BUSINESSGOA
50
Goa’s Only Business Magazine
www.businessgoa.in
JANUARY 2014
PANAJI GOA VOL 5 ISSUE 7
Infiniti Modules Pvt. Ltd.
mastering ergonomics 12
This Pilerne-based company is a front runner in the business of modular office and school furniture across the country
Sanjeev Trivedi
MD, Infiniti Modules Pvt. Ltd.
Sand Mining focus
18
Nandini Vaidyanathan interview
24
Diksha Khanna lady power
36
News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features
Contents
January 2014
28 Goan Brand
12
Caravella Wines looks for a brighter future in the years to come after reeling under the financial crunch in the State
30 Event of the Month
Carrying forward the legacy of Dr. Anand G. Naik Kurade, AIFPA has named the Memorial lecture as part of its Annual AGM after him
28
12
34 Professional Dossier 36 Lady Power 42 HR Mantras 46 Bon Appétit
Cover Story
Karate Coach, Joseph Rodrigues talks about his journey as coach and Karate aficionado
Infiniti is a front runner in the business of modular office and school furniture across the country
Fashion Designer Diksha Khanna talks about her passion for fashion and her journey to it
18 Special Focus
A look at how the Sand Mining Ban has affected the State and the mixed responses to the ban
Communication is critical in an organization for effective and efficient functioning
20 Starting Young 22 Enterprise
Cassandra D’Roza’s journey from journalist to jewellery maker is one of dreams, risks and passion
The Sinq Tavern by Bodega recently opened its doors to good old comfort food coupled with hot international favourites
0832 Productions is creating sound waves across the state with their state of the art sound installations
34
24 Interview
Entrepreneurship mentor Nandini Vaidyanathan talks about mentoring and entrepreneurship in India
26 Industry
46
Chowgule Material Handling is doing game changing works manufacturing cranes for the industry
COLUMNS
24 37
20
04 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
Jay Dehejia talks about two important events in the U.S calendar that changed history
Blaise Costabir is all praise for social initiative Unnati and the brand Home Work that the SHG promotes
38
06 Editorial 08 Corpo Scan 32 Campus 32 Book Shelf 32 BG Crossword 35 Tribute 39 Startup 43 What’s Up Goa 48 Goa Buzz 50 Newsmakers 50 BG Quiz
37 Letter from America 38 Reluctant Entrepreneur 40 People Tree
40
Finding the right balance between work and personal life is essential for all round happiness says Kishore M. Shah
BUSINESSGOA
50
Goa’s Only Business Magazine
www.businessgoa.in
JANUARY 2014
PANAJI GOA VOL 5 ISSUE 7
hbhatkuly@gmail.com
EDITORIAL
INFINITI MODULES PVT. LTD.
MASTERING ERGONOMICS 12
This Pilerne-based company is a front runner in the business of modular office and school furniture across the country
Sanjeev Trivedi
MD, Infiniti Modules Pvt. Ltd.
Sand Mining FOCUS
18
Nandini Vaidyanathan INTERVIEW
24
Diksha Khanna LADY POWER
36
News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features
VOL 5 | ISSUE 7 | january 2014
Editor & Publisher Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Co-Publisher & Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly Advisory Board Datta Damodar Naik Ralph de Sousa Rajiv D’Silva Swapnil Kamat Team Alisha Patel Annalise Gouveia Ashok Kolvekar Govit Morajkar Mayur Santinezkar Monaliza Dias Pritesh Naik Sigmund D’Souza Contributors in this Issue Blaise Costabir Jay Dehejia Kishore Shah Editorial, Advertising & Administrative Office 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. Publisher & Printer: Harshvardhan Bhatkuly Printed At: Printek Printers
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.
Notes to myself As I stare at a brand new calendar for 2014, my mind races to the days that have passed by me in 2013. Now suddenly I am a ‘glass half full’ person. The misses of 2013 pounce on me more powerfully than the hits – and boy there has been enough reason for cheer in 2013. So here I sit at 1 am on my bed writing what I need to do – not just in 2014, but generally in life… I wouldn’t like to downgrade these meanderings as my ‘new year resolutions’. It’s just that the written word works better on me. Even in school and college, I understood things better after I had written them down. To each his own… so here goes… Don’t fail to plan You know what the reverse of that is. There is no substitute to planning for a growing business. Ponder over what worked and what did not for you. No, I do not suggest that you should make planning an annual ritual, not even a quarterly or monthly practice. Make it a weekly habit. Planning will put your whole business dynamics in front you and allow you to take an informed decision. It will allow you room to re-think, analyse and course correct. Organize Get all the small, gnawing things that are cluttering your drawers, filing cabinets and desktop screen organized and put away. File where you have to, trash if you don’t need to. Do not hoard in the belief that you may need it someday. Take a tough call. The war that you are fighting is against paper – and paperwork is right now sledging you. Take control of the paper – it is paper after all. The mantra is a place for everything and everything in its place. Promote your business Sometimes living in the belief that your product will have a beeline for it is to live in a fool’s paradise. And you have lived far too long with that. Yes, you have a super-duper product and brand. Also yes, you will have to push it that much harder. You need to do it not just for the sake of business, but because you are doing a disservice to your brand by not making it play to its www.facebook.com/businessgoa
06 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
potential. Being market leader is not good enough. Annihilate the competition. Empower my team By God’s grace you have been blessed with a bunch of spirited and high caliber team mates. Empower them to take decisions. Empower them to make mistakes. Empower them to feel responsible. As a team leader it is as much your duty to empower as it is to get things done. You have to help them grow. You have to help them stick their necks out and do things as passionately as you do them yourself. When in doubt, check the cash-flow Profitability on paper is not good enough, when the blood supply of your business is cash-flow. Become a hardcore baniya who counts every penny and knows where the next rupee will come from. Call, cajole and hound your debtors to pay up. Send duplicates of those ‘lost bills’. Do what it may. Keep the books in black. Do not procrastinate Don’t get awed by the project, scale or amount of work. Just do it. Don’t wait to do it the right way. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike you. Start with it. Your track record indicates that you have never compromised on quality. It won’t be different now. Push that butt. Get down to work. Right now. Me-time There is life beyond clients, business, family, EMIs, office chores, meetings, presentations, interviews. In fact, there is life only beyond it. Watch all Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee films. Get that collection of Mark Knopfler done. And ready to access. Curl up with a John Grisham. Start from book one. Go take that early morning walk. Now I will print this and pin it right in front of my desk. I have internalized these dictats to myself. Now comes the difficult part – execution. But fear not, I shall borrow the famous line that Dan Wieden wrote for a Oregon based sports goods company – just do it. Happy New Year guys
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LIC holds awareness rally
corpo scan
In order to bring awareness in the society, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) Vasco branch organized a rally in Vasco. LIC’s bestselling plans like Bima Bachat, Jeevan Anand, Jeevan Tarang, Jeevan Saral and others were made available earlier this month. Staff members of the branch, agents, and well wishers participated in the rally. Pamphlets highlighting the plan details were distributed by the participants to the people during the rally.
