Business Goa January 2013

BUSINESSGOA

50

Goa’s Only Business Magazine

PANAJI GOA VOL 4 ISSUE 7

15 JANUARY 2013

coros velvet

Goan haute cuisine 42 armada liqueur

Spicy 28 new high ethel da costa 34

Radio Gaga

Business Network International

Give. and gain

12

This business networking organisation is creating opportunities in Goa – with an unique motto: “Give. And you shall receive” Rajkumar Kamat, Executive Director, BNI Goa with founder of BNI, Dr. Ivan Misner

ciba at Fr. agnel, verna

Handholding 24 new businesses special focus

www.businessgoa.net

Goa’s 16 media boom

News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features

Contents

15 January 2013

26 Industry

26

Sachin Raiker entered into a niche field with Goldy Auto Stampings Pvt. Ltd. A profile of the company’s journey so far

28 Goan Brand

Oscar de Sequeira Nazareth’s Armada.

This newly launched spiced liqueur aims to be the face of Goan spirits

12

32 Professional Dossier

12 Cover Story

Neville Monteiro on how architects should build to match the surroundings rather than create faceless structures

Lyndon Pinto and Alisha Patel take a look at BNI Goa and what makes them the most powerful referral network in the State

16 20

34 Lady Power

Focus Goa

Media personality Ethel da Costa takes us through her career in the media world and how she balances her personal and professional lives

Frederick Noronha shares an insider’s perspective about the balooning of Goa’s media market

42 Bon Appétit

Starting Young

Coros Velvet has carved a name for itself with its unique Goan cuisine

DJ Ryan Britto talks about how he started DJing, his future plans and how he never wants to stop what he loves

34

22 Enterprise

Prabhudessai Realtors and how the company is creating a revolution in real estate by foraying into budget apartments

24 Interview

Jose Noronha and D.S Prashant of CIBA speak about CIBA and their effort to create an entrepreneurial culture in the State

24 28

COLUMNS

32

06 Editorial 08 Business Goa 30 Campus 30 Book Shelf 30 BG Crossword 36 What’s Up Goa 38 HR Mantra 44 Goa Buzz 46 Newsmakers 46 BG Quiz 04 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

39

39 Corporate Governance

40

40 Serving Aces

Shell companies often work under the corporate veil posing security threats says Daniel Abuquerque

You can develop a ‘good’ habit pretty much like how you have gathered bad ones, says Nilesh Amonker

BUSINESSGOA

50

Goa’s Only Business Magazine

PANAJI GOA VOL 4 ISSUE 7

15 JANUARY 2013

hbhatkuly@gmail.com

COROS VELVET

EDITORIAL

Goan haute cuisine 42 ARMADA LIQUEUR

Spicy 28 new high ETHEL DA COSTA

34 Radio Gaga

BUSINESS NETWORK INTERNATIONAL

GIVE. AND GAIN

12

This business networking organisation is creating opportunities in Goa – with an unique motto: “Give. And you shall receive” Rajkumar Kamat, Executive Director, BNI Goa with founder of BNI, Dr. Ivan Misner

CIBA at Fr. AGNEL, Verna

Handholding 24 new businesses SPECIAL FOCUS

Goa’s 16 media boom

www.businessgoa.net

Goa Shining?

News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features

VOL 4 | ISSUE 7 | 15 JANUARY 2013

Editor & Publisher Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Co-Publisher & Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly Advisory Board Datta Damodar Naik Ralph de Sousa Rajiv D’Silva Swapnil Kamat Team Amol Ajgaonkar Annalise Gouveia Alisha Patel Lyndon Pinto Virali Govekar Valeny Fernandes Pritesh Naik Ashok Kolvekar Contributors in this Issue Frederick Noronha Nilesh Amonker Daniel Albuquerque Editorial, Advertising & Administrative Office SAVOIR FAIRE MEDIA Business Goa 101/5, Rua Thomas Ribeiro Fontainhas- Mala Panaji, 403001 Goa India Tel.: 0832-2425514, 6456555 Email: businessgoa.media@gmail.com Business Goa is a monthly magazine dedicated to trade, commerce and business features and news.

Published on the 15th day of the month

Publisher & Printer: Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Printed At: Printek Printers, Bengaluru

Unsolicited material may not be returned.

The opinions expressed in Business Goa are not necessarily that of the publishers. 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.

New Year brings with it a lot of new energies. It also makes you aware with what you could have done better in the year gone by. Albeit, if you are one of those reflective types.

This year has begun on a sombre and somewhat challenging note in so far as economic sentiment is concerned in our little State.

On the other hand, a lot of good is happening, too – for instance, entrepreneurs like Rajkumar Kamat and Shekhar Sardessai, both part of Goa State Industries Association (GSIA), are breaking new grounds for Goa. Rajkumar, in his own simple way, has collected a passionate bunch of more than 250 small entrepreneurs – who in my opinion, live, breathe and spend every waking moment of their energised lives thinking about growing their businesses. Their zest and passion to excel at their workplaces and pursuit of profit making is infectious. It goes without saying that to sustain the passion and energy that they bring to the table, one has to be highly disciplined. In the nascent stages of BNI in Goa, on whom we have focussed in this issue’s cover story, I was witness to one of their meetings. BNI’s sense of business discipline can leave anyone spellbound. Nilesh Amonker’s column on page 40 which speaks about ‘habits’ will further amplify my views on the power of positive habit formation and to remain disciplined in business.

Shekhar Sardessai, on the other hand, has done a coup of sorts – by enticing a US based defence and aerospace equipment manufacturer Kaman Group, to come together as a joint venture with his homegrown Kineco. What Shekhar has done is quite unparalleled because he had to fight many odds in his 17 years as an entrepreneur. I understand that he has rode on every textbook challenge that a startup faces, and in his own way, come up trumps. The stories of Shekhar and Rajkumar are important for the Goa growth index not only because they are inspirational in as much as perseverance and fighting against the odds are concerned, but more so, because each has mastered the system that they work in and triumphed on individual abilities and despite the system being adversarial towards every

15 JANUARY 2013

Post Script I may sound like a spoilsport, but it is a disturbing trend that we allow high profile events in Goa which uses the charm and natural backdrop of our State as any other prop, thus bringing in a new form of colonisation. The moneys earned out of such events rarely get to the State coffers or circulated within the local economy, but brings with it a sense of discontent among the locals who often get the feeling of being used, not to mention the very many traffic snarls that we have to endure.

Many of such event organisers don’t even bother to clean up the mess left behind and scoot after having counted the banknotes that Goa has made for them. The Entertainment Society of Goa and other state agencies should create a platform so that we don’t allow such economic exploitation and see that events of such nature can be managed, as good, if not better, by local event management firms. Think about it...

Erratum: In the issue dated 15 December 2012, we named Ms. Liza Sreedharan wrongly.

This is an honest mistake and an inadvertent one. We remain apologetic to Ms. Sreedharan

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06 Business Goa

entrepreneurial aspiration. Goa has failed many an entrepreneurial dream. Read what the developer of spice liqueur, Armada (page 28) has to say about the challenges that he is facing. If someone makes it despite this fact, his or her efforts have to be lauded.

In many ways, this issue is also special because every six months or so, I engage in a simulation exercise to see where this magazine stands and I was lucky to engage ten of Goa’s best business minds on a Saturday morning to put their ideas upfront. As readers of the magazines and as leaders of their businesses, their wisdom and insight augurs well for ‘Business Goa’ and will go a long way in staying true to what we oftentimes pompously ascribe to ourselves that we are the “Voice of Business in Goa.” As we embark on a new year, there is an organisation called Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration (CIBA) under the aegis of Fr. Agnel College, which has put itself out in the middle to help groom local entrepreneurs and have achieved considerable success. Read about them in this months’s interview. More power to them and may their tribe increase.

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BUSINESS GOA

GSL delivers Indian Navy’s largest patrol vessel – INS Saryu The first of the New 105 meter class of Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel to be commissioned ‘INS Saryu’, indigenously designed in-house and built by Goa Shipyard Ltd., was handed over to the Indian Navy in Goa by Vineet Bakhshi VSM, Chairman and Managing Director, GSL to R Sreenivas, Commodore Superintendent, NSRY (Port Blair).

Bank loan approvals to get tougher Include Road Tax in Rehab Package: Information Bureau South Goa Truckers accoding to CIBIL Credit (India) Limited or CIBIL is a credit Borrowers who have defaulted on their loan payment to one bank will now find it difficult to avail loans from other banks, as the banks in Goa have now adopted a ratings mechanism whereby a person’s name will pop up on any bank’s computer screen if he or she is a loan defaulter.

Defaulters and fraudulent borrowers are warned as their credit status will now be displayed on the Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited or CIBIL report, which is helping the banks in Goa to select the borrowers.

information company founded in August 2000 which plays a critical role in India’s financial system. The CIBIL collects and maintains records of an individual’s payments pertaining to loans and credit cards. These records are submitted to CIBIL by the banks. This information is then used to create Credit Information Reports (CIR) and credit scores which are provided to lenders or banks in order to help evaluate and approve loan applications.

The South Goa Mining Truck Owners’ Association has decided to ask for relief with regard to payment of road tax on their vehicles due in March 2013.

President of the Association, Prakash Raut Desai said that trucks are lying idle because of the closure of the mines and members have no income to make payments of Rs9,000 per truck. Therefore the government has to include the amount due on the road tax along with other measures while considering the financial package to them.

Members, he said also have to

LIC volume in Goa records a 45% rise The mining ban in Goa has decreased the flow of money in the economy and affected investments in financial instruments. However, savings in insurance policies of the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) continue at a steady pace said S.C. Acharya, Senior Divisional Manager, Goa Branch.

Addressing the media during the launch of two new products – LIC New Jeevan Nidhi and LIC Flexi Plus, Acharya said that

there are about 2.9 lakh policy holders in the three mining areas of Bicholim, Curchorem and Ponda. In these areas, there are no surrenders of policies taking place as yet, and payment of premiums also continued to be on schedule. This was because, “premiums constitute a small proportion of the total outgo of an individual and is not a major expenditure head in any household.”

Speaking on the Corporation

market share amidst the emergence of new players, Acharya said that it was 81.9 per cent all-India, but share in Goa could even be higher with the State having about 10 lakh policy holders and an annual growth

contend with paying off the loans taken for purchasing of the trucks.

Banks have been repeatedly contacting them for recoveries.

And although they are willing to extend the repayment period of the loans, banks are insisting that borrowers pay interest on the principal amount, Mr Desai said.

Most of the loans repayments of the truckers were due on September 2012, but they have been deferred to September 2013 as per the rescheduling assurance made by bank chiefs, to afflicted mining stakeholders.

rate of 45 per cent in business. At an all India level, Goa ranks fifth in the number of policy holders and is in seventh place in terms of premium value.

LIC, Acharya said, is working towards cent per cent coverage of all citizens by the year 2020.

In Goa, the aim is to achieve this goal by 2015. Meanwhile, talks are on with the State Government to participate in the insurance Welfare Scheme.

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Sharayu Toyota Auto Expo held

Cherrytree Family Fest at Baga

Another successful event from the series of Sharayu Toyota Auto Expo 2012 was held at Aguiar Ground in Ponda recently Venkatesh Naik, Councillor, Ponda Municipal Council was the Guest of Honour, who inaugurated the Auto Expo.

Also present were Santosh Sawal, Vice-President (Customer Services), Sanjay Parmekar, DGM (Sales and Marketing), Devendra Fernandes, AGM (Customer Services), Valencia Da

Cherrytree Entertainment in association with Goa Tourism Development Corporation Ltd., organised a three day festival ‘The Cherrytree Family Fest 2013’ from January 4-6.

The Fest primarily for Goan and Indian tourist families had a 25 feet high Cherrytree standing tall in the centre of the ground.

There were spectacular larger than life animal installations creating a wonderland for the family which was lit up with

Costa, Head Customer Relations and Vasudev Naik, Manager (Insurance and Registration). All Toyota cars were on display and the new Camry was the highlight of the event. Great schemes and spot discounts were in store for those booking the Liva, Etios and Altis. Some also availed of the free 20-point service camp for their cars at the venue. The event attracted good response from the public and got five spot bookings for Toyota vehicles.

thousands of fairy lights at sunset followed by a drum circle by Arthur Fernandes. Artisans and craftsmen from tribal villages of West Bengal taught families the art of natural colour making and even Madhubani painting.There was also a ‘Just Dance’ booth for the parents and kids. Certain activities were free and included in the entry while others had a very nominal fee. Rural children from across various villages Goa were invited, as well.

The Captain of Ports (CoP) celebrates 100 years The Captain of Ports (CoP) celebrated its centenary year in a function at the Kala Academy, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar inaugurated the event as the Chief Guest, which is a life time event for CoP. The function also 08 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

included an exhibition “through the Passage of Time”, presenting mementoes to recognized employees, among other Programmes chalked out. ‘The Passage of Time’ depicts Goans subjugated by the Kadambas,

the Vijayanagara Empire, the Bahamanis and Adilshah, who built ports, navies and developed shipping, and the founding of Nautical School in Portugal by Prince Henry. Over the last 50 years, the Captain of Ports

Department, first established in 1912, has served Goans offering modern facilities in shipping, maintenance of lighthouses, water transportation and the Maritime School, among other facilities.

FROM EMPLOYEE TO EMPLOYER

Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme A credit linked subsidy programme to generate employment.

Easy eligibility | Subsidy upto Rs. 25 lakhs available For application forms and more information: www.goaditc.gov.in OR Contact: Mrs. Bertha Gracias, Mr. Satish Gaonkar OR Mr. Tushar Sawant AT 0832 2222241 The Facilitation Counter, Ground Floor, Udyog Bhavan, Panaji, Goa.

Directorate of Industries, Trade & Commerce PARTNERING INDUSTRIAL GROWTH

BUSINESS GOA

Goa Government Securities of Rs 150 Crore for sale As a part of the Govt. of India’s approved planned borrowing for Goa for 2012-13, the Govt. of Goa has offered to sell its stock of 10-year tenure of an aggregate amount of Rs150 crore. Government stock will be sold through the RBI, Mumbai office by auction at a coupon rate to be determined by the RBI at the yield based auction under multiple price format.

Vendor Development Programme at Kundaim Industrial Estate Stepping up efforts to get more local small units on the suppliers list of large companies, one more Vendor Development initiative was taken up at Kundaim Industrial Estate.

