets spread over a span of three years.

If all went well and they achieved their goals they saw themselves taking a trip to Hawaii and sipping cocktails while lounging on a beach bed at one of the Polynesian beach islands in the US state.

It was a worthy incentive!

“At the end of three years we had succeeded in achieving the goals we had set out for ourselves. We didn’t end up going to Hawaii though. We

@business-goa

Dutch delegation visits the Kilowott office in Goa

“2020 witnessed sweeping changes across the globe.

Humanity is still adapting to a ‘new normal’. We at ‘Nordic Intent’ embraced that change. We have now streamlined and consolidated some of our offerings into a single entity – Kilowott”

Aaron fernandez

went to a spa and resort in Norway and stayed there for three straight days while we planned the roadmap for the next few years. We did have a round of cocktails after those three gruelling days,” Caleb recalls.

‘Kodework’ took off to a slow start.

Business Processes

14 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

Outsourcing is not just about executing jobs at competitive rates in another corner of the world. It also involves understanding the cultural sensitivities and work ethic of a foreign region. Amid sorting out such transcontinental idiosyncrasies, Aaron’s other brother Judah too joined in and soon the Fernandez brothers took a call to move to Goa, their home, to set up base. Judah loved tinkering with machines, something he picked up while spending time with his grandfather in their garage while he was a young boy. He ran his own cycle repair workshop at the age of 13 which was the beginning of his entrepreneurial journey.

They moved their outfit to Goa in 2015, where they started off with just two employees.

Judah’s responsibilities were to put together a team of coders and ensure quality control and timely delivery systems. And he was also responsible for moulding a cool vibe to their vibrant new venture – Nordic Intent.

“Some quotient of informality was already brought in by the early crew members like Jared, who y

Judah is credited for unleashing a cool culture at the compan

walked in with his dreadlocks and other team members who wore a pair of shorts every now and then. When I noticed that appearances mattered little when it came to their delivery of targets, I pushed for an informal space for the team, where work culture is kick-ass and parties are epic,” Judah says.

If Judah defined the vibe, Caleb developed a fondness for brick-mortar-furniture stuff during the setting up of the company’s new office at the PDA colony in Porvorim, North Goa. “Over the years the one thing I have discovered about myself is a keen interest in designing indoor spaces. We recently built and designed our new office space in Porvorim. I was involved in every aspect right from drawing up the blueprints to picking furniture and designing every corner of the office space. It is spread over 700 square metres and is beautifully designed. We are coming up with another office space which is still under construction,” says Caleb.

And then things started taking off for the Fernandez brothers. From Norway, the business spilled out to other parts of Europe, so did their bouquet of companies.

“As business grew in Norway and other parts of Europe, so did the companies in our stable. ‘Nine Stack’ was started as an app development agency. ‘Creometric’, our digital marketing agency, now works with several brands in Europe and India. ‘Bootcamp’ was born to mentor and train raw young talent, which was otherwise a scarce resource.

Companies like ‘Fat Hamster Studio’ an animation and virtual reality studio, ‘Ticlet’ and ‘Negative Studio’ were also brought onboard, which eventually led to the creation of ‘Nordic Intent’, a start-up accelerator, in 2018. The companies today have partner deals in Norway, Netherlands, India, France, Germany,

@businessgoa

Switzerland, Denmark and the US,” Judah informs.

Then came the cataclysmic year, 2020. The accompanying ravaging winds of the pandemic blew across the globe and changed the way we look at life itself. The world witnessed the emergence of the phrase ‘new normal’ and global processes had to adapt, so did the team.

“2020 witnessed sweeping changes across the globe.

Humanity is still adapting to a ‘new normal’. We at ‘Nordic Intent’ embraced that change.

We have now streamlined and consolidated some of our offerings into a single entity – ‘Kilowott’. It seems like a big change. However, our core philosophy stays the same – to offer cutting-edge digital solutions in a global marketplace to enhance digital customer experience,” says Aaron.

All these tech labels have now realigned as Kilowott, which now has more than 150 employees on its payroll spread across three continents collaborating with various government and international agencies and Fortune 500 companies, while also fostering a close association with the Norwegian diplomatic mission in India.

Till date, the Fernandez brothers and their company have executed more than 2,000 projects globally.

“We are a high performing, cohesive team with strong leadership. We collaborate with organisations and often construct combined teams with our clients to help drive transformations from within.

We believe that great brands have the power to change lives, ignite the imagination, affect culture and generate behaviour,” says Judah.

The company uses leverage design elements such as CX, AR, VR and next-gen technologies such as analytics, AI, IoT to craft seamless digital interfaces and operations to positively impact customers’ business

“When I noticed that appearances mattered little when it came to their delivery of targets, I pushed for an informal space for the team, where work culture is kick-ass and parties are epic” judah fernandez

growth and profitability.

Kilowott offers consultancy and strategy services in customer journey mapping, customer experience process assessment and surveys consulting, assessment, roadmap ideation and modelling with use cases, brand positioning and go-to market strategy, brand identity development and concept design and prototyping. All the strategies are custom - made based on real data analysis, down to the minutest detail generated through innovating coding.

“Kilowott builds interactive experiences and implements goal-oriented disruption by combining strategic vision, product innovation and design, emerging technologies and superior digital marketing.

Simply put, we are a digital strategy, design and development agency,” says Caleb, adding that the company is clued into disruptive digital technologies, outcomedriven philosophy and an imaginative approach.

“We work closely with our clients to build customer experiences across all platforms and brand touch points.

Working across platforms, disciplines and

industries, our approach is based on a deep understanding of the interplay between design, technology and the needs of our clients,” says Judah adding that Kilowott’s vision is to blend digital and design seamlessly to craft enduring digital user experiences that have a direct impact on customers’ business outcomes.

Clear communication, with service and product positioning are two of the key mantras of success in trade, which Kilowott maintains.

“Clients often come to us for marketing services, but tend to have disorganized product and service offerings, with an unclear value proposition. If you aren’t clearly communicating the benefits of your products and services, you are losing sales and revenue. If you don’t have clear product or service positioning with successful differentiation, a large percentage of potential customers will choose your competitors over you. Don’t make that mistake,” advises Aaron.

Speaking about the

“Kilowott builds interactive experiences and implements goaloriented disruption by combining strategic vision, product innovation and design, emerging technologies and superior digital marketing. Simply put, we are a digital strategy, design and development agency” caleb fernandez

business forecast of the future and acknowledging the changes witnessed in markets globally, says Aaron, “There is a significant uptick in the quantum of interest in brands wanting to expand their digital presence across geographies.

We see an opportunity and have realigned our strategy to meet the needs of the global business community”.

While Goa will continue to be a strong base for the company, talent from across regions is coming onboard Kilowott.

In the past months Kilowott has brought onboard Nitish Pai Raikar who will drive operations and profitability. An alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, Nitish has an experience spanning two decades in the IT industry, having worked in IBM, Infosys and Mindtree among other companies.

Spearheaded by a strong leadership team, Kilowott is poised to achieve its goal of being a global tech powerhouse while being rooted in Goan soil.

Looking back at the incredible journey over the past six years, says Caleb, “The ethics and morals imbibed by our parents Donald and Jessyl Fernandez from childhood is what held us in good stead while we built this company from the ground up.” He adds, “Our brother Aaron has been a huge mentor to all of us. He has held us all together and encouraged us to do our very best. As brothers we keep our egos away and come clean to the table.”

For the Fernandez brothers, bigger challenges lie ahead. One of them is transforming Kilowott into a 500+ employee company, something the company’s COO Nitish Raikar, formerly associated with Infosys and IBM, is helping them inch towards.

But the good news is that Goa, their home, will continue to be the headquarters for the global operation

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 15

focus / union budget 2021

@businessgoamagazine

A Shot in the Arm for the Economy

In the aftermath of the pandemic, the Union Budget 2021 was presented which has placed emphasis on infrastructure, healthcare, privatisation and other aspects, in order to boost growth startup ecosystem.

Further, rules for fast tracking mergers between startups have also been notified. Under Income Tax, the Budget has proposed to extend the sunset dates for deduction of profits (Section 80-IAC) and Capital Gains Exemption on Investment (Section 54GB) for one more financial year.

By CA. Rohan Bhandare

N

ever-seen-before times call for never-seen-before measures. This time around, the lasting impression of the Union Budget would not only be measured in numbers, but also in alphabets, i.e.

U, V, W and K-shaped recoveries. But despite being one of the toughest years, the Union Budget 2021 presented by the Finance Minister, has ramped up on infrastructure, healthcare, privatisation and digitisation, giving equal importance to boost immediate post pandemic recovery as well as medium term growth.

These sentiments were also shared by the financial markets, which posted the best performance on a Budget Day since 1999. This Budget; along with the previous ‘Atmanirbhar’ packages could be the booster dose to spur growth.

The Highlights of the Budget are: Health & Infrastructure The highest ever healthcare allocation in the budget would strengthen the public health infrastructure, which was under severe stress due to the pandemic. The enhanced investment in infrastructure, particularly the record allocation for ministries of railway and highways would be a key enabler of gross domestic product going forward.

The capital expenditure will have a high multiplier effect and could start the virtuous cycle to spur growth.

The National Monetisation Pipeline could be a game changer if implemented successfully, and could help unlock the value of investment made in public assets which may have not yielded potential returns so far.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and MoS Finance Anurag Thakur with the FinMin team

‘Aam Aadmi’ No bad news equals good news. Apprehensions of the return of Wealth Tax, Covid Cess, Increase in Capital Gains Tax, new HNI surcharges etc. did not see the light of the day.

There were certain expectations of a higher standard deduction and increase in deduction for health expenses but that would be nitpicking. The Budget has proposed to exempt the senior citizens of 75 years of age and above from filing income tax returns in case pension income and interest income are their only annual income source, wherein the Bank would deduct the necessary taxes on the income. The Income Tax returns will now also be prefilled with Interest, Dividend and Capital Gains for easier filing and ‘Jhatpat’ processing.

Small Businesses The Government has been clear that the Income Tax rates are competitive enough and do not require any restructuring. After the recent change in the definition of MSME, the Government has encouraged taxpayers to adopt formal business structures by widening the threshold of a ‘Small Company’, under

16 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

the Companies Act, 2013.

Similarly, the Budget has proposed to decriminalise certain lapses under the Limited Liability Partnership Act and reduce the rigour of penalties, with an objective to improve the ease of doing business.

To incentivise the digital economy, the limit of turnover for tax audit has been increased to `10 crores from `5 crores for entities carrying out 95% transactions digitally.

To reduce tax disputes, the Dispute Resolution Committee is proposed to be set up for smaller taxpayers with taxable income up to `50 lakh and disputed income up to `10 lakhs.

As per the Economic Survey 2020-21, Income tax refunds to nearly 8.2 lakh small businesses worth `5,204 crores have been issued with the objective to help the MSMEs to carry on their business activities.

Startups The new relaxations in incorporation and operations of the One Person Company (OPC) seem to be aimed at startups. The reduction in residency limits for an Indian citizen to incorporate OPCs as well as the incorporation of OPCs by Non Resident Indians could possibly attract NRIs to venture into the

Statutory Timelines The recent years have seen the overlapping of multiple statutory deadlines relating to Income Taxes, Goods and Service Tax and Ministry of Corporate Affairs, making it imperative to plan all deliverables effectively.

Reducing timelines even further, the Budget has now proposed to reduce the time limit of filing belated/ revised returns to 3 months prior to the end of the relevant assessment year (i.e. 31st December) or before the completion of assessment, whichever is earlier.

Except in cases of serious tax evasion, assessment proceedings in the rest of the cases can now be reopened only up to three years, against the earlier time limit of six years. With the advancement of technology and separate requirements of each statute, robust documentation and automation of small tasks are the need of the hour to keep pace with the shorter timelines.

Digitisation Although the terms Artificial Intelligence and Data analytics are largely associated by the general public with robots and tech giants respectively, we may soon associate these terms with our taxation systems.

Relying on its robust tech infrastructure, the Budget has proposed that the input tax credit can now be availed

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provided the amounts feature in the electronic GSTR 2A and GSTR 2B. Such is the power of data analytics, that even the independent audit mandated under the GST law has now been substituted for the taxpayer’s self-certification.

The Budget has also proposed to deploy these technologies to curb the menace of fake bills in the months to come.

After implementing Faceless Assessments and Faceless Appeals, the Budget has now proposed Faceless Income Tax Appellate Tribunals, which would be conducted electronically, as well. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs is also catching up with its new tech driven V.3.0 of MCA21 with high scalability and capabilities for advanced analytics.

Privatisation The increase in FDI Limit in

insurance companies from 49% to 74%, and focus on stressed assets by creating asset management and reconstruction companies are welcome measures. The Government has reiterated its commitment to meet the ambitious targets of divestment, and would need to make serious efforts to convince the buyers looking for a hard bargain in these economic conditions.

Rationalising Multiple Statutes The most common compliance problem in India is that the taxpayer does not know which statutes are applicable to him. Further, the statutes themselves are sometimes not harmoniously integrated.

After consolidating multiple labour laws in to four comprehensive Labour Codes, the Budget has now proposed to consolidate four

important laws governing the capital markets and securities into a rationalized single Securities Markets Code. The modern framework would be clear and help in operational efficiency.

Decoding the Statutes There were several uncertainties in the statutes wherein the assessees, the Government and Courts had held divergent views.

The Government has now amended the laws in respect of income tax matters relating to depreciation of goodwill and the allowance of delayed payments of employee contributions, and GST matters relating to Input Tax Credit and the Doctrine of Mutuality.

Focus Goa The `300-crore financial package announced in the Union Budget for the

Centre to develop Goa into country’s first fisheries hub, invest `400 crore Union Fisheries Minister Giriraj Singh has announced an investment of `400 crores in Goa for making the coastal State a fisheries hub in India.

As per the Union Minister, Goa has the potential for the highest fish production in the country and it has the capacity to become a fisheries hub.

He further informed that the centre has already considered an investment of `400 crores in the fisheries sector of Goa, which will also be jointly raised by the central government, state fisheries board, and others.

Out of the said amount, the Union Government has already sanctioned `41.7 crores to the State, which will help in reviving the fisheries industry and ensure safe fishing.

The plan of making Goa a fisheries hub also includes the creation of 30 fish landing jetties, so that fishermen are

able to anchor their boats near their villages.

These jetties will be linked to the mainstream by constructing roads. Goa already has 9 landing jetties that are used for tourism and fishing purposes.

According to the Union Minister, the Goa-based CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography has discovered that 200 sq km area in the coastal State is feasible to implement cage culture (an aquaculture production system where fishes are held in floating net pens).

He further informed that the issue was raised with the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, which certified that 72 sq km area

of the State can be brought under cage culture, taking into view the fact that the State government must ensure that tourism of Goa will not be affected.