New guidelines for setting up of mobile towers Government has finally unveiled a host of guidelines to regulate installation of mobile base-station towers in the State and has put in place a high-level state-level telecom committee headed by Chief Secretary to address public grievances relating to the towers and issues related to telecom infrastructure. A government notification now mandates existing as well as new telecom service providers
VCES Mela held in Panaji The Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, Goa in association with trade and industry bodies like Goa Hotel and Restaurants Association, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association organized a one day Mela on Voluntary Compliance Encouragement Scheme (VCES) at Customs Guest House, near Captain of Ports, Panjim. Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax V P C Rao said that “the objective of VCES mela was to guide and advice members of trade on the scheme and provide all assistance to the public in making
available VCES-I forms and receiving declarations.” He announced that a helpdesk would be started soon at GCCI office to assist the public on VCES and another Mela would be held at Calangute. The trade and industry associations welcomed the initiative and assured all cooperation in making the VCES Scheme a success in the State. Gaurish M Dhond, President, Goa Hotel and Restaurant Association, R S Kamat, Director General, GCCI, Kalavampara, Secretary, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters’ Association and others participated at the VCES Mela
Sereno Spa awarded ‘Favourite Destination Spa’ by Condé Nast Traveller India in the country, Sereno Spa the ‘Favourite at Park Hyatt Destination Goa Resort Spa’ award and Spa has reinstates been awarded Sereno Spa’s ‘Favourite position as Destination one of the Spa’ at the finest resort Conde Nast spas in the Traveller India Thomas Abraham (Centre) world. Thomas Readers’ Travel Abraham, General Manager Awards 2013. The Condé Nast said, “It is a great honour Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards for us to have been voted as are globally renowned and ‘Favourite Destination Spa’ considered the most prestigious at the Conde Nast Traveller in the industry. They honour India Readers’ Travel Awards the best in travel, tourism and 2013. This accolade is a perfect hospitality, as chosen by the interpretation of our continued discerning readers of Condé Nast commitment and passion to Traveller. create authentic and unique Emerging a winner against experiences for our guests” some of the most premium spas 08 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
to submit self certificates periodically to local bodies and Goa State Pollution Control Board to ensure that the general public areas around the site are within the Safe Electro Magnetic Radiation (EMR) exposure limits. A notification issued by GSPCB Member Secretary, Levinson J Martins, has mooted heavy penalties on telecom service providers, which may even lead to a shutdown of the mobile base
station in case of violations. The notification has prescribed a consent fee of Rs 25,000 by the GSPCB as fees payable towards consent to establish and operate a mobile base station tower. The consent validity will be in force for a period of five years from the date of issue of consent. India has set EMF emission levels from mobile towers at onetenth of international standards
Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry delegation briefs new Finance Secretary (From Left) Sandip Bhandare, Narayan Bandekar, Nitin Kunkolienkar and V P C Rao speak to Sumit Bose
A GCCI delegation led by its President Narayan Bandekar met with Sumit Bose, the newly appointed Finance Secretary of India and briefed him on the current economic situation in Goa. In a written representation submitted to the Finance Secretary, GCCI briefly outlined the adverse impact of ban on mining on the State’s economy as well as revenues. The Chamber in its representation stressed on the fact that the Centre should make special provisions to give a boost to the Goan economy and suggested that tax exemptions under 80 IB should be extended for new units to be set up in Goa, particularly in the backward Talukas. The Chamber also suggested removal of inverted duty structure, virtual SEZ status for specific industries like IT, Electronics and Pharma and early implementation of GST. The Chamber recommended extension of Tax Holiday under section 80ID for tourism infrastructure projects like golf courses, theme parks, amusement parks etc to give a
boost to the t o u r i s m industry. While requesting the F i n a n c e Secretary to direct the Banks to be m o r e sympathetic to the mining related borrowers like truck / barge / machinery owners by offering them some relief till the mining activity resumes again, the Chamber also requested for concessions for mining service providers who have some service tax liabilities but are not able to discharge them as they have not been receiving payments of the bills raised by them. The Chamber also took up the issue of difficulty in e-filing of income tax returns as far as Section 5A is concerned. The Finance Secretary appreciated the issues raised by the Chamber and assured to take up these issues at the appropriate level. Bose was accompanied by K K Satyanarayana - CCIT-I, Bangalore, S. S. Rathore - CCIT, Goa, S. S. Jha – Commissioner (Appeals) and V P C Rao, Commissioner C&CE were also present On behalf of the Goa Chamber, Sandip Bhandare, Vice President and Nitin Kunkolienker, Ex- President presented their views. R. S. Kamat, Director General was also present
Planning Commission to assess business regulatory factors impacting Industry
corpo scan
The Planning Commission of India along with Chambers of Commerce is undertaking a pan India study to assess the regulatory factors impacting manufacturing competitiveness. The Chambers have appointed Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt Ltd, to conduct this study in Goa. Nitin Kunkolieker, Past President of GCCI presented a synopsis on feedback received from Sotodecor, GMI Zharak Moulders, Goan Bounty, Vinicola, Puja Ferro, Precitech Components,Savannah Surfactants and other MSMEs.
Wendell Rodricks’ Design Space gets Linen Room The Wendell Rodricks Design Space now has a new expanded Linen Room at the designer’s flagship store in Campal, Panaji. The Linen Room is dedicated for retailing Bombay Dyeing high quality count linen with designs by Wendell Rodricks. There will also be racks for the fine linen range of women’s co-ordinates that the designer is known for. The Linen Room is the last room after a couple of gallery rooms exhibiting the designer’s range of haute couture wears. The Wendell Rodricks Design Space includes the White
Room, the Eco Goa Room, the Menswear range and the Silk Room. In the past the international designer was unable to retail the range of bed linen due to space constraint. But since the move of its administrative office to new premises, it made room for the women’s linen range and the Bombay Dyeing bed linen. Bombay Dyeing has a range of reasonably priced bed-sheets and pillow-cases. The range includes the popular Wendell Whites range and white with bright or pastel coloured motifs in the designer’s aesthetic. These
Wendell Rodricks
are excellent for wedding and festive gifting. Wendell Rodricks says his Design Space offers the public an enhanced shopping experience this festive season
Inflation indexed Government stock to go on sale Government has announced the sale re- issue) of “ 1.44% Inflation Indexed Govt Stock- 2023” for a notified amount of Rs 500 crore through price based auction, to be conducted using uniform price method. RBI which was to hold the auction on December 31, 2013 has now extended the time for issuance of inflation indexed bonds to March 31, 2014. RBI in consultation with government earlier this month launched Inflation Indexed National Saving SecuritiesCumulative (IINSS-C) that was open for subscription between
December 23-31. “On review, now it has been decided to extend the issuance of Inflation Indexed National Saving Securities-Cumulative till March 31, 2014. The issuance can be closed earlier than March 31, 2014 with a prior notice,” RBI said. Up to 20% of the notified amount of the sale of the stocks will be allotted to eligible individuals and institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government Securities. Both competitive and noncompetitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic
format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution (E- Kuber) system. The noncompetitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 am and 11.30 am and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a. m. and 12 noon. Result will be announced on March 31. The sale is within the budgeted Government market borrowing programme (about Rs 5,79,000 crore) for 2013- 14 and indicative calendar for the marketable dated securities for the second half of 2013-14
Goa could be part of E-Inclusion initiative Goa could come under the E-inclusion when the proposal to include one block in every State and one individual in every family to be made e- Literate is launched. E-Inclusion includes Digital Literacy, Financial Inclusion, E-Governance, E-Livelihoods and how to mainstream physically disabled into the digital movement. The Government is actively considering to provide E-Literacy to 10,00,000 (10 lakh) men and women living in rural India at a cost of Rs.100 crore. This announcement was made during the launch by the Department of Electronics and 10 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
Information Technology (DeitY), Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, of ‘E-Inclusion: IT Training for Rural SC/ ST/ Women Beneficiaries’ Project recently. Kapil Sibal, Minister of Communication & IT, formally launched the project by releasing the Handbook titled ‘E- Literacy: Towards Empowering Rural India’ containing profiles of 50 beneficiaries who have successfully undertaken the basic IT training programme under the E-Inclusion project. Around 100 beneficiaries, which included young boys, girls and women, including the Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs)
attended the event from the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal. Sibal said that Digital Literacy is an enabler for empowering communities and providing them real freedom. The Government initiative for making one person in every family E-Literate is a step in that direction. This is in fact a revolution for enabling citizen’s participation in nation building. By making the girls and boys in rural India to become digitally literate, the Government is achieving the objective of empowering and enabling them to acquire information, knowledge and skills
Ore re-verification starts at MPT A team from the Department of Mines and Geology has been tasked to re-verify the ore lying at the Mormugao Port Trust from December 6. According to MPT sources, approximately 2 lakh tone of ore has been lying behind Berth No. 9 since the ban on ore exports was imposed in September 2012. The ore belongs to five to six parties. Some of the ore is kept in wall cargo which divides the ownership of the ore, the sources said, adding if it is Fe 58 grade it could be in the value range of $60 to $80 a tonne. It is believed that the re-verification exercise has been taken up for preparation of an inventory by the Department of Mines and Geology. For the abovementioned task, the reliable details of stocks will be collected from the respective leaseholders. The above exercise is of preliminary nature and will be completed in a time-bound manner. The exercise will facilitate timely implementation of directive of the Supreme Court. The inventory exercise will start from the port followed by jetties, stockyards and beneficiation plants situated outside leasehold area and finally of the ore lying at respective leasehold areas
Marriott’s festive offer adds excitement to year-end celebrations The Marriott Group of Hotels in India announces a special deal for travellers to enjoy during the holiday season. Guests who book just 7 days in advance can avail rooms at 20% off on benchmark rate. This exciting promotion is available at all the Marriott properties in India, and is valid on reservations made between 15th Dec 2013 and 15th Jan 2014, for stays from 15th Dec 2013 till 31st Jan 2014. This initiative is one more among the range of unique and appealing offers that the hospitality major has been presenting to its valued guests from time to time
COVER STORY
Sanjeev Trivedi
MD, Infiniti Modules Pvt. Ltd.
Infiniti Modules Pvt. Ltd.
mastering ergonomics This Pilerne-based company is a front runner in the business of modular office and school furniture across the country
R
evolutionising office spaces and classrooms, Goa based Infiniti has been making steady inroads into the Office and School furniture business. Business Goa takes a look at this company set up by Sonali and Sanjeev Trivedi, and unravels 12 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
how it all began in Goa fifteen years ago. The voyage In 1996, “sensing stagnancy in our inner beings,’’ says Sanjeev, the couple relocated to the calm peace of Goa. It was an
emotional decision, which went against conventional commercial wisdom, but they went ahead regardless. Looking back today, they wouldn’t have had it any other way, and concur that they made the best decision of their lives! Infiniti was started in 1998
in a 300 sq.mtr rented shed in Corlim, with a small capital and plenty of determination. The company operates out of North Goa, with two production units spread over 1,50,000 sq. ft, in Pilerne Industrial Estate, a workforce of over 100 and a
Sanjeev Trivedi says that “reinvesting all our earnings back into the business” has been the main enabler for the company’s growth. Not compromising on the infrastructure and machinery, Infiniti has always strived to upgrade technology to the best available, in order to improve the speed, quality and consistency of production
client base of 3,500 offices and schools countrywide. Early challenges Entering the space of office furniture was a real uphill task, especially with insignificant resources. Sanjeev confesses that “with beginner’s enthusiasm (and naivete!)”, Infiniti brought in an international tie-up for office partitioning systems. Hard work and good fortune brought in a flurry of orders during the growth phase of the dotcom era, which unfortunately came crashing down in a short span of only 3 years after 9/11. “The dotcom crash after 9/11, and the economic downturn that followed, caused a massive slowdown in upcoming office projects, which almost broke our backs,” recalls Sanjeev. They also faced infrastructural problems in Goa, as most raw materials had to be procured from considerable distances, and their clients too, were largely from outside the state, thus adding significantly to the operating costs. As a small start-up, they had to contend with the financial burden of loan repayments, limited resources, and the inevitable entrepreneurial impediments. He goes on to confess, “Neither of us even drew a salary for some years. But this experience taught us to be lean and efficient.” With the support of their staff and workers, several of whom are still with them, they somehow survived the recession. Despite suffering
Conference Room Furniture
Infiniti’s capabilities start with competent manpower and infrastructure, which are backed by integrated stringent quality checks into each system, design and process to impart significant value to their products various setbacks, “we innovated, developed newer products, slowly increased our clientele and ploughed back all profits,” Sanjeev says. Initially, there were some incentives from the Government, like
sales tax and income tax holidays, which ended several years ago. Ironically though, most entrepreneurs are typically in the red or at a barely breakeven point during the early years, and in no condition to really enjoy the benefits of these tax holidays. And by the time they stabilise and make profits, the tax holiday is over! Sanjeev is quite unequivocal in stating that “It’s rather unfortunate how hard it is for small and medium enterprises to cope with the bureaucracy and red tapism in India. Nevertheless we continue to grow, despite the government.”
Evolution Infiniti started out with the Office furniture segment, offering contemporary modular tilebased partitioning systems and workstations for offices, riding on the dotcom revolution of the late nineties. The company started by executing office projects for software companies across the country, often working shifts to maximise production in the then small facility. With early success, they soon moved to Pilerne, when they set up the first phase of their manufacturing unit, and gradually started upgrading their machinery and in-house facilities. But in a way, the adversities of the low period turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Infiniti, as it propelled them into the pioneering effort of a completely new product line, School furniture.