The State-level Buyer-Seller Meeting was recently organised by the MSME Development Institute, Margao in association with Kundaim Industrial Estate Industries Association and comes close on the heels of a similar meet in Verna about two months ago.

In all, eight large companies

attended the programme: Crompton Greaves Ltd, Bosch India, UB Group, Proctor and Gamble, Essel Propack, Hindustan Unilever, Goa Shipyard Ltd and National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC,) while on the other side were 60 small units. As per the Public Procurement Policy of the Government of India, it is mandatory for PSUs to procure a minimum of 20 per cent of their requirement from micro and small enterprises, w.e.f April 1 2012.

Chief Guest for the occasion, Velayudhan, Director, MSME Institute said that such interactions help both small and large industries for their mutual business interest to promote industrialisation.

During the daylong meeting, companies gave presentations about the products that they manufacture, the items that they procure and services they source from small entrepreneurs.

This was followed by an interactive meeting between large scale industries and local entrepreneurs with an opportunity to small enterprise owners to brief about their capacity to become suppliers or vendors to large units.

Glenmark staff undertakes community CM opposes conversion of agricultural land Chief Minister, Manohar commuters. All these schemes service for underprivileged children Over 100 employees based at Glenmark’s largest manufacturing facility in Colvale volunteered a day of their time at Dr Ambedkar School, Bardez; a school for underprivileged children.

The initiative was conducted in association with Tree Trust, an NGO working in area of Education, Health Care and Nutrition for underprivileged slum children in Goa. The staff was involved in sweeping the huge garden, washing the classroom and window panes and other activities to improve the cleanliness and hygiene of the institution. The employees also spent some quality time with

the school children and educated them on the importance of good health and hygiene practices, in a fun and interactive manner. Shailesh Laul, VicePresident, Manufacturing, Glenmark Generics Goa, said “I am delighted that over 100 employees of Glenmark Goa plant contributed their time and efforts for the benefit of underprivileged children. I am sure that we not only enriched the lives of the children but by being with the kids, we enriched our lives too.

We would urge people to start spending volunteering time with social organizations as this is very important for the overall development of society”.

Parrikar recently opposed conversion of agricultural land and emphasized that whatever the Opposition might say, he would ensure that during his tenure, farmland is not converted for non-agricultural purposes.

Speaking as the Chief Guest at the inauguration of Beautification Works at Parra, which is part of Calangute Constituency, the Chief Minister dwelt upon the welfare measures brought about by his government. He said that these schemes would certainly benefit the Goans. “Initially we brought down petrol price. Thereafter we kept on launching various schemes. We have introduced the pass system for bus

are relief measures by which Goans are definitely going to benefit. A lot is being done with regard to distributing financial aid through our schemes and there has never been any bias based on religion,” he observed. Taking a dig at the Opposition, Parrikar said the Opposition cannot see any good and keeps on criticising the Government and without any substance. He urged the people to be vigilant and see for themselves what was happening and what had happened earlier.

Maintaining that he would deal with an iron hand against all corrupt elements, Parrikar said that they would have to face the music for any wrongdoings.

NABARD sanctions Rs 141 crore to Government of Goa under RIDF

Jocelyn Shiny Priscilla wins I-Create National Biz Plan competition

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned a loan of Rs 141.10 crore to Government of Goa under the Rural Infrastructure Fund (RIDF).

For the Tillari Irrigation Project, the financial assistance sanctioned for the current year is Rs 70.65 crore taking the total assistance by NABARD in the last five years to Rs 341 crore.

The rural bridges being constructed by GSIDC between Aldona and Calvim at a cost of Rs 63 crore and between Tormas and Ozarim-Sangowada at a cost

Jocelyn Shiny Priscilla, was the winner of the National Business Plan competition held for the first time in Goa for her plan of ‘hand made decoratives.

The second place was bagged

by Vaishali Jayasinghe from Gujarat and the third prize winner was local student from Dempo College - Rafuishaan D’Sa. The winner gets an all expense paid trip to New York, in April 2013, to participate in the global event of Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship, USA where participants from 25 other countries will assemble

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of Rs 21 crore, are the two other projects for which loan has been sanctioned.

The parallel bridge constructed at Arpora – Baga at a cost of Rs 4.93 crore and a loan of Rs 3.84 crore are the other projects assisted under RIDF. The bridge on the main district road will ease the traffic in the busy Calangute area.

With this assistance of Rs 141 crore, the cumulative loan to Government of Goa stands at Rs 590.34 crore of which the State Government has availed Rs 393.96 crore.

to show case their business ideas. Other award winners were B R Venkatesh, I-Create, Mumbai who was awarded the 2012 national entrepreneurship educator prize. He also gets an all expense paid trip to New York in April 2013.

I-Create’s competition was held in association with the GCCI. The competition was inaugurated

by Vishnu Surya Naik Wagh, member of legislative assembly and chairman, Kala Academy.

The event was hosted by I-Create and Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

COVER STORY

Business Network International

Give. And you shall LYNDON PINTO and ALISHA PATEL take a look at BNI Goa and what makes them the most powerful referral network in the State

B

usiness Network International (BNI) is a highly respected organization founded in 1985

by Dr. Ivan Misner and has made its presence in over forty two countries across the world. Founded for the primary purpose of building powerful referral networks, BNI today has grown to be the world’s largest referral organization. India too, is no stranger to BNI. With the Indian economy growing in leaps and bounds every year, it was inevitable that this resourceful organization would be a part of the Indian business world. In India, BNI was introduced by Niiraj Shah in 2004 and is presently operating in 8 cities (Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, Chennai, Gurgaon and Goa) with a membership base of

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2610 (and growing) spread over 69 Chapters (again, growing).

The goal of BNI in India is to help 1,00,000 entrepreneurs grow their businesses and generate employment for more than a million Indians. Niiraj has termed it as ‘Brave New India’.

Goa Calling In 2009, the Goa State Industries Association (GSIA) entrusted the responsibility of chairing the Micro-Enterprises Development Cell to Rajkumar Kamat, then GSIA’s Secretary. Kamat is the promoter of E P Kamat Group.

After brainstorming, he concluded that assisting micro-enterprises with paperwork and marketing could be a major booster to single owner driven engines of growth and employment generation. While a number of

areas were identified where paperwork could be reduced, Rajkumar Kamat was limited to the thought of strengthening the Rate Contract System being implemented through GHRSSIDC from a marketing point of view.

Goa as a region has done extremely well and in the last 3 months generated a business of more than 14 Crores.

Mathgram, the Margao Chapter, did itself and Goa region proud by achieving the global distinction as a “Platinum Chapter”

However, all this entailed continuous tussles with various government departments with benefits definitely not commensurate with the efforts required.

“All this while we were continuously wondering how the micro-enterprises could tap more effectively the large nongovernment market segment.

On my personal front, I was contemplating as to how I could market our FRP doors out of Goa,” informs Rajkumar Kamat, whose other company, Om Ventures markets this type of doors. It was then that he posed the question to Pradyut Bera, Director, Zenith Quality Assessors, which resulted in him being invited to a BNI Falcon Chapter meeting in Pune.

“What I saw there impressed

“BNI is to face to face networking what Facebook is to online social networking,” is an often heard comparison quoted by its members.

Network and prosper

Ivan Misner is the founder and Chairman of BNI, called the “Father of Modern Networking”

by CNN and the “Networking Guru” by Entrepreneur magazine.

Misner graduated with degrees in Political Science and Management. In 1980, he was hired by the president of a transportation company in Los Angeles to turn it around. Joining as the Assistant to the President, he was soon tasked with running the purchasing operation, and later was put in charge of sales and marketing. Misner graduated with a Ph.D. in organizational behaviour from the University of Southern California in 1993.

After starting his own consultancy business, Misner founded BNI in California in 1985 after losing a big client “looking for referrals for my consultancy

receive.

The core team of BNI Goa region

me a immensely. It was a great concept using networking and word-of-mouth marketing in a collaborative fashion for business growth. It suddenly struck me that the concept of BNI could be the answer to the marketing issues of micro-enterprises that we were working on. I immediately contacted BNI’s

National Director, Niiraj Shah and expressed my intentions of introducing this concept in Goa. In September 2009, after an intense interaction at Mumbai while on my way to Saudi Arabia, the decision to bring BNI to Goa was sealed,” says Rajkumar on how the BNI first entered Goa. After going through the nuts

the power of giving

‘Givers Gain’ is the belief that when (business) people set goals to help others and honestly work to achieve these goals, they usually gained the most out of the experience – through a reciprocal benefit. It is also the strap line of BNI. Since the 1990s, small businesses owners have found that they face an increasing number of issues, especially in the area of building trust with customers. Both new and existing businesses face this particular issue. The most effective way to earn trust is through customer referrals.

The ‘Givers Gain’ philosophy, when applied to small business networking, helps business function at their best, as the groups works together to give each other by bringng in new customers. When people focus on others instead of themselves in business networks, it will create an image of one who

Dr. Ivan Misner

practice and for fellow business people who I liked and trusted” and “for the primary purpose of building powerful referral networks”. Misner later created the concept statement around which BNI now operates – ‘Givers Gain’. Having expanded across North America and globally through a franchisebased business model, BNI now claims to be the largest business networking group in the world helps other people. Others will in return want to help them.

Thus the givers are also gaining from the experience. This has been a proven, positive way to improve your business, many of the small business networking organizations have adopted the idea of “Givers Gain” as their motto.

This is the introduction to BNI, the world’s largest business referral and networking organization. Dr. Misner traces the history, growing pains, and innovations that have resulted in the best system for growing your business through referrals.

Existing members should read to understand the organization and prospects should read so they will be compelled to seek out the group in their area. The other books in the series should be read subsequently so as to gain the greatest benefit.

If you are a BNI member, you’ll receive this book as part of your MSP training. It is an interesting background on the growth of BNI, the development of the culture, the approach of Givers Gain and the importance of the BNI system

Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar applauds BNI’s values of dignity for business 15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 13

COVER STORY

BNI also offers members its own private online networking opportunity through BNI Connect. This connects members throughout the world and opens up wider vistas for Global Business

and bolts of the BNI plans with Niiraj, Rajkumar underwent training and reorganized his existing business so that he could create time for this mission of introducing the BNI concept to Goa. Starting in December 2009, he got together a set of twenty committed businessmen and professionals including the initial founder members, Manoj Patil, Ajay Gramopadhye, Prashant Kunkolienkar, Dinesh Dhulapkar, among others by March 2010.

After a brief structured training spread over 5 weeks, Goa’s first chapter BNI ‘Aparant’ in Panaji, was launched in April 2010.

The first term was a learning experience for all the members including Rajkumar who was appointed as Regional Director.

The inherent trusting and giving nature of Goans helped BNI grow rapidly and Goa was adjudged the Best New Region of the Year 2010 during the National Conference.

In February 2011, with help from existing members, Ajay Gramopadhye, Arch. Avinash Borkar, Vishal Lad and others, BNI launched their second chapter ‘BNI Mathgram’ in Margao.

Six months down the line, more members volunteered to take up the responsibility of launching additional Chapters based on demand. The third chapter, BNI Dyanmic at Vasco was launched by Arch. Avinash Borkar with help from Tony Fernnades and others, in May 2012 and the fourth Chapter BNI Champions came into being at Porvorim, in July 2012

with efforts of Sushant Surlakar who was assited by Sandeep Sutar and team. BNI Champions went on to become the ‘Hall of Fame’ Chapter – reaching a membership base of 35 within 4 weeks of launch.

Throughout their journey, BNI has always upheld their mission of helping members and their businesses through a structured, positive and professional wordof-mouth program that enables them to develop long-term meaningful relationships with quality business professionals.

“Each chapter consists of a group of businesspersons and professionals who meet regularly and pass business referrals to each other so that everyone grows. The positive collaborative energy in the meeting room and its effectiveness impresses the visitors of a Chapter meeting.

But behind the success of the meeting lie a lot of hidden elements,” explains Rajkumar, who elaborates the four main attributes of BNI: 1.

Philosophy of Giver’s Gain – “If I help you get business, you would want to help me get business. The more I give, the more, I get.” This philosophy pervades all actions and builds in a culture of building long term relationships – termed ‘farmer’s mentality’ as opposed to ‘hunter mentality’ of short term gain.

2. Structure and System – Which includes presentation of BNI overview for the benefit of visitors. Each member gives

BNI National Director, Niiraj Shah at an Aparant Chapter meeting

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a short commercial besides detailed presentation by one or two members. Each member contributes to the meeting by passing of referrals, testimonials, etc., recording of referrals and business generated, besides open networking before the meeting and focussed networking during breakfast, after the meeting.

The agenda of the meeting does not permit any out of turn conversation and is focussed on achieving results flowing through goals set up by the members for the Chapter.

3. Education – One of the most important factor for the success of the institution is BNI’s commitment to trainings and education, following a system that is based on experiences and sharing of best practices. Besides the basic Member Success Program (MSP) which guides the members in taking actions.

This ensures that members build trust among fellow members and utilize the BNI platform most productively through the philosophy of ‘Giver’s Gain’, a lot of advanced training including

In April 2010, Goa’s first chapter BNI ‘Aparant’ in Panaji, was launched. In February 2011, with help from existing members, BNI launched their second chapter ‘BNI Mathgram’ in Margao

Referral Skills Workshop, Presentation Skills Workshop, Social Media Workshop, Powerteam Workshop, etc., focus on specific aspects which improve the skills, thereby generating the right results for the members and the Chapters.

The Directors in every region are trained so that they can, in turn, train the members and Leadership Teams of the Chapters who manage the Chapter for a six-month term, each.

4. Commitment – BNI policies are formulated to maximize member’s participation and instill a contributory culture which is the core strength of BNI’s success.

Goa Grows Besides the face-to-face business networking during the Chapter meetings, interChapter and inter-region networking during trainings and conferences, BNI also offers members its own private online networking opportunity through BNI Connect. This connects members throughout the world and opens up wider vistas for Global Business.

“It’s time to look outward and utilize this opportunity to grow wider through symbiotic collaborations,” says Rajkumar.

BNI has come a long way since 2009. During the National Conference in February 2011, Rajkumar Kamat received the ‘Best New Director 2010’ and ‘Best New Region 2010” awards for Goa Region while Manoj Patil received the ‘Best Chapter Director 2010’ award for BNI Aparant Chapter. Aparant and Mathgram have doubled their membership and quadrupled the business generated. Presently three Chapters from Goa are at the number three position in India, while both, North and South Goa regions are at number one and two positions in the Average Regional Score for India.