An area of 72 sq km has the capacity to install 30 lakh cages. This will further encourage safe marine cultivation for the fishing sector as Goa has the potential to have the highest fish production in the country.

The Union Government has also been planning to appoint ‘Sagar Mitra’ for each of the 70 fishing villages in Goa, who will further help fishermen liaison with the government.

Besides, there are also plans to establish a seaweed and ornamental fish complex in the State, as seaweed is a 15 million dollar business across the world, and Singh stated that Goa is capable of competing for a share of this market

celebration of Goa’s 60th year of Liberation has received a resounding welcome. The inclusion of Goa’s name for the investment in modern fishing harbours could have been the cherry on the cake.

The outlay in the budgeted vaccination expenditure could act as a catalyst to revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sector.

Summary The Prime Minister had announced that the Budget 2021 is to be seen as a continuation of the series of 4-5 mini budgets of 2020.

To summarise using the television show analogy, we are now in Season 6 of the Budget, which for the first time is also available on an app. Like every smart show, we would need multiple viewings to find all the connections and Easter eggs.

No new villainous characters such as Covid Cess and Wealth Tax were introduced in this season.

However, all doors to a Money Heist have been closed due to the new stringent assessment and penal provisions on the Direct and Indirect Tax front. The Harvey Specters would now have to assist their clients to communicate electronically to faceless centres and tribunals. The Government has yet again won the Game of Thrones by converting their tax positions on Goodwill, ITC credit etc. into law. The pandemic may have ruffled the economic House of Cards, but the vaccine drive has completely changed the storyline. The quick response by the Government along with the growth oriented Budget has set the stage for the soon to be premiering Season Finale Episode: ‘Atmanirbhar’ Bharat The writer is a practicing Chartered Accountant. He is an elected member of Goa Management Association’s Executive Committee. He also serves on the Taxation Committee of Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Email: rohanbhandare@gmail.com

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 17

focus goa / state finance

business-goa

CAG cautions Goa about falling into a debt trap Goa’s financial liabilities have increased by 47% for the year ended 2019. The CAG warns that the Government will have to be prudent in its borrowings and consider a repayment strategy to avoid falling into a debt trap

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By sybil rodrigues

he Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has expressed concerns over the State’s rising debt and has requested the State government to prepare a roadmap for repaying outstanding loans before Goa falls into a debt trap.

Goa’s outstanding fiscal liabilities increased by 47% from `13,877crore in 201415 to `20,412 crore by the end of 2018-19, while the outstanding debt has shown a corresponding increase in interest payments with a 30 per cent jump from `935 crore in 2016-2017 to `1,204 crore in 2019-20.

The CAG report on State finances for the year ended March 31, 2019 has said that `20,412 crore outstanding fiscal liabilities of the State government at the end of financial year 2018-19 comprised internal debt of `14,019 crore, which is 69 per cent, public account liability stood at `5,129 crore, which is 25 per cent; and loans and advances from the government of India were `1,201 crore, which is six per cent.

The internal debt largely comprised market loans of `11,010 crore, special securities issued to National Social Security Fund running into `2,341 crore and borrowings from NABARD running into `608 crore, states the report.

Further, the report also mentions that over the period of five years, the ratio of fiscal liabilities to GSDP reduced from 29.02 per cent in 201415 to 26.45 per cent in 201819. Fiscal liabilities were nearly 1.78 times the revenue receipts and more than twice the State’s own resources during 2018-19.

Finances of Government

the

State

Fiscal correction: The growth rate of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was 9.48% against the FC XIV (Fourteenth Finance Commission) projection of 14.52% during the year.

During 2018-19, the State achieved only one of the three major parameters specified by the FC XIV–the ratio of fiscal deficit to GSDP at 2.32% was lower than the norm of 3%.

The ratio of interest payment to revenue receipt (second parameter) at 11.75% was marginally higher than the projected ratio of 11.68% prescribed by FC XIV. The State continued to maintain revenue surplus during the period 2014-19.

Revenue surplus during 201819 stood at `355 crore and was lower than the previous year’s surplus by `156 crore Resource mobilisation Revenue receipts which stood at `11,438 crore, during 2018-19 increased by `384 crore (3%) over the previous year. Though State’s own taxes increased by `140 crore, the tax-GSDP ratio (6.31%) were less than the normative assessment of 8.37% made by FC XIV. The collections under non-tax revenue fell for the first time during the last five years by `159 crore over the previous year.

Expenditure management Revenue expenditure increased continuously from `7,410 crore in 2014-15 to `11,083 crore in 2018-19 and grew by 5.12% (`540 crore) during 2018-19 over the previous year. During the five-year period 2014-19, capital expenditure increased by 74%, while the total expenditure increased by 53% during the same period.

Financial assistance to local bodies and other institutions continuously

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increased from `1,022.53 crore in 2014-15 to ` 1,780.46 crore in 2018-19. Expenditure on Subsidies (`301 crore) constituted 2.63% of revenue receipts.

As of March 31, 2019, the State Government invested `631 crore in Statutory Corporations, Joint Stock Companies and Co-operative Banks and Societies. The average return on investments in these Companies/ Corporations was 0.27% during 2014-19 while the Government paid an average interest ranging from 6.90% to 7.59% on its borrowings during the same period.

Quality of expenditure The overall development expenditure to total expenditure decreased from 69.01% in 2014-15 to 67.44% in 2018-19.

The State Government has given higher fiscal priority to health and family welfare during 2014-15 and 201819, as their ratios to total expenditure were significantly higher than that of General Category States.

Transactions under Reserve Funds There were eight reserve funds earmarked for specific purposes during 2018-19 of which, two funds were inoperative with a balance of `3.07 crore. The total accumulated balance in these funds as on March 31, 2019 was `1,850.44 crore of which, `954.18 crore was invested.

Debt sustainability The outstanding liabilities of the State Government at the end of financial year 2018-19 (`20,412 crore) comprised internal debt of `14,019 crore (69%), public account of `5,192 crore (25%) and loans and advances from Gol of `1,201 crore (6%).

The net availability of

borrowed funds for current operations after debt redemption (principal and interest payments) increased from `484 crore in 2017-18 to `516 crore in 2018-19.

Financial Management and Budgetary Control During 2018-19, expenditure of `16,729 crore was incurred against the total grants and appropriations of `19,024.42 crore resulting in savings of `2,295.42 crore. The overall savings were the net result of savings of `4,653.96 crore, offset by an excess of `2,358.54 crore in one grant and one appropriation.

The excess expenditure of `2,358.54 crore requires regularisation under Article 205 of the Constitution of India.

Excess over provisions relating to previous years (2008-09 to 2017-18) amounting to `5,865.65 crore had not been regularised.

Of the total savings of `4,653.96 crore during 201819, savings of `100 crore or more amounting to `2,497.13 crore (54%) occurred in nine grants pertaining to Municipal Administration, Sports and Youth Affairs, Public Works, Finance, Electricity, School Education, Health Services, Women and Child Development and Information Technology.

Financial Reporting As on March 31, 2019, `12,148 Utilisation Certificates (UCS) aggregating `2,340.66 crore for grants disbursed up to 2017-18 remained outstanding. Of 12,148 cases, 25% (3,089 UCs) pertained to the Directorate of Art and Culture while 24% (2,942 UCs) pertained to the Directorate of Panchayats, North Goa As of March 2019, 377 Detailed Contingent (DC) bills amounting to `141.85

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crore drawn by various Departmental authorities on Abstract Contingent (AC) bills were pending settlement.

Pendency of UCs and DC bills for long periods was fraught with the risk of fraud and misappropriation.

During 2018-19, expenditure aggregating `4,039 crore constituting 31% of the total expenditure was classified under Minor Head ‘800-Other Expenditure’.

Similarly, revenue receipts aggregating `657 crore constituting 6% of total receipts were classified under Minor Head 800-Other Receipts’. Accounting of large items of expenditure and receipts under omnibus Minor Head “800” affects transparency in financial reporting as disaggregated information on different activities of the State Government is not displayed

Goa’s outstanding fiscal liabilities increased by 47% from `13,877crore in 2014-15 to `20,412 crore by the end of 2018-19, while the outstanding debt has shown a corresponding increase in interest payments with a 30 per cent jump from `935 crore in 20162017 to `1,204 crore in 2019-20 separately in the accounts.

Achievements of the State Government The per capita income of Goa at `25,02,420 during 2018-19 was the highest the country.

During 2018-19, the State achieved two of the three major fiscal targets set under the Goa Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management

(First Amendment) Act, 2014 i.e (1) it is a revenue surplus State from 2014-15 onwards, and (2) the ratio of fiscal deficit to Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) at 2.32% was below the ceiling of 3%.

In respect of Debt-GSDP ratio fixed at 25% by the Goa FRBM (First Amendment) Act, 2014, the current ratio stands marginally higher at 26.45%.

Revenue receipts increased by `2384 crore (3% during the year and the own tax revenue of the State also increased by `140 crore (3%) during the year over the previous year.

The CAG report has also stated that the maturity profile of the State debt indicates that the liability of the state to repay the debt during the periods 2019-20, 2020-22 and 2022-24 would be `994 crore,

`1,643 crore and `2,550 crore respectively, which may put a strain on the government budget during that period.

Furthermore, `8,042.86 crore, which is 52.84 per cent of the total public debt, would be repayable within the next seven years.

Therefore, the CAG report has warned that the State government would have to work out a well-thought out borrowing-repayment strategy to avoid falling into a debt trap.

The CAG has recommended that the State government may consider developing a debt sustainability framework for achieving improved longterm sustainability in fiscal deficit management and to guide the borrowing decisions in a way that matches their financing needs with current and prospective repayment

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 19

Starting Young

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Parth Teli / SkullzMedia

“I believe that the market is always there, you just have to learn to take your piece of the pie” Parth Teli speaks about starting his company, SkullzMedia and getting into the world of digital advertising

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By sybil rodrigues

arth Teli is an alumnus of Sharada Mandir School and went on to complete his 12th standard (Science) from the same institution. By nature, Parth is an extrovert and enjoys going out with his friends and has a keen interest in sports. He has played cricket for Goa, in the under-14 category and has partaken in all sport activities when in school. From a very young age he had a keen sense of analysing situations very practically, which made him decide on being an entrepreneur at the tender age of 17.

Parth set up his digital advertising company, SkullzMedia in March 2020, just before India went into lockdown and in a span of a year he has clients all over the country.

He elaborates on his decision to get into advertising.

“Opportunity is what drove me towards digital advertising. I noticed that there is a huge potential for growth in the digital marketing sphere. The market always needed advertising agencies and will always need advertising agencies, because businesses want to grow and today we can help them grow digitally and faster than ever!

Advertising is all about how many eyeballs one can grab.

Most of the eyeballs are now glued to the online space. It makes sense that online space has to boom and I thought of tapping into this area.”

SkullzMedia began in March 2020 and as of date, have worked with 40+ clients all over India. Parth has a team of five, extremely creative and talented individuals, which includes him. SkullzMedia

Parth Teli

focuses on hiring the best person for the job, based on the saying, “Your business is only as good as the people in it.” Their motto lies in coming up with creative and effective solutions for brands in the digital space which will help increase their sales and brand awareness.

Nothing drives him and his team, more than client satisfaction and happiness, which Parth considers much more valuable than any kind of monetary returns.

Parth is the CEO of SkullzMedia, wherein the operations, HR and financials are looked after by him. He

20 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

then goes on to speak about his team mates and the value that they bring to the table. “All my teammates are immensely creative, talented and experts in their own field, they have great passion for their work, they will work with me even till 3 a.m. to get the job done.

These people bring immense value to the table as they are the ones who help me deliver results to my clients on time.”

As a leader, Parth’s duty is to motivate his team, bringing out the potential in them, while they are the ones who are the driving force of the company.

SkullzMedia offers three

core services to their clients which are funnel building, paid advertisements, strategy development and execution.

They focus on mainly these three services so that they can concentrate on them and provide good results to their clients. Their main focus is the Return on Investment for their clients which they can do when offering a few, but essential services in their line of work.

Parth along with his team use Zoom to co-ordinate with clients all over India. “To our luck, Covid worked in our favour. It wasn’t practical to go meet people in different States and thankfully we now have the option of having meetings over Zoom.”

Parth says that the response to any business is solely dependent on one’s effort in bringing the response. “It depends on all the effort you put in reaching out to people, getting more connections which can get you more business. Results can only be achieved when you have put in the efforts to get in results. I believe the market is always there, you just have to learn to take your piece of the pie.”

SkullzMedia has worked with brands like Goenkart, a Goan multi vendor platform, whose website and app were recently launched by the Chief Minister of Goa. They are currently working with NRB Group and their subsidiaries like 10 Calangute, Sarth Wellness. They are also handling real estate firms like Pacific Estates who are from Mumbai. SkullzMedia has clients in the resorts and hospitality industry like Soneca Cola Beach Resort.

SkullzMedia also has

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a unit which does subcontracted work for other leading agencies. This, he says, is one of his client acquisition strategy.

Parth having started his venture just before the lockdown, feels that he has learned a lot in his one year as a business person.

“I have learnt key skills like how to interact with people, how to deal with negative people, how to manage my employees, how to strategise and negotiate with people, not to mention all the core business skills. All this has enhanced me as a person and I feel almost like I’m older by a decade, thanks to the practical hands-on experience that I have been lucky to get.”

He further says that Covid hadn’t impacted his business much as he started just before the lockdown and he had nowhere to go, but on the top.

Regarding his future

“All my teammates are immensely creative, talented and experts at their own field, they have great passion for their work, they will work with me even till 3 am in the night to get the job done.

These people bring immense value to the table as they are the ones who help me deliver results to my clients on time” plans, Parth says, “We are just starting out. There is a lot more to go. My main goal is to work with more of quality clients than quantity. I have a goal of reaching the top five digital marketing companies in Goa, at the earliest.”

Personally he believes that one should have multiple

sources of income and the secret lies in multiplying the money through investments, which results in explosive growth!

Parth reflects on the digital advertising scene by saying, “The world of digital advertising is great. But then, there is also a lot of competition. If you have the love and passion for digital marketing and advertising, if you know you can bring value to the table, only then one should enter the world of marketing, digital or otherwise. The end goal should be to make your clients happy.

One should be creative, enterprising and keep doing your work without any expectation of results.

That’s when you will actually succeed.” Parth believes that hardwork when coupled with ‘smartwork’ produces astonishing results

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february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 21

goan brand

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Aurawell Essentials

Wellness everywhere

Vaikunth Dempo’s venture Aurawell Essentials deals in products using the ancient Indian science of Ayurveda and modern day technological innovation for a better living

Vaikunth Dempo

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By sybil rodrigues

aikunth Dempo considers himself fortunate to be born in a business family in Goa that had a chance to dabble in different types of businesses for decades.