Modern School Furniture JANUARY 2014
Business Goa 13
Infiniti was started in 1998 in a 300 sq.mtr rented shed in Corlim, with a small capital and plenty of determination. The company operates out of north Goa, with two production units spread over 1,50,000 sq. ft, in Pilerne Industrial Estate, a workforce of over 100 and a client base of 3,500 offices and schools countrywide
COVER STORY End-to-end School Furniture solutions
We looked hard at broadening our options, and realized there was a serious gap in the availability of sturdy, comfortable and scientifically designed school furniture, and that is how we diversified into this line Sonali Trivedi “We looked hard at broadening our options, and realized there was a serious gap in the availability of sturdy, comfortable and scientifically designed school furniture, and that is how we diversified into this line,” elucidates Sonali Trivedi. Designed with ergonomics, sturdiness and cost effectiveness in mind, Infiniti launched the initial offering of classroom furniture in 2003. Although a later divergence, today their wide range of school and institutional furniture has become the flagship line for the company. Infiniti is now is a well reputed brand, which is synonymous with high quality school furniture across India. The company is known for being a complete solution provider of well- engineered products, with the foremost design considerations of quality, durability, safety and 14 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
ergonomics. Manufacturing Facility Sanjeev says “Reinvesting all our earnings back into the business” has been the main enabler for the company’s growth. Not compromising on the infrastructure and machinery, Infiniti has always strived to upgrade technology to the best available, in order to improve the speed, quality and consistency of production. The manufacturing process is carried out in two production facilities, specialising in panel and metal processing respectively, equipped with top-of-the-line technology and closely supervised by a team of engineers. “Almost nothing is processed by hand, and we don’t employ any carpenters. The entire production process is carried out on a line of high precision German and Italian machines, which are either
automated or CNC controlled, where the required operations are fed in using specialised software” says Kapil Biyani, Marketing Manager at Infiniti. Mechanized production, also achieves the consistency and precision which is required at the time of assembly, as most products are flat packed and despatched in knock down condition for ease of transport. These attributes are equally important when it comes to products that are meant to nest, stack or mount into each other, as any inconsistency would not permit this. Another reason why the company prefers mechanisation, is that the accuracy and the ability to produce identical pieces cannot be compared to that of a human being.
Quality Systems The Company’s capabilities start with competent manpower and infrastructure, which are backed by integrated stringent quality checks into each system, design and process to impart significant value to their products. This begins from the checking of the incoming raw materials, which could easily be more than 20 components for a single piece of furniture. They have a Quality Control department which maintains regular quality checks at various levels: continuing through the production process at multiple stages, going up to the final product which is ready for despatch adhering to ISO procedures. Infiniti has earned a reputation for high quality products of enduring value, by this attention to detail, which is maintained throughout the manufacturing process. The use of high quality raw materials and hardware, ensure durability, efficient functioning and low maintenance of the final product, which finally translates into many years of trouble-free usage for the client.
The Quality Control department maintains regular quality checks at various levels: continuing through the production process at multiple stages, going up to the final product which is ready for despatch adhering to ISO procedures. Infiniti has earned a reputation for high quality products of enduring value which is maintained throughout the manufacturing process
COVER STORY Product Range The company has made a new 8,000 sq.ft. display showroom at their Pilerne facility, to showcase the truly extensive range of the product offerings, with “sections exclusively dedicated to each product line” states Kapil, and emphasises “we would like to fit into every client’s budget and requirement, and provide solutions offering the best value for money.” Office Furniture Infiniti Office furniture features contemporary designs for the futuristic office of today. There are several options in panel systems, desks and conference tables, complemented by many solutions in office storage, all of which are modular and reconfigurable, giving the freedom to create and change your work environment as you like. Low-height workstations, screen-based desk systems and floor-to-ceiling partitions allow any space to be transformed into a dynamic workplace. “One can choose from classic, contemporary or minimalist desks and conference tables to suit both taste and need,” Sanjeev says “with ergonomic designs and chic colours to inspire and keep you productive and efficient throughout the day.” They have a variety of storage units to minimize clutter, ranging from small mobile drawer units, credenzas and back runners and filing cabinets, to larger, heavyduty cabinets. Seating and Chairs Infiniti offers a range of stylish seating, ideal for all office and hospitality needs. Designed in and partly imported from Italy, this range meets certified European standards and includes high-end leather chairs, executive chairs and general-use staff chairs, as well as several multi-functional chairs suitable for visitor and staff seating, conferences, cafeterias and waiting areas. Kapil enthuses about “the exciting new options in lounge and casual seating, with vivid, trendy colours which 16 Business Goa
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is proud to claim, and goes on to say that “clients who visit our manufacturing facilities and display are extremely reassured by our products and competencies, and, seldom leave without placing orders with us. In fact, repeat orders from existing clients, form a large part of our turnover. “
Modular work stations and Office Furniture
are perfect for hotels, restaurants and homes.” School Furniture Infiniti School furniture is carefully designed to stimulate, engage and infuse joy into learning. “Products are constantly being innovated and evolved, to meet the changing needs of learning environments, newer technologies and teaching methods,” says Sonali. Detailed attention to ergonomic comfort and stringent safety standards ensures peace of mind for parents and teachers. Light, stackable and mountable designs make for easy storage and cleaning, as well as providing a flexible environment that supports a child’s natural instinct to learn through creation and discovery. The range includes many models for pre-school, classroom, library, cafeteria, teachers, hostel, office, storage and auditorium; for all sizes and ages from preschool to university. Knock down, flat packed and DIY products An important attribute of Infiniti furniture design, is its ability to be delivered flat-packed, in ‘Knock-Down’ condition. This enhances mobility for transport to long distances, and to sites on higher floors or remote locations; after which it is merely a matter of assembly, using special hardware. As Kapil points out, “At a later date, if required, it can be easily dismantled, moved and reassembled at another location,” and he goes to say “companies have to deal with changing trends and transitions like relocation, manpower expansion, or even
reconfiguration of existing offices to accommodate newer technologies.” All Infiniti products are capable of such adaptations with ease, as even the partitioning systems and workstations are free-standing. Clients With an enviable client list that encompasses the length and breadth of the country, and boasts some of the best known corporates and schools, Infiniti is strongly committed to client satisfaction at all levels of interaction. Office clients include Bosch, IBM, Indian Navy, Eclipse, LupinPharma; prestigious schools using their furniture are Sharada Mandir, BITS Pilani, the Doon School, DPS, Aditya Birla World School, and Goa Institute of Management. With exports to the Middle East, the company is currently also looking at Africa for export expansions. Competition Kapil says, “We face serious competition from cheap Chinese imports, and local fabricators who evade payment of excise duty and sales tax, while we pay a total of 26.4 percent only in taxes. Although we are a registered SSI in Goa, catering to the entire country with good acclaim, we have failed to qualify for local Government purchases in Goa,” says Kapil quizzically. “Despite these odds, it’s a matter of huge satisfaction that we have built a loyal customer base of over 3,500 offices and educational institutions, which is growing steadily,” he
Future growth and development plans Infiniti has recently inaugurated an 8,000 sq. ft furniture display and a 4,000 sq. ft R & D centre at Pilerne. Prospective clients can touch, feel and sit on a wide range of products for Office and School, to arrive at an informed decision. Sanjeev says, “We would always like to be at the forefront in terms of technology and constant innovation, resulting in newer, better products.” Since inception, the company has been through many ups and downs, “It’s been an interesting journey, and from booms to recessions, there has been everything.” It’s also been a continuous learning process, and they confess having learnt a lot from their clients, which has often prompted them to quickly improve and innovate to adapt to newer requirements. “This flexibility is crucial today, where change is the only constant.” says Sanjeev Trivedi. Guided by the four pillars of the company’s product philosophy; ergonomics, durability, value and aesthetics, “Our future plans encompass upgrading both products and technology, as we would like to grow in a systematic, balanced and qualitative manner.” concludes Sonali when asked about any expansion plans for the future
SPECIAL FOCUS
Taking a stand on the sand ban, Narayan Bandekar, President, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) expressed deep concern over the crisis faced by the construction industry due to the ban on sand extraction
SAND MINING BAN
Goa…Sea, Sun, but no Sand?