After launching of the 4th Chapter, Rajkumar was offered the BNI Franchisee for Goa Region, which he readily

One of the most important factor for the success of the institution is BNI’s commitment to trainings and education, following a system that is based on experiences and sharing of best practices. Besides the basic Member Success Program (MSP) which guides the members in taking actions “BNI has been a great platform with a sales team of more than 40 CEOs working for you. I have received and executed orders worth more than Rs. 123 lakhs thanks to my BNI Buddies”

member speak

Vinay Verma

Powertrac Corporation

“None of us is as good as all of us. BNI has expanded my network sphere and given me business referrals which has helped my business and given me a wider market and platform” Khairoo khavtay

“My turnover increased from Rs.10 lakhs to Rs.40 lakhs last year thanks to BNI. This year it has crossed Rs. 30 lakhs in the first 6 months itself”

Rajkumar Kamat with Murali Srinivasan, the District Director for South India

accepted being passionate about expanding the ‘Social Entrepreneurship’ segment.

Many more members have volunteered to take the responsibility of launching and supporting different Chapters.

Murali Srinivasan, the District Director for South India played a key role in this process. BNI has also launched ‘Antruz’ in Ponda through the initiative of Rohit Mehta assisted by Parag Lolyekar. The launch of this Chapter not only took the membership base to 200, but also built in the culture of launching ‘Hall of Fame’ Chapters. The 6th Chapter in Calangute is under formation and will be launched in February 2013.

Goa as a region has done extremely well and in the last 3 months generated a business of more than 14 Crores among its strong membership. Mathgram, the Chapter from Margao, did itself and Goa region proud by achieving the global distinction as a “Platinum Chapter”. The region is growing rapidly and is expected to cross the 250 member mark in the next few months. The region has set a medium term goal of generating five hundred millionaires and additional employment of two thousand through BNI in the next three years.

Growing with the trend: A business that understands

trends can position itself to take advantage of the trend. Not only will they get a tremendous competitive edge, but it may be essential for it to survive and thrive in these times of massive change.

“All of us have benefited from the industrial age, the technology age, and most recently, the age of information. And without question, we have entered into the most influential age… the age of association. Never before has it been more crucial to be connected to, or associated with, people of influence. We are moving away from competition to collaboration. For businesses to thrive, they will need to be well networked, flat and nimble, think and act globally and focus on harnessing the power of collaboration,” says Rajkumar.

Businesses that will thrive in the future will build communities that will co-create value with clients, suppliers and employees.

The ‘Age of Association’ is changing the way the world does business. It is no wonder that the one most valuable company in the world today, Facebook is at the cutting edge of the age of association. “BNI is to face to face networking what Facebook is to online social networking,” is an often heard comparison among BNI’s members. Those that will build a deep and wide network and more importantly learn how to leverage it will thrive

Finance & Investments

Sushant Pai

S S Electricals

“I have got excellent business referrals from fellow business partners. Every BNI meeting churns out new business ideas through education slots and networking with your fellow business partners. BNI amazes you everyday” smita keni

Virtualwebs Servers Pvt. Ltd.

“Business I got plenty, but even more important has been the confidence I gained to speak impromptu before a large audience.”

Milind Shirodkar

Aniket Sales

“Besides business, BNI has helped me organize my business much more effectively by focussing on specifics and working on the business rather than in the business.”

Gajanan Kerkar

Best Tourism Deals

“BNI has brought a new dimension in our lives, we enjoy every moment of it. We are grateful to Rajkumar for getting this concept to Goa.” Sujeet Shetty

Team Inertia Technologies

“My ability to access Interior Designers from BNI across Indian cities helped me clinch a pan-India assgnment for executing 92 stores.” devdatt borkar

Architect

“While I recovered my investment of membership fees before the launch itself, I have been getting continuous orders which are exceeding Rs.60 lakhs per year thanks to the networking opportunity with a visitor” Ajay Gramopadhye

Morson Graphics

15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 15

special focus

www.businessgoa.net

media business in goa

Boom time or boomerang?

FREDERICK NORONHA shares an insider’s perspective about the balooning of Goa’s media market

D

ona Paula errupted into dance. Forty or so young people, on getting the cue, rapped or waltzed in unision as the loudspeaker at the jetty belted out music ranging from the South Korean ‘Gangnam Style’ to Lorna’s ‘Bebdo’ in Konkani and Nazia Hassan’s ‘Disco Deewane!‘ Welcome to the new, glitzy, attention-grabbing world of the Goan media.

Is Goa’s Fourth Estate turning

snazzy, youthful and continually promising to be on your side? Is this growth sustainable? Or, are we simply seeing the growth of the Froth Estate, dismissed thus for some time now because of its increasing focus on trivia and thrash? Compare this to the 1960s, 1970s and even 1980s, when mostly just one pedantic, dominant paper each in each of the major languages of English and Marathi. Today,

Certainly, on the face of it, it’s a media boom. But I have serious doubts about its longevity. I expect this boom to go bust before long.

A p p a r e n t l y , everyone is trying to get into this rather unhealthy competition of launching new publications and electronic channels.

Consequently, there is a rapid

rise, in the number of dailies and periodicals in particular, in Goa. To my mind, one is getting into this race rather impulsively and senselessly – I mean, without properly applying one’s mind to it. That makes me really sad.

Concomitantly, this boom also marks a qualitative fall in what is being currently traded

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15 JANUARY 2013

the plush new premises of the Goa Central Library at Patto, Panjim, promises you a total of 20 daily newspapers. Just before the 2012 elections, politicians (like the then ruling Congress’ Ravi Naik) blamed part of their woes on an aggressive and allegedly sensationalist media.

Signs of the times showed up early in 2012.

First to show up, close to election time, was the plans for ‘The Goan,’ owned by the mininglinked Timblos and edited by showmaneditor Sujay Gupta.

Eager to kept on track, the ‘Herald’ newspaper, which Gupta suddenly moved away from, went into a hiring spree, to end up with Ishan Joshi – who has a formidable media reputation in his family – as its editor. Others shored up efforts to take on the competition. ‘The Navhind Times,’ for long the sole player in post-Liberation Goa’s English daily newspaper space, has already taken on veteran journalists Ashwin Tombat and (earlier) Derek Almeida at its higher levels. Its magazines got a re-do in layout and design, and the renewed focus on local content was also obvious. But in the media market. It’s a time of apparent prosperity, but with inherent adversity. It can’t go on for too long. It has to end at some stage.

And, I believe it will, very soon. My only fear is that, while it lasts, it might not only damage some of the well entrenched publications, but even drive them out of circulation.

Vinayak Naik Editor-in-Chief, Goa Today

that was not all. Publications came thick and fast -- some quite unexpectedly. If ‘The Goan’ hit the streets on Saturdays (with ‘The Goan Observer’, started by Rajan Narayan after his departure from the Herald in 2003), the weekly ‘Goa Streets’ now comes along on Thursdays. The latter is the brainchild of ex-Associated Press journalist Steve Gutkin. It packages itself as a “news and entertainment” weekly and has the muckraking investigative journalist Mayabhushan Nagvenkar as editor. Other new publications entered the media space less dramatically. If you walk into the Pedro Fernandes three-generation old music shop, next to the General Post Office in Panjim, be ready to be handed over a complimentary copy of ‘GoaBackStage.com.’

This quarterly is now four issues old, and has so far been distributed without price. But its young publisher Stephen Merwyn Pereira is looking at all possibilities of making the product viable. It’s equally-young editor Nomratha Fernandes reflects the spirit of the team’s age. Facebook and Twitter links are prominently displayed on the imprint page.

Journalist Suraj Nandrekar, who had a longish stint at the ‘Herald,’ has also launched the ‘Goan Times’ -- called ‘GT’ for short (not to be mixed with the existing ‘Gomantak Times’). But it’s not just names and acronyms that seem in short supply; getting a supply of reliable journalists and contributors too, is no mean task.

With the turmoil in the market, the expected switching of jobs has taken place. This has helped mediapersons to get a better deal, but the accompanying reality is that the inflationary trend in salaries might make journalists overpriced for the local market. Obviously, market leaders can push up salaries, and pay for them, but others

Media perception can, and does, shape reality. The shrinking hold of mining on the Press here could in part explain how mining became such a major controversy now, after decades of a lid being kept over this debate would be hard-pressed to keep abreast. Goa’s Marathi journalism has also posted its own growth. This is as much a reflection of the search for new markets and growing circulation, as for political clout too, as is the case with their English-language counterparts, too. For a complex set of historical reasons, English and Marathi dominate the news market in Goa, even if Konkani may be the preferred medium for the spoken word and music.

Besides local publications, there are those from neighbouring Maharashtra which have been opening their ‘local editions’ aimed at Goa. Today, many of the bigger players in Goa have their original base of operations in Maharashtra or occasionaly in Karnataka (as in the case of ‘Tarun Bharat’). “I read the Tarun Bharat. But ‘Pudhari’ too, is good with the news it offers,” says Ashok, a rickshaw-owner and self-driver, explaining his reading preferences. The entry of the politically-linked Maharashtra-based ‘Lokmat’ in April 2009 has been gamechangers. This very magazine – ‘Business Goa’ – now over three and a half years old, has grown with its wider-appeal mag ‘My Goa’ and now with “Goa’s only homegrown Marathi magazine ‘Gomant Sagar.’

As if this all was not enough, local English-language daily ‘Herald’ formerly ‘O Heraldo,’ and once called the last Portuguese daily in Asia till 1983 – came out with the Marathi ‘Dainik Herald’. This took most by surprise, even if it managed

The increase in publications, particularly in English, over the last couple of years may not necessarily be seen as increased demand for general news and niche readership. The recent launch of three weeklies is to cash in on the money power of the affluent English readers, particularly those residing in urban areas, and to grab the advertising

rupee from companies marketing top consumer brands. No matter what, the sudden presence of extra newspapers and magazines in English and some in Konkani and Marathi, and considering that a Konknni daily, ‘Amcho Avaz,’ and a English fortnightly, ‘Goenkar,’ is on the anvil, behoves well for the media industry. This is even made the

to attract some senior journalists into the Herald’s stable, whose location has shifted from the San Tome area in eastern Panjim to the Kala Academy locality.

‘Herald’ under its then editor Rajan Narayan was known for its pro-Konkani, and even antiMarathi stance in the 1985-87 language agitation. Its decision all but makes clear that the dynamics in the newspaper market are indeed very different today. But the story does not stop here either...’Herald’ announced its plans to start a Konkani (Roman script) weekly, even naming former Assembly Speaker, big-time tiatr promoter and Romi campaigner Tomazinho Cardozo as editor. This comes at a time when many were lamenting the demise of the popular Romi script. Till a generation or so ago, Romi Konkani sold ‘Romans’ potboiler novels like hot-cakes and was the language in which less affluent Catholics wrote their letters and read their newspapers and magazines in. Add to this intiatives on the web, like the campaign-

oriented ‘GoaChronicle.com’ or ‘TargetGoa.com’ edited by longtime journalist Bevinda Colaco.

‘Goanet,’ another entirely volunteer-driven network which also shares news and views via simply email, recently completed 18 years of operations, too.

Does this all mean that the market is getting badly overcrowded? Can we expect a shakeout? What happens to journalists, their salary expectations, and the entire news process itself? Does enough advertising exist for all to have a share in the pie? How is it going to reshape the newsmaking process?

The trend towards media sensationalisation is quite apparent as competition gets more intense. In recent years, the media has shown its ability to play political games, targeting certain politicians, supporting others, and invariably coming out on top. On the flip side, the issues that were once ignored today have a better chance of getting covered. But if Goa had too little media in the past, it

There is a media upswing in Goa, pretty much like what has happened across all other parts of the country, especially in the print as well as the Internet space. The mushrooming of newspapers, magazines and websites / portals are all signs of an evolving market and is a natural progression of changing times, and given that Goa has an inherent dual reader audience

of local domiciles as well as floating populations, does make it somewhat unique. While the intrinsic desire for information and news in people mindsets is probably the most fundamental reason for this, the advent of newer media vehicles is giving the local audiences fresher perspectives to information, while for the travelling audiences, where availability of information

on the uniqueness of Goa is now available, was always a long-needed space being now fulfilled. Innovation, credibility, incisiveness and keeping abreast with worldwide trends of news dissemination will play a huge role in determining further room and space for new entrants. In the current state, there probably is enough room for all, as long as each media has a clear differentiator.

Gautam Mukerjea Planet Goa

venerable ‘O Heraldo,’ and ‘The Navhind Times’ to beef up their supplement section. If all these means more jobs for aspiring journalists and increased pay packets for those already in the field, then this so-called boom is something to cheer about.

Eugene Correia Journalist in Mumbai, Canada and the Gulf, and a close watcher of the Goa media

could be having too much now; could the small region just find itself running short of issues to cover?

There are other issues that get raised repeatedly. Market gossip claims that a section of the Press is only too ripe to be sold to bigger outstation players. The last such sale was in August 2000 when the mining-linked Chowgules sold the ‘Gomantak’ and ‘Gomantak Times’ to the Pune-based Sakal Papers Ltd, part of the Pawar group, connected to the family of politician Sharad Pawar.

At least a section of Goa’s media is already politically-linked, either directly or otherwise, such as the ‘Goa Doot’ which doesn’t hide its preference for the BJP and chief minister Parrikar in particular. Media perception can, and does, shape reality.

The shrinking hold of mining on the Press here could in part explain how mining became such a major controversy now, after decades of a lid being kept over this debate. But some of the new players in the cable-TV space are linked to mining houses in Goa. The little screen has a not-so-little clout on news in the State; this is obvious from the preferences of politicians and others while interacting with the media, too.

Another segment of the media where jostling is visiblility is radio, particularly FM radio.

State-funded All India Radio’s ‘FM Rainbow’ has been limping along and trying to maintain its grip, while newer players on the block, particularly ‘Indigo’ with its English-dominated Westernised

15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 17

special focus

Is Goa’s Fourth Estate turning snazzy, youthful and continually promising to be on your side? Is this growth sustainable? Or, are we simply seeing the growth of the Froth Estate, dismissed thus for some time now because of its increasing focus on trivia and thrash?

fare, seems to be catching on among younger audiences. Is “overcrowded” the right word to describe Goa’s media scene?