He always wanted to be an entrepreneur since a young age; and over the years has ventured into many business projects. He has a degree in BCA, MITSOM-Pune (University of Pune) and an MSc in innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship, from University of Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom). Since 2013, after his return from the UK, Vaikunth has been an entrepreneur and loves to travel during his free time.

An avid aviation enthusiast, Vaikunth loves to read books, learn about spirituality and watch football.

His venture, Aurawell Essentials aims to bring holistic lifestyle products and services to the consumers by combining the ancient generational knowledge of Ayurveda and Aura management with modern technological advancements, thus aiming for complete

Aurawell Essentials products

physical and spiritual well-being.

Aurawell Essentials also aims to bring sustainability to their projects Vaikunth speaks on getting into the business of wellness. “I have been interested in the idea for some time now. While I was busy with my other ventures I always had an idea of owning a wellness and sustainable company. About 2 years back, while at CII Yi event I met a contract manufacturer from Tamil Nadu, had a quick conversation on the idea and to my good luck he was also keen on the idea and agreed to work with us. We have been working on high quality products and look to bring many new products in the near future” Their manufacturing partner began the search for organic and ayurvedic products in 2013. They had a small manufacturing facility for cosmetics in Kodaikanal since 1995. Their relentless search for unadulterated products in the cosmetics industry have been the backbone of Aurawell Essentials.

22 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

All skin problems have solutions in Ayurveda.

Aurawell makes tailor-made products to suit the needs of a customer base that is looking to try out organic products. The soaps are 100% hand-made, without using any synthetic chemicals or artificial flavours. Their products range from herbal cosmetics, herbal extracts, herbal veterinary products, herbal repellents for agriculture and pests.

Aurawell plans to introduce aromatherapy kits and essential oils in the near future. With regards to distributing the products in Goa, Vaikunth mentions that in the initial six months, the distribution of the products was led by an in-house team.

“The goal was to focus on getting personalised services to our clients, so we could be in touch with our customer base to understand how our products fared and to get relevant feedback, where we could improve upon. As we have been working with an exclusive partner store in Goa it wasn’t difficult to manage with an in-house team. Now

that we are looking to scale up we will be actively looking for distributors in various cities and also looking at ventures that have online e-commerce stores which could buy in bulk and manage all the distribution.”

Aurawell Essentials have a couple of marketing strategies to push up their sales. “Social media platforms gave us a very good forum to get our brand going. We also set up a You Tube channel where we promoted a fitness camp and tried to get to our customers by providing them free online fitness programs. We have also used word-of-mouth marketing as a method of pushing our products. We however also look to leverage more tools in the near future that would mostly be useful in scaling up like - having a brand ambassador, promote wellness, and sustainable event, and more.”

Vaikunth mentions the roadblocks that he has faced along the way. “Getting the brand going into an already competitive market is a challenge and along with government regulations and

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matching safety standards always keeps us on our toes.

We aim to climb the ladder organically. I understand that there will be difficulties to face, but we hope to clear them as we encounter them”.

As far as competing with other national and international brands go, Vaikunth says, “The brand was started with a personal passion for wellness products and we aim to be an overall brand that is wellness friendly and sustainable. We hope to make our products good for the body, mind and soul; while also making our packaging more sustainable or reusable that would give us an upper hand over other players. Our utmost focus will always be to provide a genuinely high-quality product and we would appreciate it when our customers become repeat customers. This is how we

look at taking a bite in the pie of the market share”.

Regarding future plans, Vaikunth states that he is planning to export the products and that he is in talks with distributors overseas. He also plans to get into corporate gifting with the idea of promoting sustainable and reusable products and making ayurvedic products available to people at better prices.

Vaikunth concludes with a message to aspiring entrepreneurs. He quotes Yukteshwar Giri from Autobiography of a Yogi.

“Look fear in the face and it will cease to trouble you.” I find many people stop taking important steps in the face of fear which is mostly in the mind. An entrepreneur has to take a leap and do what they want to do while facing them and it will cease to exist”

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february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 23

interview

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blaise costabir

“Ease of Doing Business will build a momentum towards industrial rejuvenation in Goa”

Blaise Costabir, Chairman, CII Goa Council on how the 125-year old organisation has made a difference to business in a Covidised world and position 10% of Goa members in the Committees at the Western Region, so as to give them an opportunity to expand their boundaries.

By sybil rodrigues

How would you rate the year gone by under your chairmanship at CII Goa? We at CII have found innovative ways to work, we have got together in various formats virtually and so have been able to adapt and greatly transform our approach to work. We have been able to come together more frequently and have been able to work closely and collaboratively as a team. We have strived to engage and service our members’ needs and high expectations despite the constraints imposed by COVID. This has greatly helped us. We would continue to use our experiences and learnings to work smartly and productively in the years to come.

What are your views about the last few years at CII? CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. CII also provides a platform for consensusbuilding and networking on key issues. The theme for 2020-21 as ‘Building India for a New World: Lives, Livelihood, Growth’ is very apt. With 68 offices, including 10 Centres of Excellence, in India, and 8 overseas offices in Australia, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, UAE, UK, and USA, as well as institutional partnerships with 394 counterpart organizations in 133 countries, CII has no parallel and this has served as a reference point for Indian industry and the international business community. For

What legacy programs have you continued from your predecessors?

We wish to extend maximum support to the membership, address issues faced by members, facilitate ease of doing business through dialogues and discussions with government by presenting recommendations etc. We have tried to build their competitive skills.

Given the strong secretarial backbone that each CII office has, it is easy for any Chairman to keep a track and follow-up on legacy issues as they are permanent.

Blaise Costabir

125 years, CII has been working on shaping India’s development journey and, this year, more than ever before, it will continue to proactively transform Indian industry engagement in national development.

What was the primary focus of CII- Goa Council during your term as Chairman?

Skilling & Employment: Model Career Centre (MCC) which was recently launched by the Chief Minister. International Hospitality and Culinary Training Institute.

Rural–Urban Connect: Developing a 3-year roadmap for agri and allied activities under the CII WR subcommittee, Goa Shipyard Ltd helping village women reach their products to urban markets Energy Security & Environment: Uninterrupted power supply, reduction of power requirements of CII

24 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

member companies Environmental Sustainability: Treated water, industrial waste disposal application process for commercial water connections. According to TERI study report on Goa’s water conservation / waste management, way forward will be addressed based on priority.

Governance & EODB: Mandatory physical examinations, advance preparedness on movement of workmen, compensation on retrenchment, SOP for industry.

Ensuring that the membership was serviced through various initiatives, training programs etc to build their competitiveness and motivate the industry through Kaizen and QC competitions etc, we had several buyer-seller meets to facilitate business.

To a certain extent, I have been able to give a push

What projects have you undertaken during your term as Chairman?

We have launched CII Model Career Centre in Goa, jointly with the Department of Labour & Employment, Government of Goa. The MCC will work towards addressing the aspirations of the youth by providing counseling, assessment, softskill training and placement linkages, so as to provide a solution to the Institutes for ease and cost-effective placements. The CII MCC has pan-India presence and operations and has through this initiative been able to partner with around 4,800 industry members to fulfill their manpower requirements by sourcing over 3.45 lacs candidates in the last 3 years.

We have been able to engage and jointly collaborate with major trade associations in the State to collectively represent the issues faced by the industry with the

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concerned Government authorities. Some of the joint representations done by CII Goa along with other major trade associations in the state are: Joint Representation for Government Relief to Industry; Joint Representation for Consideration towards Financial Assistance to MSMEs; Waiver of `277.08 crores to casino industry; SOP issued by Goa Public Health Department on precautions for COVID-19; Joint Representation on the Goa Factories-15th Amendment Rules, 2020; Industrial Utilities Facilitation Scheme, Infrastructure Issues at Industrial Estates; Public Works Department (PWD); Goa State Pollution Control Board; Labour Department - Retrenchment Compensation.

Most states in the country are relaxing the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act and Goa Government too have attempted to do the same. However, while other States have kept retrenchment compensation at 15 days, only Goa Government has increased the same to 45 days.

Ports: The Industry, especially the pharma sector would prefer to use Goa’s port for exports and imports using Mormugao Port for shipment with ease of business costing competitive with Mumbai Port/nearby international port like Colombo by creating infrastructure for volume handling, creating competitiveness between ports, currently most container movement for Goa is done from JNPT port.

Starting coastal shipping / barge services for Goa for containers will greatly reduce costs, infrastructure, turnaround time with matching cost of operation, CCP/ other Municipalities in Goa are charging exorbitant house tax, establishment taxes and other charges like sanitation fees, board tax, trade tax, etc. are charged every year.

Payment of pending Dues to MSMEs: MSMEs have been complaining that huge dues are pending with various Government departments.

Joint Representation on Formulation of the Goa Tourism Policy 2020 and the Constitution of the Goa Tourism Board by Govt of Goa Joint Representation to Exempt Goan Industry from Lockdown and Janata Curfew.

Joint Representation on request for inclusion of VLSFO (Very Low Sulphur Furnace Oil) in Approved Fuel list for the state of Goa with reference to the Notification dated 30/12/2020 for discontinuation of use of furnace oil and petcoke as fuels.

CII recently conducted a conference on logistics. How will it be a game changer for Goa? The 6th Edition - CII Goa Conference on Logistics held in October witnessed robust deliberations and recommendations which CIIGoa will continue to pursue with the government so that the deliberations can be taken to their logical conclusion for the improvement of the logistics sector in Goa. The State urgently requires a comprehensive, transparent and robust logistics policy.

Efficient logistics solutions should go hand in hand with the development of industry and trade in the State. A good logistics industry will demonstrate that Goa can be a very profitable investment destination and make import and export of goods viable and efficient with good logistics. Goa government needs to complete ongoing infrastructure projects on a war footing so that transportation of goods and movement of personnel is seamless within the State and through the State. The need for the functioning of wide-bodied aircraft for the pharmaceutical cargo was debated and discussed

during the session on air cargo. Prepare a white paper after gathering data and requirements of all the pharmaceutical exporters in Goa so that the information about cargo load, frequency and infrastructure can be shared with Goa International Airport. Given that time is of essence, trans-shipment delays, delays in customs clearance and consistency in air connectivity need to be ensured. Goa International Airport and the greenfield international airport at Mopa need to address these issues to allow unfettered movement of goods.

Where do you see CII in a year from now?

CII has immense potential to script an inclusive growth story with new-age ideas, technology and innovation for the masses and to position India on a strong foundation in the global business arena.

Indian industry can come together to create a pool of capital that can be utilized towards supporting new businesses and research with strong initiative towards strengthening the new age businesses. Going ahead, CII would only continue to chart the way to foster government-industry cooperation to help develop new policies to support innovative businesses.

Goa’s ranking in Ease of Doing Business is a matter of concern...

The gap is in implementation.

Down the line, it has not struck anyone that things have to be done faster and they have got used to waiting for instructions from higher ups. A file is first sent to the top boss, without the dealing hand processing it as per his mandate. Why? Ideally it should go up with comments from lower sections first. The focus of the government should be to make services online, with departments working with reduced manpower and

most departments having restrictions. Try and visit GIDC. You cannot enter the office. It would be the same in other departments too.

Why do we insist on physical letters? When we should be able to submit application via email and this will be less hazardous in times of COVID-19.

Departments should move to online communication one should be able to email the query or reply or permission, and then only will we see EODB in the real sense of the term.

How do you look at the industry in Goa in a post-Covid world?

As the vaccination program accelerates across the State and country, the economy will start looking up and be more open for business.

The industry needs to take this opportunity to become a more competitive player with a greater share of global markets. Global merchandise trade will rise to 7.2% this year following a 9.2% contraction in 2020. The supply chains are also shifting as organisations reorient their production capacities. It can be hoped that countries such as India will emerge as reliable production hubs in 2021, with any hurdles in the path of investors being eased. The Ease of Doing Business will build a momentum towards industrial rejuvenation in the State. Businesses are ready to operate in the post-pandemic era using more sustainable models and digital technologies.

Throughout businesses are being restructured to become more environment conscious while smart technologies are enhancing their presence. As the State’s economy begins to restore itself, one major challenge will be to create jobs, as also to improve their quality. New jobs that are created must be accompanied by an improvement in the facilities provided such as housing and access to health and education

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 25

campus

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Lex Infinitum 2021 at V.M. Salgaocar College of Law

Students of GIM work with villagers for ‘sustainable development’ in rural Goa

Dnyaneshwar Pednekar (Administrator); Prof. Dr. Shaber Ali G. (Officiating Principal VMSCL), Dr. Mrunmayi M. Vaidya (Director, Lex Infinitum 2021) and Reuben Pinto (President, Lex Infinitum 2021)

The organizing committee of V. M. Salgaocar College of Law, Miramar Goa, is all set to conduct the 6th edition of Lex Infinitum 2021, an International Dispute Resolution Competition held in collaboration with AIDR (Association for International Dispute Resolution) from 21st to 27th February 2021 in online mode.

Lex Infinitum provides opportunities to law students from all over the world to showcase their mediation and negotiation skills.

This edition of the event will witness participation from 36 negotiating teams and 18 mediators from 38 top law colleges, out of which 13 are international teams and 10 National Law Schools with a prize money of Rs. 1,05,000.

That aside, several cash prizes, trophies and awards will be up for grabs.

Participants will be provided feedback from top mediation and negotiation professionals and also promises opportunities in the form of mediation and negotiation training through an interactive certification course by way of knowledge sessions which will be held from 18th to 20th February 2021 from 5pm to 7pm IST on the ZOOM platform.

Further, Lex will also witness Mediation Musings – ‘Hammer out a deal, not ethics’, ethical dilemmas in ADR on 19th February 2021 from 6.45 pm to 7.45 pm (IST) on the ZOOM platform.

The ZOOM meeting ID for the same is 91959361460 which is open to all and all are invited to join the same.

This year will witness participation from international teams hailing from across the world such as Singapore, England, New York (USA), Ireland, California (USA), Brazil, Poland, Sri Lanka, Russia, Belgium, Nigeria and many more; besides multiple teams from across India as well.

Lex Infinitum aims at promoting the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in India as well as abroad which can be accomplished by enhancing the popularity of ADR techniques among law students and aspiring lawyers.

Additionally, students will have opportunities to interact with foremost experts in the Mediation field and will experience the thrill of competing against the brightest student minds of the generation.

The day before the competition will be reserved for an interactive workshopcum-seminar held for the participating teams (inclusive of coaches), and conducted by expert ADR practitioners from all over the country and abroad.

Owing to the current COVID-19 pandemic situation, Lex Infinitum 2021 will be an online event which will be conducted via Zoom and promises to be even bigger and better

26 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

As part of the ‘Give Goa Project’ community outreach programme, students of B-school Goa Institute of Management are working along with the villagers of Morlem and Harvalem located in the hinterlands of Goa to develop a roadmap for sustainable development of the village with specific annual actions and targets over a five-year period.