Following the NGT ban on sand mining, there is an overwhelming response against the ban reports ALISHA PATEL
T
he National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on mining river sand, across the country has come as a blow to the State’s sand mining industry, just when sand was set to be available after the Government was trying to get its act together. Though sand was a part of the real estate boom in Goa, the past few years have seen a recession due to the ban by the State Government. The NGT has asked river sand miners to stop all mining till they get permission from either the Central Environment Ministry or its counterpart in the States. Many in business and Government circles point out that sand is essential for not only commercial construction, but even private construction, “even to build your bathroom,” as one official put it. Officials and industry persons also point out that the rules are followed mostly in States like Goa which are by and large literate and have a strong NGO presence, while in States where the mafia is strong, these rules and orders rarely matter as in case anybody stands up to them, it is at the peril of his life or job as recent instances in one of India’s largest states has shown. 18 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
“Since the sand from Karwar was stopped (from being brought into Goa) we faced a lot of problems,” says Desh Prabhudessai of CREDAI, the commercial real estate association in Goa. Stressing that sand is an important raw material for the industry, he said that they had been interacting with the government in trying to sort out this problem. “Because of this shortage, rates have shot up,” he says, adding that as it is the industry is going through a recession. Tony Rodrigues, of T R Constructions Panjim and former Mayor said, “It is very difficult to procure sand as it is inadequate to meet the demands by the real estate and whatever is available comes at a heavy price.” He pointed out that sand once cost Rs 700 per cubic metre but is now priced at Rs 1,500 per cubic metre which also includes transportation. In case trucks are provided by the builder, it was pointed out that what cost Rs 350 per cubic metre is now charged Rs 1,000 a cubic metre. This will have an adverse effect on construction projects at a time when sales are already down, Rodrigues opined. On the contrary, Bicholim
MLA Naresh Sawal is fighting to urge the Government to protect the interests of the agricultural communities of Mencurem from the threat of sand mining. “A sacred tank, known as the Mahadevache tolle, is heavily silted and polluted due to rampant sand mining. I have planned to undertake the beautification of this lake with the cooperation of the villagers. I have a vision to develop Mencurem-Dumaxem into an ideal village Panchayat,” he says. Once dominated by agriculture and horticulture, the villages in the Panchayat of Mencurem and Dumaxem in Bicholim are today facing a threat from sand mining activities, say some of the one thousand plus residents. Although the activity is banned by the National Green Tribunal, it is under way in a clandestine and haphazard manner, they add. “The massive sand excavation under way at Gurubhat, Nevade, Vad, Kharvad and Ghaal is leading to soil erosion that in turn is hurting our land that is under cultivation,” says Gurudas Parab, a Panchayat member. The villages are known for their large-scale cultivation of groundnut and pulses such as horse gram, cowpea, chickpea
and black gram, along with the horticultural crops of banana and coconut. Sawal’s expectations from the Government on the stay on the sand mining ban however, may be short-lived with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, terming the ban as a case of judicial over reach. He made this statement during the ongoing winter session of the Goa Legislative Assembly as some members of the house cried hoarse about the rising prices of sand. A few MLAs he stated even asked him to ignore the ban and allow sand mining to continue. “The order has not only resulted in a sharp rise of prices, but also black marketing of sand. Unlike other States, sand mining is not a mechanized activity and is done manually in Goa. The NGT should not have banned the activity in Goa too,” he stated. Echoing these sentiments is Chief Justice of India, P Sathasivam who also termed the one hundred per cent ban on sand removal as ‘wrong’. “I am sorry to say, but the one hundred per cent ban on sand mining from river banks is wrong,” he said at a function while emphasizing on the need for balance between development and environmental protection. Taking a stand on the sand ban, Narayan Bandekar, President, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) expressed deep concern over the crisis faced by the construction industry due to the ban on sand extraction. He also hoped that the State Government will react quickly to the situation and put regulatory and licensing mechanisms in place to remedy the situation. He also added that it was high time the construction industry looked for alternate building materials. To make matters worse, Goa is expected to face acute shortage of sand in coming days, as the Karnataka government is expected to stop export of sand to Goa and Kerala. The issue was widely debated in the ongoing Winter Session of Karnataka State Legislature in Belgaum. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has stated that
Bicholim MLA Naresh Sawal feels that a sacred tank, known as the Mahadevache tolle, is heavily silted and polluted due to rampant sand mining. He has planned to undertake the beautification of this lake with the cooperation of the villagers
This Order has not only resulted in a sharp rise of prices, but also black marketing of sand. Unlike other States, sand mining is not mechanized and is done manually in Goa. The NGT should not have banned the activity in Goa Manohar Parrikar Chief Minister
a new Sand Policy will be in place soon, where sand export ban will be discussed. The issue may further worsen as illegal transportation and mining of sand will be now considered as the cognizable offence. Raising his objections to export of sand to Goa, former Karnataka Chief Minister and Karnataka Janata Party Supremo B S Yeddyurappa had raised the issue on the floor of Karnataka Assembly. Replying to the objections, Siddaramaiah stated that government will implement the ‘New Sand Policy’ with immediate effect, where exporting of sand to states
outside Karnataka would be banned and use of manufactured sand will be also implemented at the earliest. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) recently decided to ban sand extraction in a lease area of less than five hectares and has drawn mixed reactions with environmentalists urging the Government to issue specific guidelines for the activity. Taking cognizance of an expert panel report, MoEF allowed the activity in a lease area of above five hectares, but less than 25 hectares. It also permitted extraction manually in a depth of
three metres of the water level, or whichever is less. A source from the department of science, technology and environment stated that the MoEF Order was relevant for Goa, as the activity was being carried out by traditional methods. The lease area of more than five hectares and less than 25
To make matters worse, Goa is expected to face acute shortage of sand in coming days, as the Karnataka government is expected to stop export of sand to Goa and Kerala hectares is suitable for big river stretches in Chapora, Tiracol and places like Amona in the Mandovi River. “The Government machinery has to be alert in stopping violations in these
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stretches,” an environmentalist pointed out. The sand extractors flout the rules and quarry the river beds excessively while the police and mines department play a passive role in regulating the activity. Coming to the rescue of those affected, the Goa Government has already moved the NGT seeking exemptions on sand mining, stating in its affidavit that regulatory mechanisms have already been put in place. In its affidavit, Goa has pointed out that sand extraction is a traditional activity undertaken by certain coastal communities using age-old techniques and they depend on this activity for livelihood. The Government has said that it will regulate the activity by ensuring that extractions are carried out within the parameters of existing laws. With all eyes now on the NGT to reverse its decision on the sand mining ban, the State can only wait for a miracle this New Year
JANUARY 2014
Business Goa 19
STARTING YOUNG CASSANDRA D’ROZA
As a designer, Cassandra feels bigger platforms need to be given to crafters. “we need the right kind of support to grow and gain the exposure we need,” she says MOONSTRUCK
Crafting her dreams
C
assandra D’Roza’s journey from journalist to entrepreneur is one of risks, creativity and above all passion. Working at Business Goa, Goa’s first and only business magazine gave her the opportunity to interact with a host of business personalities from start-ups to well established enterprises. “Writing business features, you hear on a daily basis, people talking about fulfilling their dreams. It really inspired me. People with their own vision, fulfilling them, even while withstanding huge obstacles. And as a writer, you want to tell these stories in their best form, because these individuals are so passionate about their work, and that just has to shine through the story. So I guess in time, it slowly started dawning on me: Did I really love writing? Was that really all that I was going to do? I remember being involved in a discussion among colleagues about how they want to climb the journalist’s ladder. It hit me that I never wanted to be an editor and run my own publication. That fear eventually displaced me and I was looking for familiarity. Instinctively, I just started crafting again. As a kid it was something I’d always do for fun, and this is what I did to de-stress. One thing led to another, I left two magazine publications by then and took up jewellery designing,” she reveals on her jump from journalism to designing jewellery. Her first order she recalls was for creating a plaque for a guest house which was well received, and got her thinking that maybe she was good at craft. She then went on to make a