Says Steve Gutkin, a prominent former Associated Press journalist who set up ‘Goa Streets’ with his wife Marisha Dutt: “Well I’m not sure I’d want to categorize it as ‘overcrowded’. But there’s certainly a lot of players in a small place. In the U.S., where I’m from, starting a new venture in print media would almost be unthinkable, considering the state of the industry there.” But, he points out, India is different.

The print media is growing in India, “largely as a result of general economic growth and a steady rise in literacy rates.”

But one has to also keep in mind that the online media is also experiencing impressive growth, says Gutkin. “So overall, I believe there’s still quite a bit of room for new ventures such as our’s, especially compared

to much of the rest of the world.

That said, the explosion in the number of newspapers and magazines in Goa will certainly make it necessary for each one to provide real added value.

Survival will depend on that.”

‘Goa Streets’ conducted a prelaunch research which revealed that there’s real hunger in the market, especially in the leisure – arts and entertainment sector, says Gutkin. That remains their focus, though they cover “all sorts of news”. Gutkin’s stress is on “news that you can trust, as opposed to businesses scratching each other’s backs and pawning that off on the public as worthwhile content.”

They say they pay for the food they review, and “don’t answer to any powerful financial or political interests.” Bringing “real value to readers” is one key to stay on top of the situation. Addressing untapped markets is another. But whether the new crop of media

18 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

JoeGoaUk

From a single daily and one monthly magazine until about the mid1980s, Goa’s media boom is amazing, even if one considers only the print media and its English language segment.

When every fresh entrant arrived on the scene, starting with the ‘Gomantak Times,’ the small Goa market was regarded as saturated, with no place for more. After all, the native

can manage this is left to be seen. Commented JoeGoaUk, a big-time anonymous contribution to the cyber-media, “When bread becomes costlier, the newspapers shout.

When newspapers turn costly, who should do the shouting?” Said

population of one million wasn’t actually increasing over the years, considering a growth rate equivalent to the replacement rate and constant out-migration.

Bulk of in-migrants, even if literate, would opt for diverse regional languages. Yet, almost every new media entrant, even when not backed by big money, has stayed afloat. Maybe the Goan, economically better off today than in the mid-1980s, now affords and buys more than a couple of daily newspapers and magazines .

Valmiki Faleiro Former Journalist

one media person: “I can give you the non quotable stuff when we see each other in person.”

So, that’s how the story stands today

STARTING YOUNG ryan britto

Balancing two professions and trying to maintain a top level in both is extremely taxing and exhausting. Some days, the lack of sleep gets to Ryan, he says. But generally, the joy of doing something he genuinely loves always keeps him happy and ‘awake’!

dj

Banker by day, DJ by night!

Ryan Britto winner of Battle of the DJs 2011 tells Lyndon Pinto how his passion is shaping his career

Ryan Britto

“I started off by learning how to use a software called Virtual DJ, which I downloaded from the Net. I used that software to play at the school fete”

A

s a member of a band, Ryan Britto always knew that music was his passion. It was this passion that got him an opportunity to perform as a DJ for the first time at a school fete.

Until that point it was either his band or playing songs through a cellphone or MP3 player.

“I started off by learning how to use a software called Virtual

20 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

DJ, that I downloaded off the net.

I used that software to play at the school fete. Once I started, I got hooked onto it and since then I have steadily grown,” says Ryan.

Having no friends or family in the field, Ryan resolved to teach himself by watching videos on YouTube. He adds that the first time that he went for Sunburn, an Electronic Dance Music Festival held in Goa, he watched Armin Van Buuren play. “I was in awe of the way he kept people glued to him and his music. He had that charisma that instantly got me further interested and made me look upto him as my inspiration,” Ryan adds.

Currently the technology used by DJs are very fascinating, as they are so advanced that the days of carrying big pouches of CDs are over. Now you can sync the system with your laptop or connect a USB Flash Drive and start playing music from there. This has changed the face of DJing and it has become a plug and play lifestyle. With the amount of technology and

gadgets available in the market, anyone can be a DJ. This he states can be easily seen as everyone calls themselves DJs. Ryan believes that “The differentiating factor however lies in the fact that, it takes a bit of talent and skill to gauge the mood of the crowd and play music that they like and to increase and decrease the tempo of music without losing their attention. Not all DJs can do that! That is what sets apart good DJs from the also rans.”

Ryan says that competition is also at an all time high as the number of self proclaimed DJs is ever increasing. But people recognize quality and go with that rather than with any ordinary DJ. “I have made a lot of friends who have helped me out quite a bit either by getting me shows or more importantly teaching me the art of learning how to be a DJ and constructively criticizing me so that I get better. They have also helped me find tutorials and ways to get better,” says a happy Ryan.

He also adds “I have got into production of music as I want to have my own music label one day. As I was in a band, playing instruments like the keyboards, guitar and drums come naturally to me. I have already started making my own music, but I will create a sizeable collection and then go viral with it.”

At the moment, Ryan works as a sales representative for HDFC Life which deals with life insurance and other aspects of insurance, which he says makes me a “Banker by day and DJ by night!”

Balancing two professions and trying to maintain a top level in both is extremely taxing and exhausting. Some days, the lack of sleep gets to him, he says.

But generally, the joy of doing something he genuinely loves

always keeps him happy and ‘awake’!

Ryan hasn’t invested in his own equipment yet, as the costs are exorbitant. But he does hire equipment for gigs that he has.

His preferred brand of consoles is “Pioneer” as he claims that they are the best. “One of the best systems I have worked on, is the Pioneer 2000, which has a left and right player and in the middle is the player. The problem with these systems is that the demand is such that every month there is a new, improved and better system that is released.

With regard to production, he uses a software called FL Studio.

“I am also trying to get another couple of softwares which will lift the level of my work. Hopefully that will happen soon.”

As for his future, he wants to start a band and make his own music full time. Until that happens, he will carry on with a regular job as he needs to generate funds and be ‘gainfully employed’. As for the DJing part, he has been playing at the Baga Deck every Saturday for the last two months and more at Hype recently.

“DJing in Goa has huge potential, as there are so many avenues and so much scope to get better. We have world famous DJs like Ajit and Troy who have made Mambo’s and Tito’s what it is today. Sadly they don’t produce their own music. I think DJs should make their own music as there is plenty of scope for that, as well.

The journey has been a constant learning curve as there has been consistent growth and improvement. Given a chance I would want to make a name for myself in Goa and once I build up brand ‘Ryan Britto’, people will want me to play for them,” he concludes on an upswing

ENTERPRISE Desh Prabhudessai

“We divided people into 4 categories. Retired people who require an area where they can meet other people. Middle aged people don’t have time to socialize. Children require a play area that is safe.

Prabhudessai Realtors

“You buy a house, we will give you a home”

Lyndon Pinto talks to Desh Prabhudessai about his passion for real estate

Desh Prabhudessai

D

esh Prabhudessai a Homeopathic Physician by profession started practicing in 1987 and was a consultant for Homeopathy.

Coincidentally, he had to start off Prabhudessai Realtors along with his younger brother as a partner to carry out small scale civil work. But having gauged that different levels, such as production, marketing, finance and also as real estate is an industry by itself, prompted him to involve himself on a fulltime basis.

In 1994, Prabhudessai Realtors undertook their first construction project, consisting of 22 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

nine flats on a piece of property owned by them. They continued building apartment buildings and subsequently started bigger projects, ranging from 25 to 50 units and even commercial premises.

The firm was however, of the belief that mere construction and selling is not the only thing that people want. People need finance related assistance and also had other enquires. Prabhudessai Realtors felt the need to tackle these issues.

The firm gradually got into their customer’s shoes and started thinking about the amenities that they could provide

to their clients, who seemed inclined towards new concepts like the cleaning area attached to the kitchen or the open kitchen concept. Also as most buildings are situated along the road side which leaves children with no place to play, they developed gardens within their complexes.

They are still learning the different aspects that different clients wish to have and aim at providing them with those requirements.

“We divided people into 4 categories. Retired people who require an area where they can meet other people. Middle aged people don’t have time to socialize. Children require a play area that is safe. Teenagers require a gym, swimming pool and club house. We tried our best to provide suitable all round development to all categories of people,” says Desh.

He also adds that “At one of our complexes in Gogol called Prabhudessai Classic this idea worked excellently, so much so that all the owners live like one big happy family. They have parties together and go for ‘colony outings’. That is exactly what we wanted to create.”

This, the firm claims, is how they try to stand out in the business as competition is stiff and they are ready to face it head on.

Among the challenges faced on the business front says Desh, are the spiralling land and construction costs.

“Construction material is

unavailable. All these factors come together to make prices go up. But we want to sell flats for less than Rs.35 lakhs. People started asking for flats of around Rs.35 lakhs. We then decides to drop a couple of amenities, and provide basic features such as a lift and stilt parking and slightly reduced areas and we are able to sell for below Rs.35 lakhs as well,” he says.

In this field where you have to be up to date with the times, where people’s needs are changing constantly, Desh believes that the firm should be able to provide their clients with the best. They also follow the motto “You buy a house, we will give you a home”!

For Desh the switch from medicine to finance was relatively easy. He says. “I was interested in the subject and it is my liking for it which took me towards it. And also, I believe that any company requires division of work. My younger brother takes care of production, my son who joined us recently takes care of the technical aspects and I look

Teenagers require a gym, swimming pool and club house.

We tried our best to provide suitable all round development to all categories of people” after finance and sales. As I like the subject it became easier for me to adapt.”

Desh also stresses that they are builders and not contractors.

We buy our own land and build based on our own plans. We handle everything required in relation to buildings. Their aim is to sell apartments to people who want to buy one. “I

encourage young people to buy apartments as one may either make it one’s home one day or use it as a means of investment.

If somebody comes to me and says that I have Rs 5 Lakhs, but the house costs Rs 35 Lakhs, I will find a way for him to raise funds. We help them out. We are a one stop shop that deals with all aspects of real estate.”

www.facebook.com/businessgoa

Having worked on close to twelve projects, most of which have been completed, Prabhudessai Realtors believe they have achieved the success that they desired.

Of their completed projects, most are residential in nature.

Prabhudessai Realtors have also constructed a couple of commercial sites. And they are also involved in the process of developing plots.

“In 1994, our first project was “Prabhat” and “Manohar” which were both small projects. Our first big project was Suyash Gardens which is a residential cum commercial complex. Venkatesh Annapurna Sankul was our first commercial complex. Our first budget or affordable venture was Prabhudessai Tarang.”

Although the firm has had their share of joys and tasted success, the real estate market to them is still volatile, now more than ever. “People are against the

concept of complexes and they keep raising objections, although all the necessary approvals are in place. This negativity towards real estate has spread all across Goa and is something that needs to be addressed before it gets out of hand,” laments Desh.

As for the future, Desh says that he would love to be able to sell apartments of different cost structures so that everyone can afford one. “We are also still trying to reduce apartment prices by reducing construction costs without compromising on quality.

Also getting land at a cheaper price would enable us to reduce apartment prices considerably.”

He concludes by saying “Quality to us and customer satisfaction can be viewed only by flat resale value. Our customers who have sold their flats get excellent prices as our quality is excellent and the standard is maintained consistently”

15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 23

INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH

CENTRE FOR INCUBATION AND BUSINESS ACCELERATION

“We offer incubatees a lot of space, without getting too involved with their projects” D.S. Prashant, Manager and Jose Noronha, Ex CEO of Fr. Agnelo Ashram, Verna, Goa speak to ALISHA PATEL about CIBA and the areas of involvement in creating an entrepreneurial culture in Goa How did CIBA come about?

Jose Noronha: CIBA’s history traces back to the start of the Fr. Agnel Ashram in 1980. The centre was started with the Polytechnic College and grew over the years with the addition of a School and an Engineering College. In 2000, we obtained a grant from the Government through a scheme called the STED (Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development) and appointed Prashant as the Manager of the Entrepreneurship Development Programme that we were to begin. We started with skill training sessions and an entrepreneurship development workshop. Slowly, our works began getting recognized and we were invited to be a part of the UNDP Project. It was here that we interacted with numerous entrepreneurs and skill trainers who suggested that we should start a Technology Business Incubator (TBI). After much deliberation, we applied to set up a TBI in 2010 and were among the few selected for the Government grant to set up the Centre.

Inorder to move forward in a field we were not very conversant in, we enlisted the help of IIMAhmedabad to partner with us to offer managerial counseling to our incubatees.

We were funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Environment as we said we would undertake environmentally friendly projects, too.

When setting up, we thought of being more than just a TBI, and organizing programmes and workshops as well, and from there came the word CIBA, which stands for Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration.

What are the areas CIBA has ventured in?

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We study a potential incubatee’s ideas and pitch a presentation to the Board of Directors. If they are satisfied that it will be viable, we give them a cubicle, meeting space to hold meetings and hi speed internet.

We also have a team of people who motivate them. We try to offer incubatees as much as we can without breathing down their necks and getting too involved.

We observe from a distance. In fact, we are so accommodating that I even offer my own cabin to incubatees.

“We study a potential incubatee’s ideas and pitch a presentation to the Board of Directors. If they are satisfied that it will be viable, we offer the ideator a cubicle, meeting space to hold meetings and hi speed internet”

Jose Noronha and D.S Prashant

D.S.Prashant: As we were funded by the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, we vowed to undertake environmentally friendly projects. Being a part of a Technical Institute, the CIBA focuses on food technology, information technology and clean technology which makes use of renewable sources of energy.

What services does CIBA offer?

Jose Noronha: To tap into a potential bank of entrepreneurs, we approach colleges across the State and tell them who we are and what we do. We also conduct workshops in colleges along with their Entrepreneurship Development Cells. At CIBA, we

do not discriminate. We even allow the people wth modest means to be a part of the programme. We believe that if you have an idea, it must not be wasted due to lack of opportunity.

Modern workspaces

How has the incubation centre grown over the years?

Jose Noronha: CIBA is relatively new. However, over the years, we have helped a number of start ups, and currently we have five incubatees in the Centre.

Recently, one of our incubatees graduated from the Centre and has successfully launched a spiced liquor called Armada. We also have incubatees working on generating energy from vehicles going over speed breakers and using that energy to power street lights, medical transcriptions and another incubatee who is working on a device to ease the pressure of vendors who carry their wares on their heads.

Inorder to move forward in a field where we were not very conversant in, we enlisted the help of IIM-Ahmedabad to partner with us to offer managerial counseling to our incubatees.

How has the response to CIBA been?

Jose Noronha: Phenomenal!