“The project which is focussed towards creating a sustainability blueprint for the village involves identifying needs of the villagers, community engagement, mapping data, analysis, identifying funding opportunities and more,” explained Prof. Vithal Sukhathankar, Associate Professor and Faculty Guide on the project.

Student outreach initiatives to educate young minds about sustainable practices including judicious use of natural resources, waste segregation, water usage, energy saving methods are at the core of the programme.

The team working on the Harvalem project received similar findings during their assessments and joined into the efforts.

Together the teams from GIM planned contests, art sessions and fun interactive workshops for the children in Morlem and Harvalem to drive home the point on sustainability.

The students also recommended the creation of a localised grid connected solar power system for the sole purpose of meeting some of the energy needs of the villages and surrounding areas.

As far as profitability is concerned, the initial investment will be fairly high, but it will prove to be beneficial in the long run.

The student lead team discussed the solar project concept with the local panchayats and with Goa Energy Development Agency (GEDA) to discuss the feasibility of solar panel installation on the roof of the Morlem panchayat structure.

The students went a step ahead and also contacted dealers and received the cost estimate which was presented to the concerned authorities.

Commissioned by GIM’s Centre for Excellence in Sustainable Development, the programme also documents the current scenario of the village on various parameters like demographics, economic parameters, electricity consumption, water sources and consumption, waste management, natural ecosystem, and other relevant parameters. At the end of each year, the student group share a hand-over to the next batch of students ensuring continuity. The faculty guide stays constant during the 5-year period

BookShelf

www.businessgoa.in

Author: Stephen Fernandes | Publisher: Passionpreneur Publishing, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Relaunch To Win A Framework to Succeed in the New Normal T

he need to change is a constant challenge faced by individuals. The new normal is not only driving them to change but also to transform rapidly. This change and transformation is either driven internally by the individual, in a proactive, planned manner, or is forced upon them by unprecedented external events, in a disruptive manner. Rapidly embracing change and swiftly adapting to transformation is what makes them winners.

The year 2020 witnessed another disruption led by the pandemic (COVID-19).

The scale of this disruption is seemingly immeasurable, due to the constant change across ecosystems.

On the one hand, the pandemic disruption forced the shutdown of economies, industries, and companies, sadly leading to millions of job losses and forced unemployment.

Ironically, on the other hand, it fueled the adoption of digitalization across all aspects of our life with Work from Home, Play

DES NAN DES NNFER NAN PHE FER STE PHE STE

>

Stephen Fernandes is a skilled thought leader with deep knowledge of markets and culture. He is a strategist and a critical thinker with outstanding communication, presentation, and mentoring skills

at Home, Learn from Home, Teach from Home, and Perform from Home, among others, driven largely by the need to stay connected.

This book started as a reference guide to share the author’s learning and experiences gained over the last three DESS ANDE RNAN FERN N FE decades.

It HEN STEPHE has primarily focused on individual transformation, a d d i n g perspectives w h e r e possible to organizational transformation by tapping into his experience to unearth the patterns that made people successful.

Relaunch to Win is a companion SUCCEED IN to help A FRAMEWORK TO IN EED IN CC SU SUCC TO RK RK WO WO AL EED ME A FRAME NORM A FRA W TO NE THE people shift AL AL RM RM NO W NO NEW E NE TH THE from their current state

Stephen Fernandes

to a successful or a more successful state. It is based on the principle of continuous improvement of your current state and being proactively prepared to progress in your life journey. If a person is successful, then how do they stay successful and achieve more? If a person has failed, then how do they shift from failure to success?

The learning from this book can be applied to any aspect of your life. It can be adopted and applied by anyone, including entrepreneurs, directors, managers, employers, employees, unemployed, graduates, students, parents, and others. This book will aid anyone who seeks to grow by continuously improving themselves and raising their standards. Relaunch to Win is aimed at people who want to succeed in life and live their dreams in fulfillment of their life purpose.

This is a thoughtprovoking book, so grab a pencil and keep capturing your ideas and thoughts, completing the exercises

before moving on to the next chapter. To maximize your investment in time, the author urges you to read this book with a beginner’s mindset, allowing your mind to be inspired with new thoughts.

Commit to adopting the learning from this book and applying the principles to your daily life.

The writer, Stephen Fernandes, is an accomplished professional working in Information Technology (IT) for nearly three decades.

His experience includes working for Fortune Global 500, Forbes Global 2000 companies, family-owned conglomerates, and startups across markets.

As a thought leader, Stephen has presented at several IT forums including Gartner Symposium and IDC CIO Summit. Stephen successfully established and led global, local, and startup IT companies in the Middle East, in addition to being a part of several mergers and acquisitions and joint venture initiatives. Stephen is a skilled thought leader with deep knowledge of markets and culture. He is a strategist and a critical thinker with outstanding communication, presentation, and mentoring skills. Stephen holds a Master’s in Management Studies (MMS) from Goa University and a Bachelor’s in Engineering(BE) from MIT, Manipal. He is a Certified Global Business Leader (CGBL) from Harvard Business School Publishing and a “Professionally Trained Coactive Coach” from the Coaches Training Institute (CTI). He hails from Miramar, Panjim, Goa, and lives with his family in Dubai. He has travelled extensively to over thirty countries across the globe and had the opportunity to work with people from different markets, industries, professions, and cultures

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 27

Lady power

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Rajasi Dhavalikar / Cottons daily

Putting cotton fabrics on the Indian e-commerce map

Rajasi Dhavalikar with her brand, Cottons Daily, speaks about using e-commerce to make her products available all over India

R

By sybil rodrigues

ajasi R Dhavalikar, an MBA in Finance from Symbiosis International University, who went on to do her internship with KPMG after a 5 year journey of SIU, returned back to Goa in 2014 to start her own venture.

Starting her journey as an entrepreneur with a real estate firm, Rajasi came up with her idea of Cottons Daily in 2016, after her marriage.

Rajasi has her roots in Bandora village, and is the daughter of Ramkrishna (Sudin) Dhavalikar, a politician and Jyoti Dhavalikar, a retired banker, says that she always dreamt of being a successful business woman since she was a child.

Her passion for expanding her business led to her entry into the e-commerce space.

“E-commmerce gives a digital platform to one’s business and is an opportunity to globalise your brand and cater to global markets. When you talk about expansion, you have to penetrate in every viable market for a mass reach. Cottons Daily offers an opportunity to all cotton lovers to buy, style their fabrics online and get it delivered at their doorstep thanks to its online platform.”

For women who are abroad and have limited shopping options when it comes to Indian clothes, Rajasi’s online platform is a boon for wedding shopping and daily wear, all which is made up of handcrafted cotton.

She elaborates on coming up with the idea of Cottons Daily. “In 2016, I started selling my products within my friend circle and through social media. The response being excellent, I slowly expanded my reach. Goans find it difficult to get variety in textiles, the reason being that local retailers keep limited

“E-commmerce gives a digital platform to one’s business and is an opportunity to globalise your brand and cater to global markets”

Rajasi Dhavalikar

Rajasi Dhavalikar

stock. I wanted Goans to have a wide variety of choice and as my business grew, I decided to make it bigger and better.

Thanks to the digital trend, my business grew leaps and bounds. People love buying online as they can buy what they want from the ample variety available.”

Rajasi’s brand values quality over anything else.

Therefore, they choose fabrics and sarees directly from their approved weavers. “We have approximately 50 weavers from different regions of India. The ‘Maheswaris’ are sourced from Madhya Pradesh, the ‘Paithanis’ from Yeola, Maharashtra, the ‘Ikkats’ from Pochampalli, Andhra Pradesh, block prints materials from Jaipur and other places in India.”

Rajasi says that Goan women are known for good embroidery which they take up as a hobby. She encourages

28 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

women to take it up for their livelihood and she has tied up with local artisans to do hand embroidery on some of her products. One can always find local products handcrafted by Goan artisans on the Cottons Daily website under the head ‘Cottons Daily Customised’.

Cottons Daily, as the name suggests, mainly caters to pure cotton fabrics including hand block print ‘Sanganeri’ Jaipur Cotton, handwoven ‘Ikkat’, ‘Chikankari’, ‘Kalamkari’ as well as ‘Penkalamkari’, digital printed cotton, ‘kantha’ embroideries, among other fashionable offerings. They also showcase ‘mul’ cotton sarees, ‘sambalpuri’ ‘ikkat’ sarees as well as Bengal cotton sarees.

Further, Cottons Daily specialises in wedding sarees which can be customized as per client requirements in handmade pure silk ‘Paithanis’, purely handwoven

‘Banarasi’ ‘Katan’ silk sarees as well as pure silk ‘Kanchi’ ‘Pattu’ sarees.

Rajasi says that she gets orders from all over India.

In a week, they get around 100 orders and are doing well as far as cotton fabrics and wedding sarees are concerned.

In addition, they customize sarees for weddings from Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, at least three to four times a month.

Even though Rajasi comes from a political background, she has always kept a distance from it as she wanted to establish herself as an entrepreneur. “My parents have always been supportive of my dreams and have encouraged and empowered me to achieve them. My husband, Aditya Desai, and in laws are supportive of my work and have always respected my independent thoughts. In fact Aditya, always accompanies me when I travel to different places to handpick products from weavers.”

Regarding her future plans, Rajasi says that her goal is to provide a variety in Indian fabrics and sarees to the most remote locations through their e-commerce platform. “Our future plans mainly focus on expansion in already established markets as well as entering new remote markets.”

Rajasi concludes with a message to aspiring businesswomen. “There are many who have lost their jobs but a digital platform is open to all. The pandemic and the work from home option have given an opportunity to women to set up their business and become financially independent.

Goan vocal-for-local groups are supportive and helping out new businesses. I hope and wish the best for all aspiring business women”

New biz

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chirag tripathi / Tinto

A new ‘Tinto’ in town

Chirag Tripathi’s new supermarket with well stocked counters promises to make shopping a delight Tinto:Well Stocked

Chirag Tripathi

T

By sybil rodrigues

into is a modern supermarket that combines all the important characteristics that are vital to modern-day customers and goes the extra mile to offer this on a daily basis.

The owner, Chirag Tripathi holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from Manipal University and an MBA in Finance from Goa University.

He has avid interests in music and mathematics and has performed for many stage programs throughout the country in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Goa, besides working with various companies in the State.

Chirag attributes his business sense to his parents, Deepak Tripathi, director of Tulip Diagnostics and mother, Namitha Tripathi who owns White Cloud laundry stores. Thanks to his background in finance, he was further encouraged to start his own business. FMCG being the new area of business that is flourishing during the Covid era propelled Chirag

to come up with the idea of Tinto. A supermarket that is well stocked and caters to the needs of people is a necessity.

Located in Caranzalem in a rapidly growing residential hub, Tinto promises to be a place where happy customers keep coming back to the store.

Tinto offers a complete range covering maximum brands at competitive rates.

Tinto Caranzalem

The experience of shopping at Tinto is different because of the way the store is organized coupled with easy accessibility, ample parking space and pleasant service which are the key differentiators from other stores around the city. Tinto is air-conditioned with adequate illumination and parking which offers people a

hassle free experience.

The layout and broad walk ways afford convenience and easy mobility within the store.

Well-lit and well-marketed product category areas make access convenient and easy.

Stocks are obtained from distributors all over Goa and customers’ response has been pretty positive since Tinto has opened up. Getting things organized during Covid times proved to be quite challenging but thankfully Chirag was able to overcome difficulties.

Competition always exists in such sectors but Chirag focuses on excellence, staff satisfaction and tries his best to cater to the requirements of every customer.

As far as marketing strategies go, Tinto has several offers in store, in order to attract more customers. Tinto promises to continuously strive and improve its offering and customer each day.

Chirag intends to open up more branches of Tinto across Goa and is working towards it with his nevergive-up attitude

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 29

professional dossier

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DR. BRIAN D’COSTA

“Watching someone take the field again or be finally pain-free gets me most excited and gives me today’s stressful life that many of us lead, a a feeling of accomplishment” Inphysiotherapist is a key to a pain-free physique how to maintain a neutral demeanour so as to keep the athlete focussed on recovery for the next performance.

By sybil rodrigues

Early Life, Childhood and Education I was born and raised in South Mumbai. I studied at St Xavier’s High School, Fort (SSC) and opted for Science at St Xavier’s College, Fort, Mumbai (HSC), after which I moved to Bangalore to join Garden City College of Physiotherapy (BPT). I worked in Mumbai for two years after graduating and then moved to the UK to read for an MSc in Sports and Exercise Medicine at the University of Nottingham.

I was lucky to have an allround development growing up. Sports were at the heart of my growth and I excelled at extra-curricular activities.

What made you get into physiotherapy and choose it as a profession?

I really liked biology as a subject and was good at it.

The interesting fact is that my first preference within the Health Sciences was Physiotherapy and from the day I joined, I knew I wanted to be a Sports Physio. Being an athlete myself I recall going to see a doctor about a heel pain when I was about 11 years old and his twominute advice allowed me to go back to training within 3 days. Also having lived with my grand-parents, one of who had suffered a stroke and the other severe osteoporosis, we had physios in and out of the house so I was well aware of the impact this profession had on people’s quality of life and road to recovery.

How were your early years in the practice and profession?

After completing my internship at Sir H. N. Hospital and subsequently graduating, there was a

Dr Brian D’Costa

period during which I was looking for a sports centre to work at and gain experience.

I needed two years of work experience to be able to apply to the Sports Medicine Masters programme in Nottingham, UK that I had already set my sights on.

I joined Prakruti Sports Science and Physiotherapy Clinic in Mumbai and I recall the first day and my first patient that I assisted with was an IPL cricketer who got injured during the tournament and had come to Mumbai to recover. My mentors were brilliant with the knowledge and guidance that they imparted and with the patients they treated; I was able to work with professionals at the highest level and learn lessons for life.

What was your experience working with professional sports?

My journey as an on-field sports physio started out in Nottingham, UK where I volunteered at the BUCS Inter University Sports and I

30 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

worked primarily with Rugby.

Thereafter, I covered home matches for a local rugby club, Nottinghamians RFU and did a two-month internship with British Swimming working with Olympic athletes and world record holders.

When I returned to Mumbai, my goal was to continue to work with professional sports and I was recruited by Sporting Clube de Goa where I worked for 3 seasons. I joined Mumbai City FC as the physio for the second season if the ISL and in season three of the ISL, I took the opportunity to work with FC Goa and although the team didn’t do too well, the medical team was successful in having every player fit for selection on the last day of the league – something that coach Zico highlighted and applauded in his last team talk.

Working with professional athletes is very rewarding when they win, challenging when they are injured and disheartening when they lose; but as a physio I have learned

What is the Importance of physiotherapy in today’s day and age when most people live a sedentary life?

I think the human body is a piece of art and for the most part each person is responsible to keep it well. I work out of Elite Physio Clinic at Campal, Panjim where the mantra is “we keep you moving”.