20 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
ALISHA PATEL talks to Cassandra D’Roza about her startup, ‘Moonstruck’
Cassandra D’Roza
The first thing I did was pick up a book on macramé, which is a knotting technique and used the internet to learn how to make jewellery. That along with a few basic supplies is how I began making jewellery Cassandra d’roza wreath for a friend’s boutique which still hangs till today. While debating over whether to take up crafting as a business or keeping it as a hobby, Cassandra retreated to a holiday abroad. It was here that she witnessed the art and craft festivals that take place every month at a popular mall. “It was amazing to see everyone displaying handmade stuff toys, jewellery and other things. From there on, it was clear that this is what I wanted to do. The first thing that I did was to pick up a book on macramé, which is a knotting technique and surfed the internet to learn how to make jewellery. That along with a few basic supplies is how I began making jewellery,” she says. A few months after that, in April 2013, Cassandra began uploading pictures of her works under her brand name ‘Moonstruck’ and even received her first order on the very same day that she took her work viral
on Instagram! “I never expected Instagram to be such an effective marketing tool! I was pleasantly surprised by the response to my page, which eventually led me to create a Facebook page to display and sell my products,” says a visibly ecstatic Cassandra. During the initial months since the launch of Moonstruck, Cassandra realized that for others to believe in her dream, she had to believe in herself first. The rest would follow. “Though there were the initial doubts from people around me about crafting as a business, I knew that I was hell-bent on ‘Moonstruck’ and I wanted them to see that this was what I was passionate about,” she says. For someone with no business background or any solid ‘qualifications’, Cassandra learnt everything she knew about jewellery making off the internet. Despite the initial scepticism about turning craft into a fulltime business, as it was yet unheard of in Goa, Cassandra stood her ground and is today basking in the success of her decision. Her works began improving, the number of orders began increasing and her family too, recognized that this was
something that she was good at and since then, she has had nothing less than one hundred per cent support from everyone and is constantly pushed to do better. Still on her initial success streak, Cassandra was a part of a handicraft exhibition recently which gave her the opportunity to show people that this is what she believes in and display her products to not only handicraft enthusiasts but everyone. “During the exhibition, I got criticism from people regarding the pricing, and new ideas on what to make and a few business tips. The exhibition drew a large crowd from different age groups as well as hobbyists and others who were involved in crafting. It was then that I realized that crafting is a bigger market than what I thought. I also received a lot of encouragement,” she says. On a more optimistic note, Cassandra states that people are becoming more receptive towards handmade gifts especially with a wide range of modern gifting options now available. “For a 24 year old to have her own craft business is a huge deal for me and it’s quite overwhelming at times. There are a lot of youngsters thriving in this business, but unfortunately not in Goa and I really hope all this changes,” she states. Looking forward, Cassandra admits she does have a long way to go and is constantly looking up new designs and techniques. “Besides learning more about jewellery making, I would also like to look at Moonstruck on a larger scale. Being a crafter selling from home is one thing, but doing it as a business is a completely different ball game and I have a lot to learn in this space,” she says on a concluding note
Shane started his career as an Audio Engineer with Asia’s best Sound Rental personality Roger Drego in Mumbai for seven years. He says that this stint was a great learning experience as he toured all over India with the biggest national and international Concerts and Tours such as
ENTERPRISE Shane Francis
0832 Productions
Let there be light…and sound! Shane Francis of 0832 Productions talks to MONALIZA DIAS about his works and achievements
Shane Francis
O
ne thing that is so striking and rare these days is the humble nature of a man. A common tendency amongst us is to get carried away with the waves of success that we forget what it was like to be standing on ground. Shane Francis, proprietor of 0832 Productions has managed to retain this quality. Though he may be in the midst of success, he is always a delightful person to talk with. “I was always interested in Sound and Video and thus I made my liking into a career,” he says. Right from the beginning, Shane did not worry about the outcome or the profits that he would receive out of his decision to start an Audio and Video Editing Studio and an Audio installation business. He focused on one thing – his love for sound and nothing else could hinder this decision. “I started my career as an Audio Engineer with Asia’s best Sound Rental personality Roger Drego in Mumbai for seven years. I learnt a lot from his sound company Electrocraft, it was a great experience and I toured all over India with the biggest national and international Concerts and Tours such as 22 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
Within a span of five years, Shane has to his credit some of the biggest names in Goa as his clients. Among his major installations are BITS Pilani Auditorium, Caculo Mall, Live Jazz at The Sofala, Bharne Creations and many more. He has also done TV ads for Contura Mattresses, Casino Pride, Damian de Goa, Goa Marriott Resort and Spa and many other clients Deep Purple, Roger Waters, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, Elton John, Keanu Reeves’ Band, Ricky Martin, Savage Garden, Boyzone, A R Rehman Live, Lata
Mangeshkar Live; even award Functions, plays, roadshows, I have done Installations at Jazz by the Bay, the Godrej residence, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, St Andrews auditorium, Three Flights Up Disco among others. However, I felt I was not growing. I decided to look for bigger opportunities and moved to Dubai where I worked for Sonia LLC and Lighthouse Productions for four years. Despite a growing career, I always missed home so I moved back to Mumbai and joined 92.7 Big FM in Mumbai as an audio engineer where I set up their recording studios. I was then transferred to Goa to setup their recording and broadcast studios and to work as an Audio engineer cum Promo Producer,” he reveals. Most of us always have this inner ability to achieve more than what we already have and so did Shane, who says, “Being Goan and living and working in Goa made me realize that I wanted to start something on my own, nowhere else but in Goa. An undeniable fact is that Goa has a lot of potential in the Construction and Property market as these industries are booming in this
state. There is also an increasing need for sound and editing in Goa. Hence I left the radio station and established 0832 Productions five years back”. Within the span of five years, Shane has to his credit some of the biggest names in Goa as his clients. Among his major Installations are BITS Pillani Auditorium, Caculo Mall, Live Jazz at The Sofala, Bharne Creations and many more. He has also done TV advertisements for Contura Mattresses, Casino Pride, Damian de Goa, Goa Marriott Resort and Spa and many other clients. So what is it that sets 0832 Productions apart? “I believe our clients see dedication, sincerity and hard work in each and every project that we do. Most sound installation companies are tied up with brands. Hence they are pressurized to sell only those products to clients and thus they are not able to give clients the best of services at a reasonable rate. What sets 0832 Productions apart is the fact that we are not tied up with any brand so my clients can be guaranteed that we won’t sell a wrong product to them. We give them only what is best suited for their space. Although we do Installations for Electrovoice - EV, QSC, LuisWaSSmann & JBL Professional Cinema, Martin Logan & Paradigm Home Theatre Speakers. Denon and ARCAM Home AV Receivers as these brands are best suited for any type of space. Not having to succumb to brand manipulation is to me my biggest achievement as well as the installation of the sound system at Goa’s biggest auditorium with 2300 seats which is the BITS Pilani auditorium.” In the five years that 0832 Productions has been in operation, Shane has not had to use many marketing tactics. “Initially I did put up small ads on the newspaper, but now being a member of BNI Elegance, a referral marketing network, is what has truly helped our business. It has been only through word of mouth from
Deep Purple, Roger Waters, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams, Elton John, Keanu Reeves’ Band, Ricky Martin, Savage Garden, Boyzone, A R Rehman Live, Lata Mangeshkar Live; even award Functions, plays, roadshows. Shane has done Installations at Jazz by the Bay, the Godrej residence, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, St Andrews auditorium, Three Flights Up Disco, among others the members and my clients that I have been able to get work till date. A clientele relationship is very important and hence I always make it a point to fix any issues that the client has with any work that we have BITS Pillani handled for the client. Auditorium If you give clients your best, they will in return give you the best of what you deserve. That is one of the things which have stood true to us. No marketing strategy works as well as your clients do – they are the ones that can make or break you,” says Shane confidently. When asked about the secret to the success of 0832 Productions, he said, “Success to us would be when the Government and other major projects in Goa start coming to Goans rather than going to companies outside Goa. Goa is