Initially we had targeted two incubatees a year, but we have already had eight. The younger generation is slowly becoming more receptive to entrepreneurship and is brimming with new and

innovative ideas.

our incubatees.

Do you receive support from any industrial bodies?

D.S.Prashant: As an incubator, we are an autonomous body, but we do work on non financial terms with the Goa State Industries Association to provide opportunities and mentorship to

What are the future plans for CIBA? D.S.Prashant: As the number of incubatees are increasing steadily, we are looking to set up

“To tap into a potential bank of entrepreneurs, we approach colleges across the State and tell them who we are and what we do. We also conduct workshops in colleges along with their Entrepreneurship Development Cells”

www.twitter.com/businessgoa

the second branch of CIBA at our new premises in Assagao. Work is already in full swing and should be functional by May, this year.

We are also looking at investing in facilities for working with renewable sources of energy.

What are your views on entrepreneurship in Goa? Jose Noronha: Entrepreneurship is a culture Goans aren’t used to, but it is slowly picking up.

Entrepreneurship creates job opportunities and self dependency.

The younger generation is more receptive and has been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug

The Voice of Business in Goa

Entrepreneurial training session

15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 25

INDUSTRY

When the decision to set shop in Goa was taken, we were promised an influx of automobile companies setting shop in Goa in the industrial revolution that was set to take place. This however did not happen and we had to turn to the automobile industry out of the State for

goldy auto stampings pvt. ltd

Stamping a global impression Sachin Raiker takes ALISHA PATEL through the journey of Goldy Auto Stampings Pvt. Ltd

Sachin Raiker and Sadashiv Raiker

P

recision metal stamping is a difficult process to describe but the definition of precision metal stamping in simple words is the process of creating lettering, threedimensional parts and other surface definitions onto metal surfaces. The stamping works by using extreme pressure to force various forms and dies onto the metal materials. When the stamp is removed, the lettering, forms and dies are immutably engraved onto the metal.

Stamping can be performed on a number of different materials.

However, metal is the preferred choice of most manufacturers.

Among them, creating a niche for themselves is Goldy Precision Stampings Pvt. Ltd. Started initially in Nasik, in 1980, Director Sachin Raiker, a Goan, felt the need to return home and set shop in Goa. After much deliberation and planning, Goldy Auto Stampings Pvt. Ltd. started operating out of its spacious new plant in 1993.

“We started operations with a single press and over the years, 26 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

our manufacturing capacity has increased tremendously and we now have over ten presses in our unit,” says Sachin, who is proud to admit that when they decided to set shop, they were the first unit of their kind in the State.

Delving more into the products manufactured by them, Sachin explains that they manufacture the damoing valves for shock absorbers used in various automobiles and machines. “We produce plain disk valves, orifice valves, recoil deflection valves, leak valves and leaf springs,” he informs.

The factory

The range does not end there.

The company also manufactures transmission components like Shim packs, rubber coated exhaust gaskets, copper gaskets, ferrous and non ferrous gaskets, spacers, thrust washers, retainer caps, lock washers etc. Maintaining the company’s reputation for providing quality products, all the raw materials used by Goldy Auto Stampings are imported from countries like Germany, Sweden and Japan.

Sachin also goes on to inform that they initially started out as the vendors for IFB in shock absorbers and later on moved on to manufacturing their own products.

Their major clients include European giants like Siemens, Bosch, Tenneco, Escorts, Haldex etc

“While our main target market is the automobile sector, we cannot solely depend on it as in recent years, there has been a downfall in this particular industry,” laments Sachin. “When the decision to set shop in Goa was taken, we were promised an influx of automobile companies setting shop in Goa in the industrial revolution that was set to take place. This however, did

not happen and we had to turn to the automobile industry out of the State for our survival. Hence, ninety per cent of our products are marketed all over the country and the remaining ten per cent fills the Goan markets”.

Over recent years, Goldy Auto Stampings have also turned to the pharmaceutical and furniture industries to provide shock absorbers to their manufacturing units and finished products.

Goldy Auto Stampings Pvt. Ltd. believes in continuous improvement. In order to achieve their continuous improvement goals the company considers communication within the organization at different levels, with suppliers and with customers, an essential part of the process. ”We consider our employees, suppliers and customers as Strategic Alliances,” says Sachin.

Goldy Auto Stampings adheres to the best possible Quality Assurance and Control complying with all ISO/ TS 16949 measures. They also follow other quality improvement tools such as 5S, 3C and Kaizen. “We are currently at 0 PPM at all our customer end and are striving hard to achieve 100 PPM at plant. The reason we are 0 PPM at our customer ends is due to high tech advanced equipment and Statistical Process Control.

Also, quality checks at different levels of production process

Shock Absorber Parts

our survival and hence ninety per cent of our products are marketed all over the country and the remaining ten per cent fills the Goan market

enable us to be a 0 PPM vendor.

The quality attached to all the products is the result of thorough planning and stringent testing” informs Sachin.

Goldy Auto Stampings Pvt. Ltd has gone all out to ensure that their products are manufactured using the best of technology and have in-house Tool Design and Manufacturing capabilities. “We use softwares like Pro – E Wildfire along with Pdx Extension, Autocad, Uni - graphics to design

Export Part

the tools which are manufactured on state-of-art machines like Vertical Milling Center, CNC Wire Cut, EDM Drilling, Spark Erosion and conventional machines” says Sachin. He further adds that their manufacturing process is enhanced with highly skilled design engineers and labour who bring to the table over fifteen years of experience.

Goldy Auto Stampings believes in investing in upgradation of technology for faster development of tools, thereby reducing the total development lead time of a component. “We maintain high accuracy in tools so as to manufacture precision components even with very tight tolerances,” says Sachin.

The journey of any industry would not be complete without its fair share of ups and downs, and Goldy Auto Stampings is no exception. “A lot of our business used to go to the United States and with recession hitting the markets hard, we have lost a lot of our export orders and even had to shut down our office in Los Angeles as it was not viable.

Currently, we are exporting to the European markets as their economy is in a much better

position and some of our major clients include European giants like Siemens, Bosch, Tenneco, Escorts, Haldex etc,” explains Sachin who goes on to add that while struggles have always been a part of their growth process, the last three months have been tough and there has been a decline in the number of orders coming in.

Not one to let struggles get the best of him, Sachin proudly reveals his plans for diversification.

“We have already started on the process of diversification into other sectors of the industry and are manufacturing parts for automation machines for machines used in the pharmaceutical industry. We are also looking to cater to the electrical industry which is slowly on the rise in Goa as well as supplying our products to industries in the neighbouring

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Vision Luxuria is conveniently located close to the vibrant beaches of Goa such as Baga, Anjuna and Vagator and a short distance away from the exciting attractions like the Saturday Night Bazaar, night clubs, water parks, multi-cuisine restaurants, etc.

Be a part of a charming and cozy complex of premium villas. Each villa has its own private deck, garden and car park. All villas, needless to say have a premium finish, quality specifications and other amenities such as 24 hr security with video door phone, swimming pool, etc.

States.” With plans for expansions and diversification of operations, Gold Auto Stampings which has already come a long way since its inception, is all set to further stamp its marks in markets not only within the State, but across the country, too

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Business Goa 27

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SPACE

GOAN BRAND

The best thing about Armada is that it is not a copy of a foreign brand of liqueur and there is nothing to compare it to. Armada is in a league of its own and is creating a name of its own

Armada LIQUEUR

Fruit, spice and everything nice Oscar de Sequeira Nazareth tells ALISHA PATEL about his newly launched brand of liqueur, Armada

W

hen Oscar de Sequeira Nazareth was handed down a family legacy, he did not give it much thought, nor did he think it would be the key to successfully launching his own brand. Oscar’s confirmation godfather handed him one of the oldest kept family secrets – a recipe for a spiced liqueur.

“I did not pay much attention to it, and it was only last year when I had some time to spare that I thought of giving the recipe a try – I loved it! In fact, it turned out better than the one originally made in Portugal.

From there onwards, I began working towards producing the liqueur on a commercial scale,” explains Oscar. Opening up more about Armada, the spice liqueur recently launched

by Oscar, he explains that the original recipe calls for spices from India, fruit from Portugal and sugar from Brazil. “Given that Brazil was not a colony of the Portuguese after 1821, you can tell how old the recipe is,” says Oscar with a smile.

“I come from an investment banking background and had no knowledge whatsoever about food technology and how to scale up the recipe to commercial quantities, so I approached CIBA (Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration).

They were able to help with my business plan and provided me with an office as well as access to an excellent food laboratory to test and experiment with my product. They even ordered special equipment which I needed,” he informs.

So what is it that sets Armada apart from other spirits which have flooded the Goan markets?

“If you take a look at a majority of Indian Made Foreign Liquors, they are imitations of foreign brands and have compromised on standards during manufacturing.

In contrast, there is nothing in 28 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

Oscar de Sequeira Nazareth

the world that tastes like Armada – it’s a truly original spirit. In addition, Armada is made in the correct manner – matured for a period of time before bottling, using only natural ingredients,” explains Oscar. Opening up about what gives Armada its unique flavour Oscar explains that some of the most potent spices are infused into fine grain alcohol along with specially imported fruits and left to mature for a long period of time. While he has tried to stick as much as possible to the original recipe, Oscar admits that he did experiment with a few of the ingredients, but finding nothing better than the original, he stuck to the original recipe, but – however he has given it a slight twist with the addition of a new spice to the formula.

Despite being launched in the markets a little over a month ago, Armada has taken the markets by storm and has done better than Oscar expected it to. “To create a buzz about Armada, I have created a website, Facebook page and sponsored the Quinta de Valadares Christmas dance

where we sold an astonishing number of Armada shots. As a manufacturer, I cannot sell liquor directly and have to go through wholesalers, whom I have been

Oscar explains that the original recipe of Armada calls for spices from India, fruit from Portugal and sugar from Brazil.“Given that Brazil was not a colony of the Portuguese after 1821, you can tell how old the recipe is,” he says in contact with and recently cracked a deal and sold three hundred out of the four hundred and eighty bottles produced. I am currently producing my second

batch of Armada”.

“Getting to where I am was a struggle,” admits Oscar who states that while he did have a fair share of problems, the bureaucracy was a major hurdle to cross. “It took me over a month to get my EM/1 form registered and that for me was a major setback – in the end I decided to run a proprietary company to handle the trademark and leave the rest to a contract distiller.” Another stumbling block along the way was setting up a distillery which is currently on hold as the Government has stopped accepting applications for opening up new distilleries.

Though he employs the use of an already existing distillery, his recipe is still a closely guarded secret, as he does the mixing himself. “I also struggled with formulating the product and experimented with proportions before reaching the perfect blend of ingredients,” he informs.

Looking forward, Oscar who though in the initial stages of production, already has a road map marked out for him. “I want to establish myself as a premium spirits brand in Goa, I am hoping people will recognize and realise the heritage behind the recipe,” he says and goes on to add that while he is not currently looking at exporting to the rest of the country, he is targeting the large and sophisticated European markets – where he has already received inquiries from Portugal and the United Kindom.

Going a little deeper into his plans for the future, it’s clear that Oscar is thinking big: “As an original, uniquely flavoured spirit with a characteristic spicy flavour, I think there’s potentially a place for a bottle of Armada at every bar. But for now, I think I’ll stick to the Goan market and see how things progress!” he concludes

CAMPUS GOA

BOOK SHELF

M.E.S students felicitated

MUKTA MAHAJANI

“Ideaz Unlimited” Panjim has installed Corporate Social Responsibility Excellence Awards for the Corportes and NGOs in Goa in the memory of late Manikant Hiralal Shah. These awards are given every year in association with Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Green Triangle Society, Goa. The students of the BBA Course of MES College, Zuarinagar assisted in the process of evaluating the companies competing for the awards. A team of 12 students

under the guidance of two faculty members, M.A Sundaram and Veeraj Mahatme shouldered the responsibility of deciding the criteria for evaluation, screening the documents, visiting the companies and making presentations before the panel of judges.

The students were felicitated for their evaluation support at a function organized at the GCCI Hall, Panjim at the hands of Deputy Chief Minister of Goa Francis D’Souza

www.businessgoa.net

Let’s Talk: Negotiation and Communication at the Workplace ‘Let’s Talk’ teaches skills to express oneself clearer, overcome work place challenges and influence listeners.

Several schools and corporations abroad invest time and money in honing negotiation and communication skills in students and employees, to better prepare them for the business world. Such training helps the fresh graduate-turned-executive to cope with difficult people and situations and better appreciate the culture and colleagues they work with. The author believes that these skills must, without delay, form part of academic curriculum for the young Indian executive. The techniques presented in this book derive from the authors own early work experiences in India. ‘Let’s Talk’ aims to be a practical guide to navigate through unforeseen and vulnerable social situations. Mukta Mahajani is a lawyer with Degrees from India, UK and USA and training in negotiation from Harvard Law School. Her research has been published by the World Bank Group, where she has been a guest speaker and consults frequently Publisher:

Jaico Publishing House

Biz Quest 2013 at SS Dempo College BG CROSSWORD 38

S.S.Dempo College of Commerce and Economics, Panaji, organized the annual Inter-Collegiate Business Quiz Competition – Biz Quest, as part of its celebrations of Founders’ Day recently. 31 teams from various colleges in the State participated in the quiz that was conceptualized and conducted by Quiz Master Harshvardhan Bhatkuly with partner Rajiv D’Silva. The quiz comprised of written round for selection of six teams for the on-stage finals. The teams faced six rounds of challenging questions on topics ranging from who’s who in business to various functional areas of business.

An exciting final round, with an adrenaline rush, determining the winning teams for this year’s Biz Quest.

30 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

The team from Sridora Caculo College of Commerce and Management Studies secured first prize of Rs.10,000, while Goa Institute of Management bagged the second prize of Rs.7,000 and the third prize of Rs.3,000 was won by Goa Engineering College.

The team from Rosary College of Arts and Commerce secured the consolation prize. Trophies and certificates were also awarded to the winning teams.

Dignitaries including.

Srinivas Dempo, Chairman, Dempo Charities’ Trust, Trustee Vishwasrao Dempo, former Principal S. L. Sardesai and Principals of sister institutions were present for the event. A large audience including students and faculty members of the Institution witnessed the event and also won exciting spot prizes by participating in audience questions.