Movement of our joints and muscles in their complete ranges is so important so keep degenerative conditions at bay. The typical complaints of low back pain and neck pain have a lot to do with being in one position for a prolonged time while either working or driving or standing and cooking or gaming or most recently using the mobile phone. I would say physiotherapy in the form of simple body movement, core strengthening, guidance about safe and correct exercise and advice on how to generally be more active goes a long way to fight aches and pains and to make one functionally independent.

What are the aspects of work that excite you the most?

Like anyone in healthcare watching someone recover and go back to leading an independent life or watching them take the field again or be finally pain free gets me most excited and gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

Having worked in sports and always fighting a clock to get the athlete back to full fitness, I always aim to help patients recover as quickly as possible and I use a variety of tools, techniques and therapies to achieve that.

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Cases that remains etched in memory.

As an Indian sports physio, when you work with someone like Sachin Tendulkar, especially at a time when he was an active professional cricketer there is no greater experience you can ask for! I worked with him for about 20 sessions between 2009-10 and treated multiple injuries and as you can imagine he was one of the easier people to work with. I also recall working with Rugby in the UK where there were three bleeding noses simultaneously as the game doesn’t stop for injuries.

I remember running across the field from one player to the next to stop the bleeding.

I was lucky to have the Red Cross on site to help with the third player.

What is your success mantra for youngsters?

I would say set your sights on

a target and work towards it and when opportunity comes your way grab it. It doesn’t always have to be about the remuneration because when you like what you do and you’re driven from within you will eventually be successful.

What are the plans that you have been dreaming about?

I feel that my working career is at a point where I’m constantly looking for opportunities to learn new techniques, to discuss ideas and use new systems to work towards better patient care and faster recovery.

Working with Elite sports abroad has always been something I have been keen on and if I do get the opportunity, eventually being able to transfer some of that know-how and organized processes back home to India is something that I would look forward to

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 31

retail

www.businessgoa.in

Limited Editions

Truly Unlimited at Limited Editions

Clare Marchon speaks about her venture, Limited Editions, and the products stocked at the store

Clare Marchon

C

By sybil rodrigues

lare Marchon, hails from Betim. She always had a dream to start a business in her ancestral village. Her family was blessed to own several shops and they run five different stores in Betim.

Clare’s entry into business began at a rather early age, as she began working soon after she completed her higher secondary education. Alongside working, the determined lady also went on to complete her graduation, earning herself a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dhempe College. It is this very early start that ensured Clare had a wealth of experience backing her, an asset that came in very handy when she made her formal foray into the business world. Post her graduation she moved to Dubai for a brief

32 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

period where she worked in the public relations section at Future Establishment.

After she moved back to Goa, and having developed a knack for business, Clare took up employment at an advertising agency in Panjim where she worked for two years Clare opened her store, Limited Editions, thirteen years ago at her ancestral house located opposite the ferry wharf in Betim. Back then the store would sell furniture from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Thailand. Every piece of furniture displayed there was unique and their customers just loved it. But unfortunately her father’s cousin who was a partner at the store and used to source the furniture for her migrated to Australia and they had to shut the store.

Her loyal customers never failed to ask her about the store and when she would be setting up something on similar lines. Just before the lockdown in March, Clare decided to revive the store again, this time with a different concept, and instead of furniture decided to fill it with curios from Turkey, Portugal, Thailand and different states of India.

Limited Editions stocks curios from Turkey, blue and white crockery from Portugal, artificial flowers from Thailand, formal and casual bags from India and other parts of the world.

Her suppliers are Turkish, Thai and Indians, who mostly run their businesses abroad and in India.

Clare is in talks with a lot of local artisans and young ladies who work with women from rural areas to stock their products. Local handicrafts and curios will be available at the store shortly.

Clare opened the store in December and thanks to the festive season, she had an excellent response. The location of the store, on the main road, opposite Terry’s Supermarket in Betim was an added advantage and the store saw a lot of outstation visitors.

Her husband has been her constant support and strength throughout, right up from her decision to revive Limited Editions, till date Clare considers herself lucky as she had purchased her stocks before the lockdown as sourcing the products now would be difficult, given various restrictions all over when it comes to logistics. She hopes that the pandemic loosens its grip and life gets back to normal.

The next time one needs a gift for any occasion or just a curio for your house to be a topic of conversation for your next get together, head over to Limited Editions, for unique gift items; Clare plans on stocking items from all over the world in the coming months

CoWorking Spaces in Margao GET ON THE DECK NOW +91 92060 80808

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GMA’s Panel Discussion on ‘Decoding the Union Budget 2021

L to R: Blaise Costabir, Vijay Hede, CA Parimal Kulkarni, and CA Rohan Bhandare

Goa Management Association (GMA) conducted a Panel Discussion on ‘Decoding the Union Budget 2021, recently.

The panel consisted of Vijay Hede, Managing Director, Shivranjani Securities Co. Pvt Ltd., Blaise Costabir, Chairman CII Goa State Council & MD, GMI Zarhak Moulders Pvt. Ltd. and CA Parimal Kulkarni, Chairman, Taxation Committee of Goa

Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The session was moderated by GMA Executive Committee Member, CA. Rohan Bhandare.

Amin Ladak, Chairman, GMA welcomed the audience and Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, Immediate Past Chairman, GMA introduced the panel members.

Hede presented the macro-economic view of the

Budget with emphasis on Infrastructure, health & water allocations in the Budget along with Digital India.

Costabir provided insightS on the impact of the budget on the industry and the practical aspects for improving the ease of doing business; while Kulkarni focussed on the important changes in direct tax, indirect tax and company law.

The panel discussed the economic survey and topics such as the sustainability of the current level of stock markets and its correlation with the economy, divestment &privatisation and the impact of digitisation and artificial intelligence on tax compliances.

The program concluded with a vote of thanks proposed

by Virendra Acharya

BNI’s Goa Biz Fest 2021: Biggest Virtual Event to Connect Businesses BNI (Business Network International) is an organization present in 74+ countries helping more than 2,70,000 entrepreneurs and professionals grow their businesses through passing of business referrals among each other with the underlying philosophy of ‘Givers Gain’ thereby generating millions of jobs. BNI Goa Region with 14 Chapters and 625+ Members, as a part of the 10th year celebrations, is organising the 4th Edition of Goa Biz Fest as a Virtual Expo & Summit from 18th to 20th Feb 2021.

Also, for the 1st time ever this will be a Mega Virtual Expo in partnership with BNI Kolhapur, Hubli- Dharwad and Mangalore regions, together accounting for more than 1200 members. The expo will be attended by more than 5000 visitors from India and abroad. GBF is being hosted by BNI Goa’s largest chapter – BNI Mathgram which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. BNI Mathgram

(L-R) Yogendra Karmali, Anand Chaterjee, Arch. Avinash Borkar, Rajkumar Kamat, Arman Bankley, Mudit Agarwaal and Mayuri Bhate

also ranks amongst the top ten chapters amongst 900+ chapters of India. GBF will be inaugurated by Chief Minister of Goa on 18 Feb and will be virtually open for 3 days round the clock. There will be over 100+ stalls from members of Goa, Kolhapur, HubliDharwad and Mangalore from five major sectors of real estate/construction/interiors, computer/electronics/ information technology, hospitality/health and wellness, finance services/ business consultancy, and other trades and services.

GBF is open for all and is mobile friendly too, any visitor can log on as a guest and visit the online stalls, can chat or video call with exhibitors,

34 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

download brochures and see product videos etc. There are also lots of prizes to be won for the visitors.

GBF is targeting to invite 5000+ members from across the globe along with visitors from household to industries from Goa to get connected and explore the vocal for local products and services within Goa. BNI Goa Executive Director Rajkumar Kamat, with a vision to set up 1000 strong members and creating 10000 jobs is ably leading GBF and exploring business potential avenues for business beyond boundaries.

They have also invited 10+ Executive Directors from other regions of BNI for collaboration and channel

partnership. GBF summit will have a wide array of eminent speakers from across the industrial sectors like Manish Sharma, India & South Asia Director of Panasonic; John Mahtani, former VP Global Warner Brothers; Dr. Jagat Shah, Nitin Kunkolienkar, Sanjay Ghodavat, Graham Wheileimer, CEO of BNI Global; and Mac Srinivasan BNI Global President, will be virtually present and mentoring the gathering via live online auditorium.

GBF is supported by sponsors like Planet Hollywood, Epee Kamat Group, ARmines Industries, Gauravi Creation, Priyanka Row and AU Small Finance Bank

ART

@business-goa

Creating a room for art Gautam Amonkar speaks about the newly opened Sala de Arte an initiative to display and appreciate art by artists and art lovers alike

The expansive art space at Kamat Towers, Patto Plaza, Panaji

T

By sybil rodrigues

he newly opened Sala de Arte is a state-of-the-art gallery for artists and creative designers with an aim of providing art connoisseurs and promoters with an equipped space to display, interact and appreciate art. Located at Patto Plaza, this brain child of Gautam Amonkar is spread over 1650 square feet and intends to provide a stimulus to amateur as well as established artists to display their work.

Gautam completed his engineering studies and began his career with a construction company following which he started his own construction business. In the past three decades he has been actively focusing on investments in art and startups. One of his dream projects has been farming– developing cultivable land for farming in Goa. Gautam was attracted to art right up from his childhood days where he was exposed to different art forms – performing and visual arts from all over the world.

“I have always been drawn to artisanal works created in different parts of our culturally enriched country. I have been collecting diverse artforms in the last 20 years with artists such as F. N. Sousa, M. F. Hussain, Jogen Choudhary, Jamini Roy, NS Bendre, KH Ara, Laxma Gaud, Mario Miranda, Hesham Malik and others in my collection.

Amongst the Goan artists,

I have extensively collected works by Mohan Naik, Suhas Shilker, Laxman Pai, Vamona Navelkar, Nirupa Naik, Viraj Naik, Rajashri Thakkar and so on.” He elaborates on his purpose behind setting up Sala de Arte. “Throughout my life (and I’m sure in the years to come), I have witnessed a spectrum of individuals with differing perspectives and eye towards art. The personal dialogue that one tends to have with the works is something that has intrigued me. As an ardent collector of art, the predominant factor that comes to my mind is strengthening and nurturing social bonds by means of

Gautam and Seema Amonkar

which people can freely express their inner depths to one another, something that now seldom exists in the broad millennial world.

The eagerness to learn and the curiosity to delve into differing emotions have led me to collect art. These are some of my driving forces that led me to set up Sala De Arte – a quaint space that aims to exhibit works of established as well as budding artists in all spheres of Art.” The inaugural show was curated by Sandeep Murgaonkar and organised

by Shikha Sardessai. Named as ‘Multiple Impressions’,

it featured six well-known artists – Francis Desousa, Mohan Naik, Suhas Shilker, Vasudev Shetye, Viraj Naik and Vitesh Naik.

Gautam then goes on to speak about how artists have managed to keep themselves relevant during the pandemic.

“Relevance of art is a relative term and is purely situational.

What seemed to be strong in the Baroque period may have been reinstated with a different style in the Art Noveau, Fauvism, Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism periods. I believe the artists have suffered from loss of sales, cancelled openings and other limitations to showcase their artworks in their desired milieu. However, artists are adept at innovating and shifting the landscape.

I am sure the struggle has been overwhelming and for a few there have been standstill moments. The artists we worked with have been motivated through the pandemic with ups and downs, where they focused on creating art with a finality of hope. They were all hopeful that we would be able to breathe freely in the near future and this has led us to displaying their phenomenal works in the launch of our art space – Sala De Arte.”

Gautam concludes with his opinion on the future of art in a post pandemic world. “We need to be more inclusive in our approach in not just selling but educating people around us to trust Art. People need to be receptive when viewing a piece of work and that would lead them to eventually talk about it in society. Selling art is just the ultimate outcome of the whole process. We intend to have the artists themselves talk about their work and the difficulties they have gone through whilst/before creating them.

We also intend to have a mix of artforms in our gallery – sculptures, pottery, organic clothing, statement furniture, jewellery, handlooms, etc”

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 35

biz bytes

www.businessgoa.in

Patient Day Care Centre at Dempo Healthcare A state-of-the art Patient Day Care Centre has been recently opened at Dempo Healthcare in Miramar with an aim to provide the general public with ease of access to top quality medical assistance, excellence in service delivery and patient comfort.

Inaugurated at the hands of Rajesh Dempo, Managing Director of Dempo Healthcare (A unit of Dempo Vision Group), the Day Care centre is managed by Goa’s prominent cardiologist, Dr Digambar Naik, Director of Golden Health Services Pvt Ltd and one of the ‘50 Pathfinders’ in the Indian healthcare industry.

The Day Care Center at the Dempo Healthcare, will be open every day, including

Rajesh Dempo inaugurated Patient Day Care Centre in the presence of Dr Digambar Naik, Mangala Naik, Melvin Noronha and other dignitaries

Sundays and public holidays.

The centre is equipped with diagnostic equipment such as ultrasound, echocardiography, a fullfledged pathology laboratory, X-ray machines, pulmonary function tests, audiometry, Doppler and other medical monitoring and treatment

facilities.

The day care centre will cater to all emergency services under the supervision of a team of doctors, nurses and other medical staff available at the facility. Prominent doctors conduct their OPDs at Dempo Healthcare in the field of ayurveda, neurosurgeon,

orthopedic etc. It consists of India’s most trichology clinic

by Richfeel brand, which is its largest chain of hair and scalp trichologist clinics in India.

Dempo Healthcare is an initiative to bring world class treatment modalities to India and to light up million smiles by providing quality

Workshop to Connect Rural Women to Entrepreneurship and Business

(L-R) Sandra Fernandes, Member, GCCI Women’s Wing; Pallavi Salgaocar, Chairperson, GCCI Women’s Wing; Deepali Naik, Director, Women & Child Development; Charudatta Panigrah, Founder & Mentor of Goa Livelihood Forum; Asha Vernekar, Poonam Shirsat,Co-chairperson, GCCI Women’s Wing

GCCI Women’s Wing along with Goa Livelihood Forum recently organised ‘Goa Rural Entrepreneurship Program’ for women entrepreneurs from rural areas.

The program had three sessions- Finance & Statutory compliance by CA Minal Alway, Branding your goods & services by Darpana Athale & Business Planning by Asha Vernekar. A grassroots

women entrepreneur Chitra Kshirsagar also delievered an inspiring talk on her experiences and entrepreneurial journey. The Chief Guest of the function was Deepali Naik, Women & Child Development Director, Government of Goa who encouraged the women to follow their dreams and stand on their own feet. GCCI Women’s Wing Chairperson

36 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

Pallavi Salgaocar welcomed the gathering and CoChairperson Poonam Shirsat proposed the vote of thanks.

Also present at the function was the founder and mentor of Goa Livelihood Forum Charudatta Panigrahi.