What sets 0832 Productions apart is the fact that we are not tied up with any brand so our clients can be guaranteed that we won’t wrongly sell a product to them. I will give them only what is best suited for their space Shane Francis
a small state. It is still developing in the field of AV installations. It is obvious that Goan Installation companies would be smaller than the companies in bigger cities. The tender requirements are very high in terms of finances and Goan companies do not match those conditions, hence they lose out on the opportunity to a bidder from out of Goa. This though, does not prove that Goan companies are not capable of doing a good job. We should be given an opportunity to prove that we are good, as well.” He concludes saying, “Success can only be achieved if you work very hard and I have been living by the motto of never saying no to hard work. Hard work is the ultimate ticket to success”
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JANUARY 2014
Business Goa 23
INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH
Nandini Vaidyanathan
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Create an eco system and a habitat to sustain Nandini Vaidyanathan in conversation with ALISHA PATEL about entrepreneurs her role as a mentor and her views on entrepreneurship in India What made you get into mentoring? I spent twenty good years in the corporate sector, in almost every part of the world working with MNCs. Eight years ago I moved back to Bangalore as my father was critically ill. IIM-B invited me to teach Entrepreneurship and I thought whilst I am in Bangalore, it might be fun teaching in a business school. Two lectures in, and I realised that to teach entrepreneurship, you need to be inspired from within, I love the word ‘antarprerna’ in the context of entrepreneurship. You also need to have firsthand experience as you cannot teach it like a theoretical subject. In all the organizations that I have worked in, I was instrumental in opening new markets, setting up new businesses and commencing operations in new countries for them. In that sense, my role was always entrepreneurial, but the big difference was that I had never started anything on my own. I needed to bring that realtime experience to my class and I realized the best way to do it is by mentoring entrepreneurs. So I spread the word that a seasoned corporate professional was available for mentoring and a number of youngsters approached me saying they have an idea but don’t know how to build the business around it. That’s how my journey as a mentor began. What is your role as a mentor? Initially I said that mentoring will make every Indian an entrepreneur. Then I realized that merely making every Indian an entrepreneur was not good enough; you needed to make them successful entrepreneurs. The next question then became, how do entrepreneurs become successful in India? The answer was simple. Create an eco system, a habitat to nourish the spirit of entrepreneurship, and I 24 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
Nandini Vaidyanathan
felt the key element of this habitat was mentoring. I am proud to say that my company CARMa has contributed to the creation of such a habitat. We were among the earliest to talk about mentoring and the risk mitigation strategy of mentoring. The name CARMa is an acronym for ‘Creating Access to Resources and Markets’ because I felt access to resources and markets defined the thin line between success and failure. The mentoring offered by CARMa is process driven. We don’t just give advice; we walk you through the different processes that are involved in setting up your business. If you come to us with just a concept in your head, we get you market-ready. If you are a running enterprise and are looking for that exponential growth, we get you investmentready. If you are a family business, we get you to delicately balance between family values and professional delivery. You founded CARMa in 2011. How has the experience been? Before CARMa, for almost five years I mentored over 500
entrepreneurs for free. The reason was that in India no one had heard of this animal called Mentor, so no one was willing to pay for being mentored. But over time, startup entrepreneurs realized the value and I thought the time had come to charge for mentoring. So I founded CARMa. Which is the only company in the world that offers mentoring products not just to entrepreneurs but to large organizations too, that encourage their employees to think entrepreneurially. Since then, we have mentored over a thousand mentees in the ‘opportunity’ space. In addition, we have mentored over ten thousand women in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Ghana and Nigeria to transform their businesses from ‘livelihood’ enterprises to scalable, profitable and global businesses. What’s unique about CARMa is that we don’t take equity stake in the company that we mentor. We charge a small fee and we mentor them to reach their final goal, be it market readiness or investment readiness. It is a process-driven, outcome-focused, milestoned engagement that is measurable, transparent and successful Can you tell us something about your blog, forstartups. blogspot.com? Eight years ago, people in India did not talk about entrepreneurship at all. So I started my blog forstartups.blogspot.com to encourage people to talk about entrepreneurship. I used my blog as a platform to give readers live use cases. Unfortunately, the media today only talks about big names in the industry and has
turned a blind eye to small yet successful entrepreneurs who are doing game-changing work in different parts of the country. Over the years, I have mentored entrepreneurs who have done a brilliant job in creating meaning and transforming society and I wanted the world to know about them. The blog, in a way, was a precursor to writing my book ‘Entrepedia, a step by step guide to becoming an entrepreneur in India’. It is a book that tells you in 20 steps everything that you have to do to build the business around the idea in your head. Over the years, have you noticed any changes towards taking up entrepreneurship in India? Plenty! Changes are happening but it has not yet reached an eyeball grabbing stage, not as much as I would like to see; but yes, visibly it has changed over the last eight years. There is a buzz about entrepreneurship today that was not there a few years ago. There are a number of platforms that bring aspiring entrepreneurs together, give them knowledge, and burst some of the myths about entrepreneurship. But what has been a showspoiler is that parents don’t encourage their children to take to entrepreneurship. Their obsession is still with branded MNCs and fat salaries and overseas travel and the jetsetting lifestyle. I can understand that because a typical lower middle and middle class parent sees education of their children as the only way out of their poverty and low economic status. So when their son sits out of campus placements and chooses to start a business of his own they are dismayed and there is a sense of betrayal because in their time, being a businessman was not only unrewarding but carried a stigma with it. All that is slowly changing and when more and more people realize that
Nandini says that “women unfortunately have always been subjected to homely responsibilities and this has led the idea of entrepreneurship among them to take a back seat. They also lose touch with the corporate world and need an upgrade. That is where we come in and conduct short term courses for these women.” After marriage, h u s b a n d s discourage saying let’s have kids first I started my and then you can blog forstartups. focus on starting blogspot.com to off on your own. encourage people to talk about By which time, entrepreneurship almost a decade has passed and Nandini Vaidyanathan women who have taken a sabbatical from work to raise the family are risks can be mitigated by having pretty much out-dated. There are a mentor; I think they will actively no courses in India which allow encourage their children them to up-skill themselves and play catch-up. How do you think that the scene can improve for You have also written a women entrepreneurs? book, Entrepedia. What is Unfortunately in India, there is this about? never a right time for being an Entrepedia is a simple guide book entrepreneur for women. Before that tells you about the things marriage, they are discouraged that you have to do to build a on the ground that there is no business around your idea, from point starting off a business a concept in your head to go without knowing where they to market. It was the outcome would eventually be located. of my mentoring and teaching
experience and in a sense it is like a start-up entrepreneur’s GPS! How important is entrepreneurship for the Indian economy? Let me give you an example. In the year 1985, both Ghana and South Korea were at the same GDP, 380 and 390 respectively. In 1995, South Korea was at 800 odd and Ghana remained at the same level. Why? The reason was that Ghana embraced a protectionist policy and South Korea encouraged entrepreneurship. The United States’ economy too, was termed as the land of milk and honey because of the various opportunities created for entrepreneurship by the Government. For India to truly progress and become a global destination, for the ‘India happening’ story to happen, an entrepreneurially vibrant economy is a must.