The Founders’ Day celebration also included release of “Anushandhan” – an interdisciplinary Research Journal of the College at the hands of Srinivas Dempo, Chairman of the Dempo Group

QUIZZARE

Across: 1 – The Govt. enterprise one would associate “tatkal” with (1,1,1,1,1) 4 – Famous quizmaster and MP Derek ______ (6) 6 – Ancient name of Ayodhya, now an upmarket residential area in South Delhi (5) 8 – Largest banking & financial services company in India by revenue (1,1,1) 9 – Well-known telecom software & services company headed by Eli Gelman (6) 10 – SUV brand whose models include Classic, Sport and Evoque (5,5) 13 – Term which means a “serious crime” (6) 14 – National Informatics Centre, briefly (1,1,1) Down: 1 – Photo-sharing program acquired by Facebook in 2012 (9) 2 – UK-based company that makes bicycles including models like Soul, Solaris and Rocket (5) 3 – _______ trading - making illegal use of non-public information in securities trading (7) 5 – Unable to meet debts or discharge liabilities, bankrupt (9) 7 – Ticker symbol for Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (1,1,1) 11 – Gujarat Narmada valley Fertilizers Company, in short (1,1,1,1) 12 – Regulation or principle that should not be broken (4) answers to crossword 37 Across 1. Ssangyong 5.Larsen 6.WWF 8.Rayon 10.NBD 11.Paid 12.IOL 13.IPO 14.Equity Down 1.Salarpuria 2.APK 3.Greenply 4.New India 7.Fidelity 9.Yahoo

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professional dossier

“I have built a number of buildings in and around Panjim. However, most of my work is carried out in North Goa in the Talukas of Bardez and Tiswadi in places such as Corlim, Thivim, Colvale, Neura, Bambolim and they are mostly residential in nature”

Neville Monteiro - Architect – Planner

“I believe it is my responsibility to repay the State for the amount that they have invested in me”

Neville Monterio

I

completed my Bachelors of Architecture from the Goa College of Architecture in 1994 and joined Ramesh Kamat and Associates and worked there for a couple of years before venturing out on my own. I have now been an Architect - Planner for the last 12 years.

I specialize in residential buildings and bungalows, but I have also worked on commercial and industrial establishments.

I have completed numerous landscape projects in partnership with landscape professionals and horticulturist.

Currently, Goa is facing an acute shortage of space. The needs of clients have changed; they want the maximum they can get from as little space as possible, specially if it is a commercial venture. This becomes very challenging, but this is where our ideas and talents come into play.

It is always easier to fit a small building in a large area, but when 32 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

you flip the equation its gets a little complicated as different regulations come into play such as height, buffer distances, etc.

We are currently working on the guidelines of the Regional plan 2001 and those areas have reached saturation point. We need to identify new settlement area. The plan for 2021 has been put on hold for now. So until that is passed, we will continue to be in a limbo.

Technology has helped not just me, but the entire field of Architecture. With software such as Computer Aided Design (CAD) produced by different companies, images of the design with all specifications can be sent via email to clients. There are also a few clients for whom I work as a resident architect.

They are based outside Goa and I execute the operations for them based on their plans and designs.

A couple of problems faced

by Architects including myself are

the lack of streamlined systems in Goa. This is a major drawback.

The others, firstly include: confusion over ownership of land as every person stakes a claim to owning some land.

Secondly, local factors such as a traditional access passing through the property is not shown on the plan but they are present for feasibility purposes.

Local bodies such as Panchayats had a big say in these matters.

Luckily for us, the files first go to the Town Planning for approval then the Health Department and last to local bodies. Therefore there isn’t much cause for challenges. Before this system, it used to get very difficult as people demanded that these accesses remain open, but now with the new system these sort of problems have been minimized.

Thirdly, NGOs and Gram Sabhas have become very powerful. I am not sure how to define it, but the attitude we see is that if a person is developing his own property, people raise objection and NGOs and other bodies come and state that there is a violation of several laws although the file has been passed and approved and all the necessary fees have been paid. As the Government have received their fees, it is their duty to see that these issues are addressed and the parties are allowed to carry on with their work.

Lastly, non-availability of labour and random price-rise of raw materials. If you construct something today by the time you finish the project in a year, the prices have changed. And they always go up. Labour is a big problem as most as labour is from outside Goa which leads to different time constraints.

The relationship between a client and an architect is always

very cordial, where as the relationship between a client and contractor starts off cordially but ends up in turmoil as construction costs change, time frame is not adhered to etc. To avoid these conflicts and going to Court, sometimes, Architects have to act as arbitrators trying to settle these conflicts.

Apart from these issues, work is extremely pleasurable.

All jobs have their share of stress which is manageable, but when problems like these arise, stress levels go up which creates unnecessary tensions.

But despite these hiccups, the joy of being an architect is immense.

Recently I was bestowed with an award from ‘The Konkani Shanti Publication’ for my work on the Islamic Center in Mapusa, I have also won a couple of other awards in the past.

One of the reasons I stayed back in Goa is because most of my classmates have moved out of Goa and even India. I believe it is my responsibility to repay the State for the amount they have invested in me. There is also a lot of scope in Goa and there will be for atleast another 20 years.

After that, probably scope will reduce due to the scarcity of land but there are different fields that an architect can enter into.

So even if one door closes, a window opens somewhere else.

That said, I would advise all upcoming architects to figure out whether they want the money or want to beautify the State. Goa is filled with Indo-Portuguese and colonial structures. As architects, are we going to help build and maintain this style or are we going to build monoliths that do not match the place? Do not compromise on the character of the place and convince the client to choose designs that match the area

LADY POWER

“I am a workaholic and finding the right balance between family and work does get a tad bit taxing, but I need to create that balance for myself if I am to be able to feel an inner peace within myself. It is only then that I am at my creative best.”

Radio Gaga Media personality Ethel Da Costa in a chat with ALISHA PATEL speaks about her journey through a maze called media

E

thel Da Costa is a well known and respected personality in Goa’s media industry.

From creating a niche in the print media, to being the driving force behind popular radio station, Radio Mirchi, Ethel has done it all. Looking back, Ethel recollects an incident where as a young girl of about eight, she had told her mother that when she grows up she will be rich, famous and will travel the world. That is exactly what happened to her. “Media to me happened as a result of chance and opportunity,” says Ethel, who despite being a Post Graduate in Economics was always inclined towards writing and while she was still in school and college, wrote for various home publications and journals.

Fresh out of college, Ethel joined reputed English daily, ‘Herald’ where she worked her way up the corporate ladder and successfully launched numerous weekend magazines for the Herald. From there, she continued peaking with her stint at ‘Femina’ where she worked as the Regional copy editor for a period of five years. She then moved on to launching an English magazine for regional newspaper ‘Tarun Bharat’ called the ‘Groove’ which was an instant hit among the youth. And if that was not enough to add to her varied experience, Ethel was asked to join the International Film Festival of India team as the key media handler and launch festival magazines. She has also represented Goa at the famed Cannes Film Festival in France.

Call it luck or a classic case of ‘when one door closes another opens’, Ethel, who by now had created a name for herself in the print media, was extended a lucrative offer by a reputed media house in Mumbai and local radio station, ‘Radio Mirchi.’ “Given the choice, I chose Goa, as Mumbai 34 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

was too common a choice and I believe in creating my own opportunities, so I stuck back to do that and see what the radio as medium had to offer. Since then, there has been no looking back,” says Ethel proudly.

A huge radio buff herself, Ethel admits that when she initially took over as Station Director and Programming head, there was a lot of learning and unlearning involved. “What works in print, will not work on the radio and there were a few mistakes made along the way.

But that was all a part of the learning process,” explains Ethel.

“I had to figure out how to create air space opportunities and reach a whole new segment of listeners as well as clients. Common sense and creativity have taken me a long way in the field.” Since 2008, Ethel has been creating waves on air and has made Radio Mirchi a household name by identifying with her audience through local music segments and other creative activities.

A single mother, and a self confessed workaholic, Ethel admits that while it is hard to balance her personal and professional lives, she has started to make conscious attempts to spend time with her teenage

After spending a large part of her career in the print media, locally as well as on national brands, Ethel gave in to her desire to work in radio when Radio Mirchi came her way daughters. “I am a workaholic and finding the right balance between family and work does get a tad bit taxing. But I need to

Ethel Da Costa

try

Ethel’s book of poe

create that balance for myself if I am to be able to feel an inner peace within myself. It is only then that I am at my creative best,” she feels.

Choosing to describe herself as assertive, powerful, sexy, ambitious and sensitive, Ethel finds that despite living in a society where gender equality is defined on paper, reality paints a different picture. Where she has to work four times harder than her male peers to break the preconceived notions of the Indian woman, which, she says through experience, are taken merely at face value. “While I have worked

hard to prove myself in a male dominated sphere, I have found that no two days are the same for me. There is no such thing as a 9-5 job, I live and breathe work.

I try to find method to madness and make time my greatest ally.

I believe that if you give time the respect it deserves, you can get thirty six hours out of a twenty four hour day,” explains Ethel of a typical day in her life. On a rare day off work, Ethel can be found enjoying a good movie, or listening to music or shoe shopping. “I love shoe shopping.

I can go bananas!,” she says ecstatically. “I live everyday like it is my last, because who knows what may happen tomorrow,” says Ethel, who reveals that she would love to dabble with the television form of media to add to her repertoire of media achievements, as she finds the visual form of media extremely creative and currently the most popular form of reaching out to people. “I believe in enjoying everything that comes along my way, no matter what it is,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes

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WHAT’S UP GOA

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CII-Conference on “Riding the Next Wave of Green Practices” After the success of the 1st conference on ‘Green Buildings for a Green Goa’ the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Goa Chapter will be hosting the second edition of the conference on January 19. This is keeping in tune with the CII-IGBC’s initiative to advance the Green Building concept in Goa through the involvement of stakeholders of the construction industry. The event this year, would focus on Green Manufacturing, Green/Eco Tourism, Green/alternate Energy, Green Infrastructure: Corporate and Residential arena. Riding the Next Wave of Green Practices will feature a one-day conference focusing on green practices in manufacturing, tourism, energy and Green Buildings which will be supported by parallel display of products in the form of an Exhibition simultaneously to the Conference The major objectives of the Conference are to mainstream the green building movement and enable the State of Goa to

emerge as a major player in green buildings/revolution for a major transformation and to enhance use of Green practices / concepts in the Manufacturing, Service and Hospitality Industry.

The conference also aims to showcase innovative green technologies. Green building products, equipment and services.

The Conference will also expose participants to the latest in global trends, concepts and techniques in Green Businesses and facilitate networking and exploration of new business opportunities.

This session is intended to bring together industry leaders from several Indian manufacturing companies across sectors which have transformed their manufacturing processes on a sustainability path through innovative design, technology and engineering, and attained healthy growth. It will also address various concepts, techniques and technologies of alternate Energy that would help the Industry in effective energy conservation

Dilli Wali Nayi Sadak ki Chaat

Does the word “Chaat” get your mouth watering and you can’t wait to taste crunchy papdi dipped in curd and sweet tamarind chutney? Then celebrate with friends and family at the Chaat Festival ‘Dilli Wali Nayi Sadak ki Chaat’ at Café Azul, Cidade de Goa. The Chef who has spent years in perfecting North Indian cuisine will re-create 30 different varieties from 11th to 20th January. This festival promises 36 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

to take you on a memorable trip down the lanes of Delhi through a variety of chaats and other street food from Sujiwale Golgappe, Dahi Aloopuri to Raj Kachori, Paan ki chaat and lots more.

“Dilli Wali Nayi Sadak ki Chaats” are incredibly tangy and spicy and sometimes sweet, too.

So don’t miss out on the spicy, crunchy tastes and aromas.

There are 3 different menus, each running for 3 consecutive days at Café Azul from 11th to 20th January. Weekdays from 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm and weekends from 12:30 p m to 11.00 p m.

Call 2454545 for more information

Vision Goa Real Estate expands operations Known for high Director and the quality construction organization’s guiding and ethical dealings, force, aims to expand Vision Goa Real the organization by Estate Developers ensuring that the has over the last six ‘trust’ associated with years become one the Dempo name is of the most reputed not compromised and names in real estate that their customers developers.

Vision receives value for Rajesh Dempo Goa Real Estate Developers, a their money invested. Rajesh Vishwasrao Dempo Enterprise says “Creating your dream home with young professionals at is no less than an art. We are the helm of affairs, is rapidly expanding our business with the expanding their base in Goa. Its aim of providing affordable and current projects include prime quality homes to Goans and the areas like Tonca (Caranzalem), rest of India. Our main focus is Merces, Arpora, Assagao, to ensure that construction is Mapusa and Porvorim. Projects undertaken by abiding to the in rapidly developing areas such environmental and sustainability as Ponda and Bicholim are in the rules and regulations and that the pipeline for the near future. safety to the workforce on site is This includes 2 and 3 bedroom not compromised.” apartments, penthouses, villas, Sales and Marketing commercial premises – both for Manager, Melvin Noronha sale and lease. The company is comments, “Our sales cycle also involved with restoration of extends to post-sales followold structures; their very own ups such as resolving customer office “Vision House”, located issues, executing professional next to The Crown Goa Hotel, is maintenance contracts, etc. a classic example of a structure Under–promise and over-deliver restored from dilapidation to a is what we aim to achieve with well-conserved, livable premises. every sale we do”.

Vision Goa Real Estate The parent company, Vision Developers leaves no stone Dempo Hospitality and Estates unturned to ensure that they Pvt. Ltd, is proud to be a part not only meet but exceed the of the Hospitality industry as commitments made to customers well. They aim to provide firstthus ensuring that all customers class service to all guests as can enjoy a hassle-free buying be experienced at The Crown experience.

Goa Hotel, located near the old Rajesh Dempo, Managing Secretariat in Panjim

STUDIO 101 launches goa’s first health and fitness e-magazine Studio 101, Goa’s premier fitness centre, launched by Nivedita Dempo has re-launched its in-house magazine as a free monthly e-magazine, BeFitGoa. com. Edited by Puranjaya Singh and Nivedita Dempo, BeFitGoa. com aims to disseminate health, fitness and nutrition tips, news and information to a wider audience than just the Studio 101 members. Studio 101 is among the most sought after holistic

fitness and wellness centers, located in the heart of Panjim in St. Inez. Studio 101 also offers a variety of fitness regimes and group fitness classes. They also have an in-house nutritionist and a health café. Starting this January, getting fitter and healthier just got a little easier.

So, what are you waiting for?

Log on to www.BeFitGoa.com to get the latest on health and fitness!