The function was compered by Sandra Fernandes, a Women’s Wing member. This first rural entrepreneurship program

had an overwhelming participation of 100 women participants and it marks the first of the many workshops that the two organizations will do across the rural areas of Goa in the future as a joint initiative to empower and enlighten small women entrepreneurs across Goa and connect them to entrepreneurship and business

@businessgoamagazine

5th edition of Tangentia Jigyasa Business and Technology Quiz The Tangentia Jigyasa Quiz is one of the leading nationallevel business and technology quizzing events held every year. Having successfully organized four editions with an overwhelming response, the Tangentia Jigyasa Quiz is back for its 5th edition to reward the smartest technology and business minds. A team event, the quiz is open for college students or corporate professionals from all over India.

The Tangentia Jigyasa Quiz has caught the fancy of the highly competitive corporate quizzing community across the nation, with top quizzing teams from corporates like TCS, Accenture, Sai Mitra Constructions, Google, among others hoping to make a dent in their quizzing endeavours this year, too.

Quiz Master Vijay

Thomas, CEO of Tangentia, will be up with his unique style of questioning, as always.

Due to the current circumstances, the Jigyasa Quiz will be held online (PAN India) on 20th February 2021

at 11 am IST and the finals will be held virtually on 6th March 2021 at 6 pm IST. This year, the lucky Champion will win a Grand Prize of `1,50,000/and the first runner up will receive `75,000/- while the

second runner up will get `50,000/-.

Do you have what it takes to be the next Jigyasa Quiz Champion? Visit here to register www.jigyasaquiz. com/registration

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 37

Beyond classroom / dr. pradeep salgaonkar

Customer Care Comes With Commitment

The writer highlights the importance of customer care, which is a continuous process and is required from both, management and employees

I

purchased a new two wheeler for my daughter last November. The first free servicing was done at the end of 30 days, though the bike had run for just 140 kms in this period. By the last week of December, I noticed that there was oil leakage from the front shock absorber of the bike. I booked an appointment for service and took the bike to the service centre. After the initial paper work, I was told to come in the evening to collect the bike. It was only on my insistence that this is not a regular service and that only the leakage is to be rectified, I was told to wait. But the wait itself was too long.

After about three hours I was told that the oil seal of the front shock absorber is faulty and needs to be replaced. But, the required seal is not in the stores and hence it cannot be replaced now, and that an order needs to be placed for the same and the store will procure it, which will take about a weeks’ time. I placed the order and came back with the bike. I was told that I would be informed over phone as soon as the seal arrives at the stores. A week passed and there was no information. Thus, I called the service centre inquiring about the oil seal. ‘It has not come yet, it will take a weeks’ time’, was the reply. A week later I called back and I was not surprised to hear the same reply. It’s more than a month now and the reply still is same. My advance placing of the order as well as repeated requests has fallen on deaf ears. The oil seal is still not replaced.

This is how customers are treated at dealerships, doing brisk business on sales and service, with absolutely no concern for customer care. What really is amusing is the fact that the organization displays bold displays and posters of ‘commitment to customer care’ and ‘quality service’ in work area. Now, are these posters with the intention to reinforce customer care feelings among their employees, or is it to manipulate customers’ emotions by acting as a feel-good factor? The employees seem to be not giving a heed to any of these essential aspects of customer management. So, what could be the root cause for this type of culture within organizations? Is something not right? Is the leadership intent for customer care missing? Or is it the problem of lack of commitment?

The reality The reality in most organizations, whether small, medium or large, is more or less the same. To my mind, there are three distinct categories of top management and their approach towards customer care; First category thoroughly understands the significance of customer care for their business, they drive it and ensure that every member of the organisation believes in this philosophy of the organisation and has boarded onto the customer management flight.

They build organisational culture around customer engagement. Such organisations are the most successful organisations in all respects. In the second category, the top management may have the inner feeling and desire that they should give the best customer service, so that their customers are happy and retained.

They understand the importance of customer care very clearly, and they also take actions towards implementing the customer care philosophy and building an environment that’s customerfriendly. They also take actions in this direction, spend on this activity and also concentrate on customer care. But for a short while; somewhere down the line, their priorities change, and the focus gets shifted. The fizz, for customer care, gets out of the top management, percolating it down to the employees. The efforts taken and the money spent goes waste and the natural human behaviour (most of the times customer unfriendly) dominates every employees’ actions. The ‘customer care’ goes for a spin. The displays and the posters and all customer care quotes remain a silent gratification only to customers. Such organizations will find their customer base eroding slowly.

The third category is the management that does not understand the real importance of customer care. To them, customer is just another entity that they have to deal with. Some even believe that the customer is at their mercy. Some others do understand the influence of customer care and retention on their business, but really do not bother about the same. They want the best customer care to be given by their employees without any investment or efforts from the management side. They expect the employees to be inherently tuned to

these aspects and practicing excellent customer care all the time. They forget that employees are human beings with natural behaviours and not all are trained to be sensitive towards customers. This is the category that believes money and time spent on customer care efforts is a waste. Yet some others in this category understand the importance of customer care and want to drive it, but are hesitant to take efforts and invest in this activity.

They expect their employees to be experts in customer service delivery after attending just one day training session on customer management. And that’s highly impossible.

To cite an example, recently I was in a meeting with the HRM team of a reputed company based at Verna Industrial Estate. This was about their requirement for training their employees on customer care, as they felt that their employees are insensitive towards customers. I gave an elaborate training proposal spreading across all levels within the organization, each having specific objectives and spread over a period of time. But the HR team was just not able to understand the essence of what I was proposing. They just wanted a one-day training session, where about 60 employees would attend the training program together and they expected them to be experts in ‘customer care’. And that was just not going to happen! They were expecting magic to happen, either created by me or their employees.

The right approach The right approach to ensure customer care and retention within organisations is to ensure that every employee of the organisation is adequately trained in customer management and there is commitment from the top management to drive this activity. Secondly, there has to be continuous reinforcement of what is learned by the employees and this has to be guided and monitored by the top management or an expert hired for this task, so that the efforts taken are driven in the right direction and in spirit.

Customer management is a continuous process and needs high commitment, equally from the management and employees, and is best done through sustained training and facilitation

The writer is a Founder Director, Saldots Academy; corporate trainer and facilitator; former chairman of Goa Management Association. Email: pradeepsalgaonkar@gmail.com 38 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

Uncomplicate Business / sunil dias

A Little Bit Of Negativity For Your Business

The writer explains about striving for a healthy balance between optimism and pessimism

C

harles Darwin spent close to five years on the HMS Beagle. The ship circumnavigated the earth. Darwin’s job was to study the geology wherever they went. He did much more than that.

He developed the core of the theory of evolution on the voyage. He collected samples, took copious notes and was a voracious reader on the voyage. With the enthusiasm shown, you would think Darwin loved the sea. He hated it. He was always seasick. Yet, whenever the ship touched port, he would spend his time in strenuous exploration. We know the theory of evolution due to Darwin’s stubbornness. He refused to believe that he couldn’t complete the voyage. He stayed positive towards his work.

Organizations spend significant time and money in trying to keep employees positive. In a state where employees don’t have the word ‘impossible’ in their dictionary. Where employees always believe that they are on the cusp of a crucial breakthrough. They just need to keep at their task. And believe that they can do things that others think can’t be done. Is all the positivity-inducing effort worth it?

As we saw with Darwin, staying positive can be a big plus. It’s easier for an organization to keep innovating if every employee is positive. Everyone is confident in the business strategy.

Everyone moves in the same direction.

Yet too much positivity can be a negative for your business. Especially if it is disconnected from reality. That can provide a false sense of security. Or worse, demoralise the workforce. Here are three indicators that your business is too positive: Indicator #1: Employees never say No If there’s too much positivity, saying ‘No’ isn’t looked kindly upon. No employee

will dare say something is impossible. Or offer their frank views on why a solution proposed doesn’t make too much sense.

The ability to be frank and forthright is critical in an organization. If an employee has to think too much before offering their frank opinion, there’s something wrong. As a leader, be on your guard if you find that nobody disagrees too much outwardly. And yet, nothing much seems to get done.

Indicator #2: There are too many taglines The self-help industry is ever expanding.

One favourite book genre is on how to become more positive. Often, leaders love passing on these messages to the rest of the organisation, as a way of motivating the team. The problem is that while most of these messages are good to hear, they often contradict each other. Or sometimes, don’t even mean too much.

It’s likely an organisation is too positive if they’re using too many ‘be-positive’ taglines.

Indicator #3: Warped reality If the positive vibes in an organization appear too good to be true, they are. In such organisations, everything has a positive spin. All employees keep saying positive things about the organization.

Yet, dig a bit further and you will find results don’t reflect this positivity.

Coupled with that, the organizational culture is often not that great. Employees not talking to each other. Unhappy employees. If there are too many gaps between what’s being said and the reality, there’s too much positivity.

Should leaders be positive?

Many leaders don’t like displaying negativity. The thinking is that if they appear hesitant, the team won’t have enough belief. Right before Lehman

Brothers collapsed, the CEO was quoted as saying that the company was firing on all cylinders! As a leader, being too optimistic can often be a downer for the team. For instance, say your team is struggling with a challenging task. You could be overly optimistic and keep telling them that they will be successful if they keep at it. Yet, most employees prefer an acknowledgement of the difficulty of the task. And guidance from the leader on how to get it done. Instead, if all they get is a cliche on remaining optimistic, they’ll think the leader is out of touch with reality. As author Anne Baum says in a Fast Company article, “When leaders put on their cheerleading hats despite a reality that is poor, they seem like liars or worse, like they are delusional.” This doesn’t mean a leader should be pessimistic.

Or doubt employee capability. Instead, it means that the leader acknowledges the possibility of failure. And that some things in the current circumstances are indeed impossible. Leader behaviour should reflect reality.

Closing thoughts Being overly optimistic is setting yourself up for disappointment. Besides, faking positivity can be emotionally draining.

That said, we can’t be fully authentic at work. A little embellishment is always required. If everyone shared their doubts out loud, we would never meet any targets. A negative organization with grumpy employees isn’t fun. Strive for a healthy balance between optimism and pessimism. As Richard Pine says, “The best chief executives know that too much optimism is a dangerous thing, that wise and productive leadership means striking a balance between optimists’ blue-sky view of the world and pessimists’ more clear-eyed assessment of any given situation”

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

the night of the business stars coming soon

2021 february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 39

corporate citizen / Daniel Albuquerque

Dispute Board of International Chamber Of Commerce (ICC)

The author writes about the Dispute Board of ICC. He introduces another institution known as FIDIC which is closely connected with ICC that deals exclusively with engineering and construction disputes on international level. The case presentation, however, brings out the problems of aligning the company with multiple dispute resolution institutions. The Dispute Board can solve problems which other ADRs cannot

D

ispute Boards are not arbitral tribunals and their conclusions are not enforceable like arbitral awards. Rather, the parties contractually agree to be bound by the conclusions under certain specific conditions set forth herein. In application of the Rules, the International Chamber of Commerce (the “ICC”)…(Article 2, ICC Dispute Board Rules)

Context The context in which we are dealing here below is about the institutions of dispute resolution in international business environment.

Increasingly businesses have become collaborative, crisscrossing the political and jurisdictional boundaries of justice delivery systems. In addition to the already in vogue International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and its Dispute Arbitration Resolution (ADR) there is another Fédération Internationale Des Ingénieurs Counseils (French) International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC). Both of these are related closely not only due to their French origin, but also because they work together.

While ICC deals with all kinds of business disputes, the FIDIC deals only with construction and real estate disputes, hence the name denoting federation of consulting engineers. However, there is no guarantee that multiplicity of dispute resolution institutions and organisations are going to solve problems. The very cures can become worse than the disease.

The following is a case to prove such a point.

Case: Zillion Infra Projects Pvt. Ltd, the petitioner, contracted business with Alstom Systems India (P) Ltd. in three separate businesses. The dispute issue consisted of bank guarantees, running into several crores of rupees.

The petitioner’s prayer to restrain one of the respondents to remit money to another respondent met with failure.

Hence the petitioner challenged the same in the Delhi High Court with the same prayer under Section 29 of the Arbitration Act, 1940 and Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996.

The said business contract had in its contract accepted the jurisdiction of the

Delhi High Court, and in addition it also agreed for arbitration by both ICC as well as FIDIC. The Court applied its mind to the suit. The judge at the lower court had concurred with the respondent: “Advance payment would be as an interest free loan for mobilisation and design to be secured by a guarantee and this advance payment shall be repaid through percentage deductions from the running bills certified for payment as and when the work is executed.”

The two-judge bench of the Delhi High Court reasoned in the following manner: “The contractual duty owed by an issuing or confirming bank to the buyer to honour the credit notified by him on presentation of apparently confirming documents by the seller was matched by a corresponding contractual liability on the part of the bank to the seller to pay him the amount of the credit on presentation of the documents.

The bank’s duty to the seller was only vitiated if there was fraud on the part of the seller. The fraud pleaded by the appellant is that notwithstanding respondent being in default, it has invoked the bank guarantees; and this would be fraud. The plea of fraud contemplated by law is fraud of an egregious nature i.e. outstandingly bad and shocking.” The appeal, therefore, was dismissed by the Court.

Lessons: The first lesson to be learnt is to draw the business contract with great care for facts and after due consideration of the viability of the business. Secondly, evaluate all the risks. Third and most the important is to settle financial matters truthfully, give guarantees which are deliverable. Finally, put all the management systems in place. Never forget that a contract is a covenant that cannot be broken or rescinded without damning consequences.

Dispute Board: To avoid the above situation, where the disputants go to extreme lengths and still far from addressing the situation the Dispute Board could be a fair solution. The ICC’s Dispute Board is known by several names such as Dispute Review Board (DRB), Dispute Adjudication Board (DAB)

The columnist is a writer with Oxford University Press and a published author. Email: albuquerque.daniel@gmail.com 40 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

and Alternate Dispute Board (ADB).

Unlike Arbitration Dispute Resolution (ADR) system, the structure of the Dispute Board is characterized by its participation in business contracts from the latter’s very initiation. In other words, when two businesses draw their contract, the Dispute Board becomes its part and parcel to resolve any disputes of the future.

The board, consisting of three members, guides and monitors the business activity, thus preventing any dispute, loss of time and resources. This mechanism has been the most successful one in the area of business disputes which believe in prevention than in cures. This is the reason why experts consider Dispute Board to be the future of business dispute resolution. When considered with the combined efforts of ICC-FIDIC, problems become easier to solve than when businesses seek adjudication from the courts.

National Committees: I would like to bring to the notice of the Indian companies that if your company is a member of the State Chamber of Commerce which in turn is the member of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) then your company belongs to this world-wide organization.

Given the correct approach by which your company adopts Dispute Board as part of your contract, your company would be considered as perpetually well prepared to deal efficiently and quickly with any dispute that may arise in the future.

Conclusion: The Dispute Board may be described as an agent of continuous mediation. You include it right at the inception of your business contract and it will be a vigilant helper lest you falter. Howard Raiffa (1924-2016), the celebrated author of The Art and Science of Negotiation who was professor of business management at Harvard University wrote: “The mediation of inner conflicts can be resolved by linkages with other problems.”

It is a strategy both for one’s own individual problems as well as of between the companies

Ad-Venture / prabhakar Mundkur

The Sports Coach as Leader

The writer highlights the importance of a coach in a team; and the game being more important rather than winning or losing

T

here might be one crucial difference between Kumble and Ravi Shastri when it comes to evaluating coaches.

And that is the question of ‘who is the boss?’ Kumble thought he was the boss, but Shastri thinks it is the captain of the team that is the boss.

If press reports are to be believed Kumble’s pep talk after losing the Champions Trophy final against Pakistan also didn’t go down well with the team. Although Kumble was not rude, he is supposed to have mentioned how wides and no-balls cost India dear and how the bowlers were not able to execute their game plan. While Kohli might have agreed with Kumble on how the team could have done better, he is known to have gone on to give a positive spin with his Captain’s pep talk by mentioning how the team played well to reach the final.

In many ways Kolhi acted like many leaders. Point out the mistakes to the team, but make sure that the team is not de-motivated for future games and spur them on to do better in the future.

Paul Barron, goalkeeping coach at Newcastle United, is an advocate of relationship coaching and once described his philosophy as: • They forget what you say to them.

• They forget what you do with them.

• But they never forget how you made them feel!

So perhaps it is not just about what Kumble said, but it is about how he made them feel. And obviously he didn’t make them feel good after the defeat in the Champions Trophy.

Relationship coaching is about coaches connecting with their players, getting to the real pulse of the team, and releasing a powerful

Paul Barron, goalkeeping coach at Newcastle United, is an advocate of relationship coaching and once described his philosophy as: They forget what you say to them.

They forget what you do with them.

But they never forget how you made them feel!

Paul Barron

collective emotional energy says Bill Beswick in the book Focussed for Soccer. This very often is the difference that allows teams to survive the bad times and go on to great successes.

Athlete-coach wars have been on as long as one can remember. Andy Murray for example re-hired Ivan Lendl after the pair decided to call it quits some time ago.

If there are no codes of conduct formulated to protect coaches and athletes, then there is risk of a breach in the athlete-coach relationship. So if some of the reports in the press are to believed about Kumble and Kohli falling apart because of a discipline issue or because Kumble wouldn’t let the players go out shopping for example, this is a fault of not laying down an athlete-coach code. The code in this case would have determined who was wrong and who was right.

Most coaches desire strong team discipline but then so do athletes. Athletes crave for rules too. Typically, a proper structure and a set of team rules, lets both sides know exactly what is acceptable and

what is not for all aspects of team membership.

You’re NOT a good coach when you call an athlete out in front of the team and tell him that he is not performing well or say something that is insulting. This leads to questions like: Does it motivate an individual to want to work even harder to improve?

Does it help that individual to feel good about themselves?

Shastri played it right when he patted the team on the back for our win in Sri Lanka, irrespective of the fact that India was playing a weak Sri Lanka team. A win is a win and needs to be celebrated and is a strong motivation to keep winning.

According to various individuals from the BCCI and CAC as well as the committee of administrators one big point of difference between Kohli and Kumble was who was the boss.

Shastri is more than happy to let the captain take charge.

“It’s always the captain’s team and it is the leader who calls the shots. That’s how it has always worked. A coach’s role,

effectively speaking, is to stay in the background and let the onus be on the players.

The coach and support staff ’s role is to get the players in the most brilliant frame of mind to execute things and if done effectively, it brings enjoyment to the player’s game.”

Ravi Shastri once again proved himself as a great leader in India’s recent win against Australia. His speech to the team is worth remembering and suggests of great leadership.

You may not be a good coach if you are only focusing on winning a game. If winning is the primary goal as a coach, you may actually wind up winning less! A perhaps more important mission of a coach is to teach the team and help them grow as individuals so that they become better people in the world, both on and off the field. Good coaches take a holistic view of their athletes and teach them to be better people in the world, rather than using their sport as a vehicle for their teaching. Winning and losing is less important. It’s about the game in the end

The author is a veteran advertising person, and now a prolific commentator and writer. He spent 17 of his 42 years in advertising with the J Walter Thompson; working with the agency across 3 continents. He has also worked with Havas and Hakuhodo. He has recently started a videocast called ‘Turning Point’. Email: prabsy@gmail.com february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 41

Legal eagle / Ameya A. Nayak

The Concept of Commercial Courts

The author, through this article, aims to elaborate on the concept of commercial courts with reference to the Commercial Courts Act, 2015 while throwing light on the hierarchy and pecuniary jurisdiction of commercial disputes and enlightening readers on its current position in Goa

I

t is well known that the judicial system in any nation plays a pivotal role when it comes to legal dispute resolution and enhancing social, and more importantly the economic development of the nation. The competence with which this system works and the rate at which disputes, especially ‘commercial’ disputes are decided would be fundamental in deciding how expeditiously our Government is working towards prompt delivery of justice.

In this regard, the prime legislation that operates in India is ‘The Commercial Courts Act, 2015.’

This is an Act that provides for the constitution of Commercial Courts, Commercial Appellate Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division in the High Courts

by State Governments to adjudicate upon commercial disputes of specified values and matters connected therewith and incidental thereto. The Act consists of 7 chapters spread over 23 sections followed by a Schedule.

This Act under Section 2(c) defines “commercial dispute” to be disputes arising out of – • Ordinary transaction of merchants, bankers, financiers and traders relating to mercantile documents.

• Export and import of merchandise or services • Admiralty and maritime law issues • Transactions pertaining to aircrafts, its engines, equipment, helicopters, including its sales, leasing and financing • Carriage of goods • Construction of infrastructure contracts • Agreements pertaining to immovable properties exclusively used to trade and commerce • Franchising agreements • Intellectual property rights • Insurance and re-insurance and so on.

Forums and Valuation under the 2015 Act v/s 2018 Amendment Act: Under Chapter 2 of the 2015 Act, there was a requirement of having a Commercial Court at the district level where the High Courts do not exercise Original Civil Jurisdiction. It also called

for creation of a Commercial Division where High Courts had Original Civil Jurisdiction.

However, after the 2018 amendment to the Act, appeals under Section 13 stand amended. Previously, all appeals from the Commercial Courts at district levels or Commercial Divisions of High Courts would lie before the Commercial Appellate Division set up in each High Court. Nonetheless, under the amended section 13, appeals against Commercial Courts’ orders will now lie before the Commercial Appellate Court, unless such Commercial Courts of the first instance are below the level of a district judge. Further, as per section 13 (1A), any appeals from Commercial Courts of the first instance at the district judge level will lie before the Commercial Appellate Division.

The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 prescribes a minimum value of the subject matter of a commercial suit and the specified value under the 2015 Act was set to a minimum of Rs. 1 Crore. This means that any commercial litigation failing the abovementioned valuation would not be tried under this Act as a commercial suit but would be tried instead, as an ordinary civil suit.

After the 2018 amendment, this specified value clause was reduced from `1 Crore to `3 Lakhs.

Vital amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC), 1908 under the Act: The Law Commission of India in its 253rd Report has introduced several procedural amendments to existing provisions of the CPC, 1908 in order to achieve timebound and rationalized adjudication of commercial disputes. Few of them are enlisted below: 1. Case Management Hearings (CMH): Under the Act, a court must mandatorily hold a CMH between parties that cannot be adjourned and schedule timeline for different stages during the litigation.

Once such a CMH is conducted, all arguments must conclude within 6 months, thereby indicating that such CMH is vital in ensuring expedited disposal of commercial cases.

2. Summary Judgment: This process

requires either parties to apply for summary disposal of the commercial suit. In case where the facts are clearly favouring a particular party, the judge may rule in favour of that party without actually evaluating elaborate evidence.

3. No appeals against interim orders: The Act mandates that there would be no civil revision petition against any interim or interlocutory order of a Commercial Court and any grievance against such orders may only be raised in appeal against the final decree.

4. Pre-institution mediation: The 2018 amendment to the 2015 Act mandates pre-institution mediation. This requires parties to the commercial suit to attempt an out of court settlement before approaching the Commercial Court for full fledged litigation. The objective here is once again, to expedite dispute resolution through out of court settlement techniques.

The Goa State Scenario: Notification dated 03/11/2016: The State of Goa in the year 2016 released a notification constituting the court of District Judge- I at Panaji and Margao as Commercial Courts for the district of North and South Goa respectively and appointed judges of the said courts as Judges of the said Commercial Courts, respectively.

Notification dated 05/05/2020: In 2020, the State Government released another notification designating the Courts of District Judge – I at Panaji and Mapusa to be Commercial Appellate Courts for North Goa district while designating the Courts of District Judge – I and II at Margao to be Commercial Appellate Courts in the South Goa district. The notification further empowered these Courts to exercise jurisdiction and powers conferred on Commercial Appellate Courts.

Further, via the same notification, the State Government constituted the Courts of Senior Civil Judge ‘A’ Court at Panaji, Mapusa, Bicholim and Ponda to be Commercial Courts for the North Goa district, while the Courts of Senior Civil Judge at Margao, 1st Additional Senior Civil Judge at Margao, Senior Civil Judge at Vasco da Gama and Ad Hoc Senior

The writer is an Assistant Professor (Law) at V. M. Salgaocar College of Law, Miramar. Email: ameyanayak@vmslaw.edu.in 42 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

@businessgoamagazine

Civil Judge at Quepem to be Commercial Courts for the South Goa district. The said Judges of the said Courts were appointed as Judges of the said Commercial Courts, respectively.

The Commercial Courts Act interpreted by High Court of Bombay at Goa via Order dated 20/07/2020: In this case, the High Court has interpreted the relevant provisions of the Commercial Courts Act wherein it has been held that the establishment of Commercial Courts under this Act depends on whether the High Court in a State has “ordinary original civil jurisdiction”. The Court also placed emphasis on the 2018 amendment to the Act though the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Ordinance,

In 2020, the State Government released another notification designating the Courts of District Judge – I at Panaji and Mapusa to be Commercial Appellate Courts for North Goa district while designating the courts of District Judge – I and II at Margao to be Commercial Appellate Courts in the South Goa district 2018.

Paragraph 50 of the Order reads: “Section 2 (1) (b) defines “Commercial Court” to mean the Commercial Court constituted under sub-section

(1) of Section 3. Let us see Section 3, which deals with the constitution of Commercial Courts. As per subsection (1), the “State Government may, after consultation with the concerned High Court, by notification, constitute such number of Commercial Courts at District level, as it may deem necessary.” Earlier, there were no Commercial Courts at the district level if the High Court had “ordinary original civil jurisdiction” as, for example, in Bombay.

Now, in the districts under the High Courts with original jurisdiction, too, the 2018 Amendment permits the State Government to constitute Commercial Courts at the District Judge level, too.

Here, in Goa, the District Courts were the Commercial Courts until the Amendment was enforced, for the High Court at Goa has no original jurisdiction.”

Finally, the High Court made few key conclusions pertaining to the hierarchy of Commercial Courts in the State of Goa. 1. The notification dated 05/05/2020 issued by the Goa Government was held to be in tune with the legislative mandate under relevant sections of the Commercial Courts Act, 2015.

2. In Goa, District Courts were held to be Appellate Commercial Courts, while the Senior Civil Judges’ Courts were held to be Commercial Courts.

In conclusion, one can say that there are certain positive changes that are implemented with Commercial Courts by way of the 2018 Amendment Act. However, certain aspects such as jurisdiction of commercial divisions alongside Commercial Courts could be a possible grey area

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bon Appétit

business-goa

Palasha at la cabana beach & SPA Resort

Indulgence by the Beach

Pics: Fernando Fernandes

Celebrate delicious moments and indulge in a range of delectable cuisine at Palasha, in a sea-side ambience

P

Chicken Afghani

Kaeng Ped

Shrimp Tempura

Grilled Calamari

By SYBIL RODRIGUES

want something different.

Palasha has a wide range of appetizers which is a mix of Goan, Indian, and continental cuisine. Chicken Malai Kebabs, Chicken Chilli Fry, Shrimp Tempura, Fish fingers with a choice of plain and spicy; share space with vegetarian items like Crispy Vegetarian Seekh Kebabs and the Goan Kismur. The Shrimp Tempura consists of battered fried shrimps which are fried till crispy and served alongside with tartare sauce, lemon buttered rice and salad.

The shrimps were crunchy and paired well with the sauce. The Chicken Afghani is a flavourful preparation where the chicken pieces are doused with a fragrant masalas and served with mint chutney. Buttered, lemon rice accompanied this starter too along with a salad.

The chicken was melt in the mouth and the chutney took it up a notch higher. The Shrimp tempura is a clear winner among the starter and a must try when here.

Palasha offers a plethora of choices in vegetarian and non-vegetarian when it comes to the main course. In the Indian cuisine section, Jhinga Masala, Murgh Changrezi, Mutton Rogan Josh, Paneer Tikka Masala, Aloo Palak and

Bhuna Gosht are some of the dishes to try.

The restaurant has a special section dedicated for tandoori preparations and dals which offers preparations like Tandoori Pomfret, Vegetable Tikka, Gujarathi Dal and Dal Bukhara. The Goan traditional cuisine feature names like Mussels Xacuti, Pomfret fried green masala, Chicken Cafreal and the famed prawn curry rice.

For Chinese food lovers the Far East section is promising with exotic preparations like Chicken in hot Gralic Sauce, Fish Manchurian, Kaeng Khiao Wan (Thai Shrimp Green Curry), Kaeng Ped (Thai Prawns Red curry) with options for vegetarians as well. The Continental Special has Calamari Grilled, Fish and Chips, Spaghetti Alfredo and other pasta dishes in their long list of preparations.

The Kaeng Ped is a Thai dish consisting of sea fresh shrimps cooked in a spicy red curry with Thai herbs and coconut milk, served alongside with rice. It is just a right mix of tangy and goes beautifully with the rice while the portions of shrimps in the curry are quite generous.

The Calamari Grilled is a preparation of fresh squids marinated with fresh

lemon juice, herbs, roasted black pepper, and garlic and grilled to perfection, which is served alongside garlic butter, sautéed vegetables and fries.

This goes well as a side dish and would be more suited as a starter rather than main course.

Palasha’s desserts menu serves Gajjar Ka Halwa, Moong Dal ka Halwa, Bebinca, Crème Caramel, Gulab Jamun, Fresh Fruit Salad alongside different flavoured ice creams.

The Bebinca known as the emperor of Goan desserts is a layered coconut dessert and the portions served here is very generous. Each layer is well defined and is very tempting to look at.