Crab a bite at Goa Marriott

Goa Marriott Resort and Spa invites you to pull on your pincers and dive right in, at the Crabfood festival at Simply Grills, the moonlit riverside restaurant, from January 12 to 23. Savour oceanfresh crabilicious delicacies cooked to perfection by expert Chefs, while being serenaded by lashing waves under the starlit skies.

Relish the finest of the ocean’s shelled bounty, fished

out and infused with a variety of exquisite marinades. The freshest specialty crab dishes available at the festival include piping hot Crab Bisque, lipsmacking Crab Ravioli and a sinfully rich Crab Lasagna. Or savour delightful Indian flavours as you dig into the succulent Tandoori Crab Claws.

Those willing to experiment can opt for the flavourful Singaporean Chili Crab or the Panko crusted Cajun Crab Cakes.

And of course, no Crab festival is complete without the all-time favourite Stuffed Baked Crab!

Look no further for the tenderest, juiciest and freshest crabs this fortnight!

Crab a bite of all this only at the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa! For reservations, please call 0832-2463333

GMA’s Evening Lecture Series Talk by Rajesh Chheda Goa Management Association, in association with Sri Sri Institute of Management Studies, Margao has organized a Talk by Rajesh Chheda, on “Risk and Investment Management – in Today’s Times” on 29 January at Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Surendrababu Timblo Hall, Panaji.

This session will be very informative and useful for those who are already investing and those who are interested in investments in share markets, mutual funds, etc. Specially, beginners or students who want to make a career in investments will get very vital inputs and tips from the experienced speaker.

This talk is open to all.

Rajesh Chheda is a Chartered Accountant by qualification and a certified financial planner by profession. He has been in the financial services field in Goa over the last two decades and runs his firm styled as “Finance Factory”. He has been a visiting faculty at the Goa University, Goa Institute of Management, and other such institutions.

He is a member of the prestigious Million Dollar Round Table, a premier association of financial professionals headquartered in USA and has been consistently attending their annual meetings in USA over the last decade

Read the Voice of Business in Goa

www.businessgoa.net 15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 37

SPACE

HR MANTRAS

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Stamp Out Bad Behaviour Have a zero-tolerance approach to bad behaviour at your work place

LINES OF ZERO TOLERANCE Unacceptable

Acceptable

Bad Behavior

Good Behavior

Wrong side

Right side Tolerable blind eye deaf ear fringe zone

While mistakes can be tolerated, bad behaviour cannot. It is corrosive and erodes the discipline necessary for a team to work well together in doing the business and delivering results 38 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

B

ad behaviour demotivates all around. Nobody should be allowed to cross the line between good and bad behaviour. Bad behaviour is like a virus, infecting teams, draining them of energy, and causing immense damage. The weakest bosses fail to confront these problems and as a result a malaise sets in and performance deteriorates.

Each team leader will need to create in his or her mind a line of zero tolerance of behaviour that is unacceptable and must be dealt with immediately if infringements occur. Close to the line will be certain fringe activities that the boss might not like but might well tolerate by turning a blind eye or deaf ear to them. Again, each leader will have to make a personal decision regarding what constitutes these fringe activities.

A case in point is what happened a few years ago at a twoday residential conference in a hotel in Pune. At 3.00 a.m. the speaker was woken by drunken delegates from another conference staggering along

the corridor outside his room, shouting, singing, swearing, and banging on guests’ doors. There were complaints to the hotel management, who dealt with the issue and in turn complained to the Chief Executive of the Company employing the drunks.

He was on site attending the conference. At 10.30 a.m. the culprits were called to a conference room and fired on the spot for bringing their employer into disrepute.

While mistakes can be tolerated, bad behaviour cannot.

It is corrosive and erodes the discipline necessary for a team to work well together in doing the business and delivering results.

Further examples of bad behaviour are when a team member: 1. Runs other people down behind their back (and shows frequent disrespect for others).

2. Is generally “difficult” (e.g., always raising objections when asked to do something).

3. Makes offensive remarks about other people and/or makes rude gestures.

4. Abuses privileges (e.g., uses company equipment for personal purposes).

5. Utters racist, sexist, ageist, or any type of prejudicial remark.

6. Swears, uses abusive language, shouts, and/or loses their temper.

7. Is always late for meetings as well as for work.

8. Frequently interrupts other people.

9. Indulges in horseplay.

10. Ignores people.

11. Bullies someone.

12. Fiddles expenses.

13. Plays internal politics.

14. Sexually harasses someone.

15. Complains about everything.

16. Does not listen to colleagues.

17. Is more argumentative than co-operative.

18. Steals company materials (e.g., stationery).

19. Pins offensive pictures to walls and screens.

20. Tells lies (or covers up, or does not come clean).

21. Is always telling other people how to do their jobs.

22. Spends a lot of time at work chatting about personal issues.

23.

Never volunteers for anything (leaving other team members to do the extra work).

24. Fails to turn off their mobile during meetings and gives a higher priority to messages than to what colleagues are saying

The Biz Step Be proactive in preventing bad behaviour. Work closely with your team to agree a code of conduct for how you work together. This need not be written down – but that does help. The code should be reviewed from time to time The Biz Point The root cause of poor performance is often bad behaviour

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

Shell Company is a legal entity, just as any company as per law, registered with the Registrar of Companies. When considered positively they are the start-up companies that aim to garner funds and takeoff the enterprise

The Surreptitious Shell Companies Shell companies often work under the corporate veil posing security threats

A Daniel Albuquerque The columnist is a writer of highly acclaimed books: ‘Business Ethics, Principles’ and ‘Practices and Legal Aspects of Business’, published by Oxford University Press

There are no easy solutions to bust the shell companies.

However, not only stricter but also a highly vigilant and responsible corporate governance can hit at the roots of shell companies with mala fide intentions

s the political storm against corruption raged in Delhi in the final quarter of 2012, the media unearthed that Nitin Gadkari, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was key to several shell companies, the surreptitious business organizations which are used to launder money. As the very term suggests, these companies are like empty shells; they have merely nominal assets.

Shell Company is a legal entity, just as any company as per law, registered with the Registrar of Companies. When considered positively they are the start-up companies that aim to garner funds and takeoff the enterprise.

Abuse of a Legal Entity The allegation of the Gadkari shell company called the Purti Group is a classic case of its genre.

Purti Co-operative which is a registered organization that deals with groceries, it is alleged that it is a front to sell groceries in retail, where fair-price, discount, etc. work on the one hand to wash clean the unaccounted money and the other to evade tax. Prima facie, nothing of these could be termed illegal. The chairman and the board of directors of such a company can come out of this case unscathed.

In a suit of M/s Media Asia Private Ltd. versus Prasar Bharati (10.5.2012), it was held

by the High Court of Delhi that an execution proceeding cannot be taken out against a shell company which supposedly has no assets.

Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the international institution that functions in 180 countries in the world which urges its members to take measures against abuse. In India, the Registrar of Companies can demand compliance and ensure as to who are beneficiaries, the domicile and professions of the board of directors, audited accounts and all the details filed as annual returns.

‘The Economist’ (9.12.2012, Vol. 404) brought out an extensive case study titled, “Launderers Anonymous” conducted by Michel Findley, Daniel Nielson and Jason Sharman – all university professors. The study was undertaken in all the FATF countries which revealed that of the 3,700 incorporation service providers only 48% asked for compliance. Most revealing was the fact that in tax havens such as Cayman Islands, Jersey, etc., the compliance rate was much higher than in OECD countries which as developed countries should have had full compliance.

More than 50% of the service providers did not even demand notarized documents. The study found the use/misuse of shell companies has been, apart

from usual money laundering, for bribe giving and taking, avoid sanctions, evade tax and financing of terrorist activities.

The major difficulty in all the cases has been that these illegal activities are hidden behind the corporate veil, a legal protection that companies have, just as an individual has to his privacy.

Shell Companies Pose Danger to Global Security Consider the following examples for endangering global security.

In 2009, in a routine check at Bangkok airport it was revealed that North Korean made arms were being transported to Iran.

This is against the international sanctions placed on Iran. Further, a New Zealand company actually was conducting the deal whose board of directors could not be traced. In 2010 BAE, the British Arms manufacturer pleaded guilty for receiving funds from untraceable shell companies spread over from British Islands to Saudi Arabia.

Conclusion There are no easy solutions to bust shell companies. However, not only stricter but also a highly vigilant and responsible corporate governance can hit at the roots of shell companies with mala fide intentions. If every member of FATF acts things may change for the better

WHAT’S UP GOA

QuizStock: Goa’s festival of quizzing

Goa’s reputation as a centre of quizzing has been growing over the last few years, and central to that is the Sunday Evening Quiz Club (SEQC). SEQC’s marquee quiz of the year is the ‘Goa Open.’

This year, SEQC in association with The International Centre Goa plans to extend the experience

for outstation quizzers and their local competition, by bracketing the ‘Goa Open’ with two other quizzes under the banner of QuizStock, the Goa Festival of Quizzing. The event begin at 2 pm on Saturday January 19, with a quiz on the year gone by.

This will be followed by the ‘Goa Open’ the same evening. The next morning, Sunday January

20, starting 9.30 am, there will be a bumper quiz on movies, called ‘So You Think You’re A Film Buff?’ The questions in the quiz will feature fare from Hollywood, Bollywood and regional cinema as well as international cinema, covering arthouse to grindhouse to house full. All the quizzes will be hosted at the International Centre Goa, and the QuizMaster

for all the quizzes will be Aniruddha Sen Gupta. Entry to all the quizzes is free, and open to all, from the youngest school student to the sprightliest senior citizen. While the 2012 quiz which kicks off the festival is noncompetitive, there will be prizes for both the Goa Open as well as the Movie Quiz. >http://seqc.blogspot.com 15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 39

SERVING ACES

It is now generally accepted that a large part of the habits that get formed are controlled by a small neurological tissue at the center of our brains called the basal ganglia which is responsible for essentially “learning” any sequence of activities or behaviour that gets triggered in a given situation.

A bit on habits You can develop a ‘good’ habit pretty much like how you have gathered bad ones, says the columnist

Nilesh Amonker The Writer is a natural entrepreneur.

An alumnus of the prestigious Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, he traverses diverse businesses like info-tech and real estate.

I

ts 2013 – a brand new year is here again! And it’s that time of the year, when we all make fresh resolutions; resolutions that are made essentially to break bad habits and to cultivate good ones. So what is a habit? And what goes into making of a good habit and breaking of a bad one?

If you are serious about keeping your resolutions in the new year, it might be worthwhile to take a few minutes to understand how habits are formed and how they work.

Back in the 1990s, a group of researchers at MIT did a significant amount of study on habits and on the basis of that study, it is now generally accepted that a large part of the habits that get formed are controlled by a small neurological tissue at the 40 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

center of our brains called the basal ganglia. The basal ganglia is responsible for essentially “learning” any sequence of activities or behaviour that gets triggered in a given situation.

Several repetitions later, these series of actions or behaviour ceases to be purposeful or consciously driven and assumes an almost automatic nature and a habit is born.

Take for instance the act of driving your car. When you first learnt to drive, the entire exercise was one of purposeful action and almost extreme concentration.

You got into the car, adjusted the seat and the rear-view mirror, strapped on the seat-belt, inserted the ignition key, started the engine, released the handbrake, put the car into first gear and carefully released the clutch as you gently depressed the accelerator pedal. Whoa – what an effort that was! And then, after a few coughs and sputters and several jerks later, it was no effort at all.

Your basal ganglia had “learned” the sequence of actions and had made them into an automatic routine. What had required immense concentration when you started off, now required very little mental effort and the routine occurred entirely by habit – the brain was freed of the processing that it was required to do when you started learning how to drive. It was now free to focus on other activities or matters of importance while you drove around town quite effortlessly.

The brain is always trying to save effort and this is how habits emerge. Left to itself, the brain will almost convert any routine into a habit. Present it with the right cue and the routine is then automatically executed in the fashion that the brain “learned” it. And that’s the downside of it; unless you make a conscious attempt to fight a habit – unless you find fresh and new routines –

If it is a bad habit that you want to break, you have to investigate the cues that trigger that particular habit and study what it is that you essentially get out of the routine that follows that cue

the pattern that was learned will unfold in auto mode.

So if it is a bad habit that you want to break, you have to investigate the cues that trigger that particular habit and study what it is that you essentially get out of the routine that follows that cue. Take for instance, the habit of taking a coffee break while you are at work. Is it really the shot of coffee that you want or is it a break to stretch and break the monotony of sitting at your

desk? Or perhaps the urge to get up to speed on the office gossip?

Or just an urge to socialize? The coffee could just be an excuse to fulfill a different, more important urge. If you can identify the “real” urge or reward that your bad habit is actually serving, chances are you can replace the “bad routine” with a “good routine” and still satisfy the urge. In essence you would be replacing a bad habit with a good one!

On the other hand if it’s a good habit that you want to cultivate or develop, it is important to understand “why” you want build that habit. Having done that, you have to “teach” your basal ganglia to understand the cue and what routine to kickstart and follow that cue!

For example, if its going for a jog that you want to do every morning, you would initially need to put in purposeful effort to “teach” your brain the cue for the routine. The cue could be the simple act of slipping into your track suit or jogging shoes.

Follow this by the routine of actually going for a jog and you would end up rewarding yourself with the good feeling that the rush of endorphins bring with them.

Done consistently over a period of time, this would evolve into a good habit such that every time you get into your jogging shoes, the brain automatically follows

WHAT’S UP GOA

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NaikNavare enters Goa with 2 luxury offerings Naiknavare, a Group established in 1986 is floated by a family of technocrats and has ongoing residential and commercial properties in Pune, NaviMumbai, Goa and Kolhapur. The group consist of 10 companies categorized under chemical, construction and real estate, hospitality and pharmaceuticals.

Their 2 new projects in Goa are ‘Silent Orchard’ in Goa Velha and ‘Esmeralda’ at Kadamba Plateau.

‘Silent Orchard’ is a 65 acre project sub-divided into 45 plots, having 45 luxurious villas with private swimming pool, parking deck, separate servants quarters and are equipped with all modern amenities. Plot sizes starts from 1 Acre and goes up to 2 Acres.

‘Esmeralda’ is strategically located on Kadamba Plateau, Panjim extension, which is

an upcoming area having a guarantee of return on Investment. It’s a complete 42 Acre project equipped with 1, 2, 3 and 4 BHK Apartments, 3 BHK Row Houses, 4 BHK Villas, Commercial Shops and Offices.