Meanwhile the Crème Caramel is a custard dessert with a layer of clear caramel sauce which maybe flavoured with vanilla, cinnamon or lemon peel. This dessert literally takes the cake which was creamy, delicious and each spoonful was a delight.

Don’t order this one, if you are full. You won’t be able to enjoy this bowl of perfection. This is a go to place if one wants to sit by the beach and enjoy a relaxed lunch or dinner. Enjoy your meal with the sound of waves crashing nearby. It is an experience to be savoured

alasha is one of the restaurants at La Cabana Beach & Spa Resort. This is a niche boutique luxury beach resort at Mandrem.

Palasha is a multi cuisine restaurant and if one is looking for good food along with a relaxed ambience, then this is a go to place.

At Palasha, one can savour a selection of gastronomic delights specially prepared by their executive chef. Known for their range of delectable Pan Asian, Continental, and Indian cuisine, one can enjoy all this whilst taking in a spectacular view of the Arabian Sea. Palasha has an extensive bar menu which offers Goan fenis, Liqueurs, Tequilas, along with the Bar Tenders special – well known names like Mojito, Pina Colada, Long Island Ice Tea, B.M.W, Black Russian and Bloody Mary to name a few. The B.M.W is a mix of Baileys, Malibu and whisky which is a smooth and sweet drink. The Black Russian is a concoction of vodka, rum and cola. It gets its name from the use of the quintessential Russian spirit, Vodka which makes it one strong drink. Both drinks were heady, though the B.M.W is a must try if you

44 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

bon Appétit

@businessgoamagazine

the poder chronicles by Nolan Mascarenhas

An Ode to the Poders

Nolan Mascarenhas is on a quest to rekindle the spark of Goa’s original bread makers and the centre stage to his endeavour is the Poder

Butterflies in the Garden - Prawn and Chorizo inspired Farm to Sea creation, Bye then Trump - Slow cooked Beef with gerkins and Ros-to Sundowner

N

olan Mascarenhas an award winning photojournalist, writer and blogger, has curated ‘The Poder Chronicles’, which is a simulated effort to take Goan breads and marry them to multi cuisine offerings with a hint of localisation to allow flavours to merge and create something unique and fulfilling. An ode to the old and way forward for the new.

Nolan elaborates on the idea behind The Poder Chronicles. “In my formative years, I chanced upon a quote

by Louis Bromfield which said, ‘Bread is the king of the table and all else merely the court that surrounds the king.

The countries are the soup, the meat, the vegetables and the salad, but bread is king.’

Growing up in Goa, this was synonymous with most households that asked for their daily bread and rice to oscillate for choice between meals.”

As time passed on, cultural adaptations descended upon Goa and part of the culture slowly and steadily took a backseat. During the lockdown, the fabric of mere human existence was put to the test with many businesses shutting down and some finding it hard to revive as the economy opened slowly.

Nolan Mascarenhas

While the art of baking bread in the local bakeries was slowly dying, many of our ‘Poders’ (Goan word for bread men); is synonymous with the blue tarpaulin sheet on his basket as he cycles though villages blowing his horn to serve Goan breads, sweets and freshly baked biscuits. Of late, the traditional poders are struggling to make ends meet.

Newer formats of foreign breads and hipster chic trends engulfed many cafés that opened up altering the culinary tapestry of our fair State. While it was well received, many of our classic favourites were thrown into obscurity only to be known generically as ‘Poie’ by folks who visited Goa.

46 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

Nolan continues, “Thus, a mission was undertaken one fine day when I traversed the length and breadth of many busy streets to find a multitude of Shawarma and Momo joints overtaking the ethos of what we were used to as street food – our Cutlet Pao. Sure it adds a hue to a vast multi-cultural bonhomie, but what about showcasing the uniqueness of our State in our produce to one and all? Thus came to rise (pun intended) The Poder Chronicles.”

After careful identification and study it’s a simple format of bringing to life Goa’s star products, a multitude and variety of breads locally sourced and produced. What does it do for Goans? It keeps alive tradition, hopefully with backward integration keeps the economy buoyant and last but not least, makes Goan breads as cool as the Italian and French ones such as the ‘Focaccia’, ‘Ciabatta’ and ‘Croissants’ in their own way.

Let’s not forget the vast degree of health benefits minus preservatives.

The Plan for ‘The Poder Chronicles’ is as follows A monthly pop-up is initiated on a rolling calendar with each establishment.

Stage 1 has Nolan along

with the establishment of choice identify their local bakeries and through an outreach program initiate economies for the consumption and sale of the Local Goan Bread. This helps them support the local ‘Poder’ and bakeries.

Stage 2 has Nolan and the establishment of choice curating the menu as per textures of the breads. Each one is a different step from the next, so it’s exciting to see how they work out in a global format with hints of local cues.

Stage 3 has partnered establishments become part of a larger academy to pass on recipes and knowledge through the system between each other.

Inspiration comes in various forms. new recipes, new menus and more bread sold to promote Goan culinary culture to locals and tourists alike, thus bringing more of Goa onto the national food map.

“We started off the project with Antares and now the calendar is rolling with new creations and ideation coming in daily for the coming year.

Every once a month a new menu of 5 items will be added to the existing list below,” Nolan concludes

GoaBuzz

@businessgoa Pics: Angela Alphonso

PōSRō 21 Style in the times of Corona

Revenge shopping proved to be a bonafide phenomenon at PōSRō 2021, the second edition of the fashion and accessory pop-up.

Brainchild of Archana Bhobe of SNIP and Kedhar Gawde of Celebrity Locker, both ‘innovateurs’ with solid fashion and lifestyle backgrounds, PōSRō 2021 is the proverbial fresh air that all sartorially inclined people eagerly wait for.

This year’s edition featured a very tightly curated mix of young emerging designers like Echké, Chillosophy and Khanijo, rubbing shoulders with stalwarts like Urvashi Kaur.

The setup resembled the chic street boutiques in Bangkok, complete with a Uber cool bar by Goa Brewery’s Eight Finger Eddie. A much surprising sell out, the designers and the promoters are ecstatic with the response and are already planning the next edition Team Posro: Rakhee Shah, Sumeet & Archana Bhobe, Kedhar Gawde and Hemant Thacker

Gaurpriya Pai Kane

Urvija Bhatkuly

Gaurav Khanjo

Urvashi Kaur

Noela Pereira

Aparna Khaunte

Farida Mallan

Anisha Hassan

Neelima Morajkar

Shubhra Shankhwalker

Chanda Chowdhury

Nirvaan Thacker

Sujay Joshi

Shehan Menezes

Sacha Mendes

Atmaram Fulari

Gauri Kalokhe

Vidya Chowgule

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 47

GoaBuzz

@businessgoamagazine

51st Edition of International Film Festival of India held in Goa The 51st edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held in Goa from 16th to 24th January 2021. The line-up consisted of 50 outstanding films from across the globe. With a total of 8 films, majority of the films in the list were from Germany, followed

by France with 6 movies. The line-up also included films from USA, Italy, Greece and Netherlands amongst other countries. During the 9-day festival, extraordinary films by renowned filmmakers from around the globe were screened for movies aficionados. IFFI showcased contemporary international cinema to the audience, for discovering films that thrill, engage and provokes curiosity. IFFI aims at providing a common platform for the cinemas of the world to project the cinematic excellence and the art. Every year IFFI celebrates some of the finest cinematic works and showcases a bouquet of best films from India and around the world. Argentine filmmaker Pablo Cesar headed the 51st IFFI’s international jury panel, while other members were filmmakers PrasannaVithanage (Sri Lanka), Abu Bakr Shawky (Austria), Priyadarshan (India) and Rubaiyat Hossain (Bangladesh). “There was a big opposition when OTT made its initial appearance citing that it will end theatrical releases and shut movie businesses. However, the traditional film industry, theatres and blockbuster movies will continue to stay despite OTT and TV channels being around. They only complement the entertainment business of cinema financially, making it more lucrative. The viewership on OTT is ever increasing at a faster pace which is pegged at 20 per cent now. OTT enables even average and small budget films, which would otherwise end up in cans, to gain viewership across the world. At the same time, creative people of the industry want their films to be watched in theatres,” said G P Vijayakumar, film producer and distributor from Malayalam film industry

Actor Sudeep inauguates the 51st International Film Festival of India in Goa

Sulakshana and Dr Pramod Sawant

Subhash Phaldessai

Felicitation of Biswajit Chatterjee during closing ceremony 48 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

Martina Sakova

Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Information & Broadcasting

Hadi Ali Abrar

Zeenat Aman

Film makers being felicitated during their movie screenings at the 51st IFFI

business-goa

Pics: Ravi Patil

Panel Discussion on ‘Transformation for Continuity’ at GMA’s Management Day function

Swati Salgaocar

Goa Management Association celebrated its annual marquee event, Management Day, recently with a panel discussion with gen-next business leaders from Goa. The theme for the discussion was ‘Transformation for Continuity’. Deepak Bandekar, Executive Director, House of Rajaram N S Bandekar; Swati Salgaocar, Director, Vimson Group; and Aakash Khaunte, Director, Alcon Anil Counto Enterprises spoke on the various aspects of businesses transforming to meet new challenges. They also emphasized the quest of their respective group companies to carry forward the proud legacy of their founders, thereby ensuring continuity. Engaging them in the discussion was editor of Business Goa, Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, who also happens to be the Immediate Past Chairman of Goa Management Association.

Chairman of Goa Management Association, Amin Ladak welcomed the gathering and later felicitated the panelists. “It is nice to see gen-next business leaders address us on an issue of great business importance. As an organisation of thought leaders, GMA wishes to reach out to Goa’s corporates,” said Ladak.

Nilesh Dessai, Hon Secretary of GMA, proposed the vote of thanks

Amin Ladak

Anil Counto

Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

Shivanand Salgaocar

Deepa Bandekar

Aakash Khaunte

Anand Naik

Rohan Bhandare

Mahesh Pai

Nilesh Dessai

Pravin Kakode

V B Prabhu Verlekar

Virendra Acharya

Dr Saidas Khorjuvekar

Vivekanand Faldessai

Jojo D’Souza Umeshwar P Sinha Deepak Bandekar

february 2021 | Business Goa industry Dossier | 49

NewsMakers

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Utpal Parrikar appointed member of National Board of MSME

Adv Uday Bhembre releases new book, Vhadle Ghar

Anisha Hassan appointed consul of Mexico

Rajesh Joshi appointed CEO of Atal Incubation Centre at GIM

Utpal Parrikar has been appointed member of the National Board of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Utpal has a BE in Computer Engineering from Padre Conceicao College of Engineering and a M.S. from Michigan State University.

He is the founder of Ayuron Medical Systems Pvt Ltd and current owner of Goa Hydraulic, a firm started by his father, late Manohar Parrikar. He is also a partner in Westfield Hydraulics and Pneumatics.

The MSME Board examines the factors affecting the promotion and development of micro, small and medium enterprises. The Board also reviews the policies and programs of the central government with respect to facilitating the promotion and development and enhancing the competitiveness of such enterprises and impact on these enterprises The Embassy of Mexico has informed that Anisha Hassan has been appointed as the new Consul of Mexico in Goa. Anisha is a businessperson and has been engaged with the promotion of art and culture in Goa. The new consulate will reinforce the Mexican consular network already in place, comprising the consulates in Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai. It will contribute to the promotion of trade and investment and the protection of Mexican nationals, the embassy said in a statement. Anisha owns Saligao Stories, a gourmet restaurant wherein she has created a welcoming, elegant space that pays homage to global citizens who carry their homes in their hearts

Adv Uday Bhembre has released a new book Vhadle Ghar, based on the 235 years of inquisition by the Portuguese.

During the launch, Bhembre stated that people must learn history and should not shy away from facts. He further said that 235 years of inquisition was toughest time in Goa due to which many families had fled out of Goa while some were converted. Bhembre has been a vociferous advocate for the cause of Konkani language. He was awarded the Kullagar Puraskar (1999), Gundu Amonkar Memorial Award (2001), Konkani Bhasha Mandal Patrakarita Puraskar (2008), Bhangrallem Goem Asmitai Puraskar (2014) among others. He has been honoured with the Sahitya Akademi Award in Konkani language for the year 2015. Bhembre was awarded the prestigious award for his play, Karna Parv. He has also been appointed as the Chair Professor of Poet Bakibab Borkar Chair at Goa University

Rajesh Joshi has been appointed CEO of Atal Incubation Centre, a startup incubator of the Goa Institute of Management. A serial entrepreneur and angel investor, Joshi has two decades of experience in the startup sector. For the last two and half years, Joshi as the project manager of Big 4 consulting firm, has led project teams on Startup Policy and programs for different state government departments. On his appointment, Joshi said, “I am privileged to be hired and proud to be selected by GIM. This is an exciting time in the startup ecosystem and I firmly believe incubators have a leading role in building a cohesive and vibrant startup ecosystem

Saidutt Redkar shortlisted for EO’s ‘Global Student Entrepreneur Award’ Taleigao-resident Saidutt Jaideep Kamat Redkar has been shortlisted for the Global Student Entrepreneur Award (GSEA) instituted by the Entrepreneur’s Organisation (EO) Goa. Saidutt, who runs a startup to predict and bridge the demand-supply gap.

Saidutt hopes to represent the nation at the global level.

He was shortlisted by EO’s Goa chapter based on an interview where he outlined the potential that his startup offers. EO-Goa president Anirudh Agrawal and GSEA chair Sunaina Gera were on the jury that selected Redkar.

“My startup Sygence Pvt Ltd has designed a business forecasting model to bridge the gap between demand and supply,” said Saidutt, who is currently pursuing his post graduation in computer science (MS) at the University of Massachusetts, USA. Entrepreneurs’ Organisation is a global business network for business leaders with a presence across 61 countries 50 | Business Goa industry Dossier | february 2021

140 1. What kind of business model is BOP? 2. What system of transporting vehicles was started between Kolad and Goa in 1999 by Konkan Railway?

3. What name is given to wines with bubbles produced outside the Champagne region of France?

4. Jamsetji Tata was inspired to start the Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore after meeting this ascetic while sailing to the United States.

5. Which game gets its name from the Latin word for ‘destiny’?

6. What operating system did Ken Thompson of Bell Labs invent in 1969?

7. Which Indian public sector company was the first to float an IPO? 8. What was first patented by Hungarian Lazlo Biro?

9. Identify this economist Answers to BG Quiz 139: 1. Forest Essentials 2. Parachute 3. Babool 4. InMobi 5. Crossword 6. Tata 7. Indian Merchants’ Chamber 8. Leela 9. Rajeev Samant of Sula Wines Email your answers to businessgoa.media@gmail.com First all correct entry will get 1 year’s subscription to Business Goa

Registered with Registrar of Newspapers of India under RNI No.: GOAENG/2015/59955 Date of Publication: 10th day of every month. Posted on or before 30th day of the month. POSTAL LICENSE No.: G-2/RNP/Monthly/Goa-19/2021-23