‘Esmeralda’ is perfectly planned to suit the best standard of living, clubbed with all modern amenities and fun-play zones.

Amenities like 24 Hours security, landscaped gardens with natural pond, Clb house with lounge area, swimming pool with pool bar and kids pool, fitness park with gym and Tai Chi court, meditation centers, jacuzzi and spa, Earthquake resistant structures, skating park, jogging track, green amphitheatre, seating alcove, water management, power management and waste management among other highend amenities

the routine of jogging and there is no resistance whatsoever.

Of course, you cannot escape the initial effort of doing it consistently until the routine gets firmly embedded in your brain. It is widely believed that it takes 21 days to set a routine and develop a habit although I doubt there is any empirical evidence to justify that figure!

Good habits once cultivated can be as addictive as bad ones – only much more rewarding.

That perhaps explains why we see so many ‘fitness freaks’ and ‘workaholics’ – as if that was a entirely bad thing to be!!

On a personal note, the best good habit I have cultivated is my morning ritual of preparing for the day ahead. How you start your day is a major determinant of how the rest of your day follows and it is through experience that I can vouch for this approach – for the dramatic rise in productivity that it brings along with it and the sense of satisfaction it brings at the end of the day for having ticked off at least one important item on your to-do list. Of course,

there are days when I don’t do it but those are the days when I drift aimlessly doing more fire-fighting and indulging in “pleasurable” activities than actually doing something that moves me closer to what’s important to me.

Remember: your life does not get better by chance; it gets better by change – a change to good habits. On the other hand, bad habits are like a comfortable bed – easy to get into, but hard to get out of! As Robert Gilbert famously said, “First we form habits, then they form us. Control your habits for they will control you”.

The future clearly depends on what we do in the present and when it’s time to make fresh resolutions in 2014, I hope you are able to turn around, look back and say – “wow, what a lovely year 2013 was!” In whatever you choose to do this year, motivation may get you started but habit is what will keep you going… for, at the end of it all, successful people are simply those with successful habits! nileshamonker@yahoo.com

Devdas Naik receives Indian Achievers Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction Devdas Y. Naik

Devdas Y. Naik, Chairman and Executive Director of Highland Constructions Pvt. Ltd., Mapusa and Candolim was recently honoured with the prestigious Indian Achievers Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction, 2012. The Award is presented by Indian Achievers Forum, New Delhi, an Institute run by Sunil Shastri, son of late Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.

The Award was declared at the Indian Habitat Centre, New Delhi during the 33rd Indian Achievers Summit held last month. It was given at the hands of Dy. Prime Minister of Thailand with a memento and Excellence Certificate. Devdas Naik has been awarded for his laudable contribution in the field of high quality construction and project management, besides having received honours for excellence in the hospitality industry in Goa. Highland Beach Resort, Highland Holiday Homes are some of his projects in the hospitality

sector.

Naik’s construction projects, currently approaching completion stage are Highland Villas, Highland Park and Highland Vistas.

Naik prides the fact that he has been instrumental in providing employment to many besides creating a reputation as a self-made businessman for himself.

Many institutes, global and Indian, have taken note of his efforts and honoured him. These include CNBC Awaaz of TV-18 Group, CRISIL Credai’s Best Holiday Home Award, Excellency Leader Award of Best Employer Brand in Asia, Economic Times Award, Business Goa Award, Global Achievers Award for Business Leadership by Economic Development Forum.

Naik’s contribution in his area of business were evaluated by a jury comprising Forum founder Sunil Shastri, Ex–CBI Director Joginder Singh, D. K. Bakshi, Harishchandra among others

The Voice of Business in Goa 15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 41

BON APPÉTIT

Coros velvet

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On the highway to Goan Food Coros Velvet has carved a name for itself with its unique Goan cuisine, finds ALISHA PATEL

Coros special red and white prawns

W Chef Conrad Coutinho and Rovino Rodrigues

What makes our dishes stand out is that we produce our own spices which are used exclusively by our kitchens

42 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

hile cruising along the Miramar-Donapaula stretch, infamous for motorists driving at breakneck speeds, one could easily zoom past Coros Velvet without realizing that one has just missed out on some of the most exquisite Goan cuisine up for grabs.

However, if you are among the fortunate to step inside Coros Velvet, believe me you will be left begging for more.

“Coros” from the combination of “Conrad”, the Head Chef, and “Rovino”, an engineer turned entrepreneur, has been creating waves among foodies. From humble beginings in 2003, at a small space in hometown Dabolim, they have shifted base to reach out to a larger section of true Goan food lovers.

Upon entering this cozy and homely restaurant, we were warmly welcomed

by Conrad who adviced us to try their specialties which have been tweaked by him to create a memorable dining experience. In came the Coros special Chicken Xukhem, perfectly cooked boneless chicken in

a blend of spices. “What makes our dishes stand out is that we produce our own spices which are used exclusively by our kitchens,” informs Chef Conrad.

The difference could definitely be felt in the flavours which were fresh and not over powering and went naturally well with perfectly seasoned Garlic Bread. Next came the Chef’s special – Red and White Prawns. Juicy and succulent prawns cooked with a tangy fresh recheado masala and a smooth creamy white sauce was just what was needed to transport us from the hustle and bustle right outside the window to a higher level where food was our God. While Coros Velvet is a dual rhapsody of European and Goan food, the focus remains largely on the ever popular Goan food.

Seafood is the most obvious and

The interiors of Coros Velvet at Caranzalem

popular choice among regular diners who frequent Coros for their famed Kilo Crabs, freshly made to order. While they have tried to avoid Chinese and Indian preparations, they do cater to these taste buds and include a section of Indian and Chinese dishes, which are very popular too and are a class above the rest.

“Always leave room for dessert” advices Chef Conrad; which was possibly the best advice given to me in the New Year.

Coros signature Crème Caramel and Banoffee pudding are not only a feast for the eyes but also a feast to the taste buds.

Definitely worth saving room for; and most definitely not worth zooming past this quiet testimony to fresh and lovingly prepared good old Goan food

Chicken Xukhem

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Windmill Café opens at Candolim Windmill Café is a Restaurant Café and an event venue situated along the shores of Candolim Beach, the ideal place for sun, sea, surf and food by the sea.

Conceptualized by Rajesh Khaunte, Shailesh Shetty and Girish Desai, the trio have displayed their experience, skill and effort to deliver a hospitality and event venue showcasing the culinary delicacies of the treasures of the Arabian Sea. Windmill Café is a place for people of all ages to hang out.

Being served delicacies from all around the world, the café boasts of a ‘Fish Bazaar’ showcasing the freshest catch from the coast.

The bar at the café showcases the finest sprits the trade has to offer, from an exclusive array of wines and malts, scotches and whiskeys from across the globe.

As you unwind at the Windmill Café, you could also explore your adventurous side on ATVs on the specially designed track at the venue

Ashish Sawardekar

Pallavi Lawande

Jyotsna Bhat

Rohan Khaunte

Shailesh Shetty

Adv. Francis D’Souza

Nilesh Cabral

Akshata Khaunte & Neelam Khaunte

Shraddha Tarcar

Faye Quadros

Rajesh Khaunte

Girish Dessai

Tanya Kenkre

Mitesh Gosalia

Tatva range of Spa products launched by Asha Arondekar Asha Arondekar added another feather to her cap. It was a celebration of lifestyle at her Tatva Spa as she launched her range of spa products and introduced her guests to the range of services available at the spa.

Despite being a working day, a large number of friends and well wishers turned up to congratulate Asha and were seen unwinding over gourmet snacks and relaxing spa treatments.

Amol Arondekar, the lone man, played the perfect host for his wife’s party and introduced the women to the newly launched line up of spa products Asha Arondekar and Priyanka

Amarja Karande

Avanti Angle

Cicleta Mavani

Dr. Tejashree

Sheetal Pai Kane

Gauri Karkal

Soraya Pinto Makhija

Sangana Gosalia

Neha Malhotra

Arti Mukherji

Nandini Sahai

Adv. Neela Navelkar

44 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

Khushi Dawda

Meena Jain

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TARA JEWELLERS hosts an evening of shine, shimmer and sparkle with Vaishali Joshi

Vikram Raizada and Vaishali Joshi

Mangala Naik

Monica Bariya

Akshaya Dempo

Nirupa Angle

Madhavi Shetye

Maya Kamat

Vinata Naik

Gaurapriya Pai Kane

Dr. Sanjyot Nadkarni

Kalyani Laud

Vaishali Joshi and Vikram Raizada hosted an exclusive preview of the recently launched Myra Collection over a High Tea party which was attended by the crème de la crème of Goa. Myra Collection’s intricate designs with flowing motifs studded with diamonds enrich its beauty while romantic filigree and careful engravings compliment its delicate and breezy form. The collection that has been designed by Tara’s jewellery designer Prernaa Makhariaa is available in three distinct assortments – the Contemporary Classic Collection, the Victorian Lace Collection and the New Age Chic Collection “My idea was to showcase the unique, interesting and very wearable Myra collection to an audience of highly discerning connoisseurs of jewellery,” said Vaishali Joshi speaking about the event and her association with Tara Jewellers

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15 JANUARY 2013

Business Goa 45

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Shrinivas Dempo elected as AIFF Assavri Kulkarni’s range of t’shirts Vice President Assavri Kulkarni, creative artist and photographer Boosting its newfound status of being the capital of Indian football, Goa will now have its own representative in the top echelons of the game’s governing body after Shrinivas V Dempo was elected as Vice President of the All India Football Federation on Thursday. Shrinivas, who is the President of Goa Football Association, will represent West Zone and is one of the five Vice Presidents elected in the Annual General Body Meeting of the AIFF held at the Football House in New Delhi. Praful Patel was unanimously re-elected as the President. Shrinivas Dempo’s name was proposed for the post by the GFA during its executive meeting held at Duler last month. The majority of the executive members of the GFA had felt that he, who also owns the country’s number one football club –Dempo Sports Club Pvt. Ltd., would be the right choice to contest for the Vice President’s position as he would be able to form an ideal link between Goa and AIFF considering his gigantic stature in Indian football. The executive committee members also believed that Shrinivas has the best credentials to represent AIFF as West Zone’s Vice-President, a position which, they thought, could prove highly influential in ensuring that Goan football in particular would benefit through his good offices and the kind of cordial rapport he shares with the top brass of AIFF.

Shekhar Sardessai’s Kineco ties up with US based Kaman Aerospace Kineco Pvt. Ltd, a company promoted by President of Goa State Industries Association, Shekhar Sardessai and Kaman Aerospace Group Inc., a subsidiary of Kaman Corporation, USA, announced the formal inauguration of their joint venture in Goa. The JV, a new company which has been named Kineco Kaman Composites India Pvt. Ltd., will manufacture advanced composite structures for aerospace, defence, medical imaging and other industries using the latest carbon fibre materials and autoclave curing technology. This will include composite structural parts for modern aircraft and helicopters and potentially, parts for spacecrafts. Kineco’s Advanced Composite Division’s manufacturing facilities and business which has been in existence for the past 7 years, has now been assigned to this new JV.

Kornelia Santoro releases book on cooking for allergies Kornelia Santoro recently released her second cook book titled ‘Cooking for Allergies’, which is also the first of its kind in India. Kornelia, who has written the book based on personal experiences, says that it took two years to compile the book as she was developing new recipes made with easy to find local ingredients.

“I tried to keep the recipes as simple as possible. Nobody wants to spend all day long in the kitchen,” says Kornelia. When you suffer from food allergies, most of the readymade foods in supermarkets are off limits for you. To avoid allergens, the best is to cook everything from scratch. The book also includes a chapter titled ‘Quick fixes’ which suggests meals which you can whip up within ten minutes.

46 Business Goa

15 JANUARY 2013

by profession has come out with her own line up of t-shirts called ‘Mind Drawings’. “I believe that there has to be a design element in everything that we see and do; rather there is and it is this division of space that makes a line, form or shape visually attractive. Assavri’s mind conjures form and lines into design of sorts that take shape to explode and celebrate, appeal and evoke a reaction sometimes subtly and sometimes with a force that speaks volumes of the moods that she goes through. “More importantly, these thoughts create a graphic story of a different world in my mind and its designs that I present to you on this limited edition tee shirt. Go ahead, wear one and feel the design sense in your life,” Assavri says.

Mahendra Caculo wins Valuation Award

Mahendra Caculo (seen left in the picture), one of the most sought after speakers on valuation in the country with over fifteen years of experience in the field and a member of the prestigious Institution of Valuers was recently awarded Silver Medal for the year 2012 for his article published in the monthly publication “Indian Valuer”. The articles published in the monthly are contributed by members and experts from all over the country and every year three best articles selected by an expert commitee are awarded. A Civil Engineer by profession, Mahendra has presented over fifteen papers all over India at various National Seminars over the past five years. His article’Valuation of Investment Properties’ was awarded silver medal for the year 2012.

quiz

43

1. Which English word was registered as a trademark by MasterCard in 1998?

2. Whose memoirs are titled “The Green Room”?

3. Rich Uncle Pennybags is the mascot of which brand?

4. Which brand created by North Carolina pharmacist Lunsford Richardson, has as its main ingredient camphor, eucalyptol and menthol?

5. Identify this businessman

Answers to BG Quiz 42 1. Samsung 2. Hajmola 3. Amazon.com 4. Big Mac 5. Rajeev Chandrashekhar Email your entries to businessgoa.media@gmail.com First all correct entry will get 1 year’s subscription to Business Goa Winners of BG Quiz 42 prasad kenkre, narayan parab

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Modubab Timblo January 15, 1922 – January 8, 1993 In the last half of the last century, hundreds of thousands in Goa made a living.

Schools were built and filled. There were health facilities to treat the sick.

There was money in the banks. Mineral Development not only co-existed with nature but enhanced it.

Goa was en-route to becoming a self-sufficient self-reliant State.

That was the era when visionaries like Modu Timblo lived. They created wealth with the currency of its people. He created it for them and for the sake of Goa’s dignity. It is for this dignity and self-sufficiency of Goa’s people, that people such as him would have worked towards a referendum in favour of an economically desirable mineral activity in Goa just like they tirelessly did in 1967, to keep Goa, Goan. ... only if he was with us today! ...

Fomento misses its founder.

On his 91st birth anniversary, Fomento pledges to walk the tough path and fulfill his vision to make Goa, truly a land of its people.

WHERE PEOPLE ARE OUR ENVIRONMENT