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What are your predictions for the entrepreneurial habitat in the next few years to come? The next decade will be one of entrepreneurship. Unlike today where engineering and business schools take pride in advertising hundred per cent placements, we will see them encouraging entrepreneurship by setting up incubators that offer mentoring, seed fund and infrastructure. Organizations too, will establish business accelerators to retain talent, encourage entrepreneurial thinking in their employees and create value differentiators by feeding into a robust innovation pipeline. Mentors will become not good-to-have but must-have. We will also see the emergence of social entrepreneurship that is economically profitable, socially scalable and technologically feasible. In other words, Indian entrepreneurs will write the story of a ‘happening’ super power called India
JANUARY 2014
Business Goa 25
INDUSTRY Arjun Chowgule
Chowgule Material Handling manufacture, sell and service, truck mounted cranes, tractor cranes, Handyman pick-up loaders and Baclift tail-lifts. The Truck Mounted Cranes, manufactured by
Chowgule Material Handling
Get a heavy load of this! T
Chowgule Material Handling are revolutionizing the way heavy loading is done, finds ALISHA PATEL
he Chowgule Group, which was established in the year 1916, is today an industrial conglomerate with operations in mining, iron ore pelletization, transportation, ship building, ship repairs, shipping, port infrastructure, shipping agencies, industrial gases, industrial explosives, construction chemicals, automobile dealerships, trading and education. The Chowgule Group also houses its material handling division which is a pioneer in providing complete customer oriented solutions for material transportation and handling. During the initial years of the company, they would trade imported cranes from Japan within the Indian markets. “Being in the markets for several years, what we as a Group found was that there were a lot of delays in the construction industry, Aerial view of the Chowgule Material Handling manufacturing unit primarily with regards calculation. The cranes operations for some time now to material handling manufactured by us, – with our existing customers and the loading and use a boom length of 3.2 repeatedly coming back for offloading of trucks. meters. Our eight tonnefurther orders,” informs Rajendra Trucks would often lie meter crane is popularly who also adds that their main idle for long periods used with concrete clients are from a cross section of time. What we felt products, whereas the of sectors including construction, was, what if there twelve tonne-meter infrastructure development, was a mechanism and the seventeen industrial applications, to load and unload tonne-meter are widely electrification and electronic pole materials? Using The Tractor Crane developed by Chowgule Material Handling used for construction erections, and brick and cable this mechanism, and infrastructure projects,” drum manufacturers. trucks would be able to load and manufactures, sells and services, explains Rajendra. Keeping in To ensure world class offload faster, thereby increasing truck mounted cranes, tractor mind that in India, there were products, meticulous care productivity and saving time. As cranes, Handyman pick-up large parts of the country which is taken at every stage of a Group, our core strengths lie in loaders and Baclift tail-lifts. were inaccessible by traditional manufacturing right from design, engineering and manufacturing. The Truck Mounted Cranes, machinery, the Chowgule to sourcing the sheet metal Thus, it was inevitable that we manufactured by Chowgule Material Handling developed a for the cranes and production. ventured into the manufacturing Material Handling command unique tractor crane, allowing “This is the first time someone of cranes. This is how we made a strong sixty per cent market for smooth functioning under all in India has manufactured these the transition from traders to share in the Indian private sector terrains. Their Handyman pickmachines. We undertook a large manufacturers under the brand and come in three varieties, eight up loader too, has been designed, development exercise during our name 360o in 2010,” says Arjun tone-meter, twelve tone-meter developed and patented in research phase. We chalked out Chowgule. and seventeen tone-meters. India - a mechanization made our plans and spent over a year, Talking more about the “The tonne-meter capacity refers in India and made especially developing the product which products manufactured by to the amount that you can lift at for India. “Our Baclifts too have uses only the best components. Chowgule Material Handling, a distance of one meter. Cranes become extremely popular with Being a Goan company, we Rajendra Pethe, Business however, don’t have a meters short-distance transportation try to source as much of our Head, says that the company distance so this is just a theoretical 26 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
Chowgule Material Handling command a strong sixty per cent market share in the Indian private sector and come in three varieties – eight tone-meter, twelve tone-meter and seventeen tone-meters
Our customers have more faith in our products knowing that all our raw materials and other components are locally sourced Arjun Chowgule
raw materials from Goa itself. Unfortunately, we require more than what we can source from within the State and as a result, we have turned to neighbouring cities of Belgaum, Dharwad, Pune and Bangalore,” he states. “Our customers too, have more faith in our products knowing that all our raw materials and other components are locally sourced,” adds Arjun. Once the sheet metal is procured, the geometry and back welding are done before the full and final welding takes place. This ensures that there are no manufacturing distortions and that quality is maintained throughout the manufacturing process and the end product is flawless. After welding the column and the base of the crane are sent for machining which ensures perfect geometry throughout the product. The cranes are then sent for painting and then assembled. At this stage the ergonomics and safety of the product are taken care of. Post assembling, the final product passes through a series of
stringent tests right from physical endurance to software tests. This testing is done using their in house expertise for design and development as well as external expertise. Being the pioneers of such a concept in India, Chowgule Material Handling aims to revolutionize the way heavy loading work takes place. In India, the construction sector is not as organized as it is abroad, nor is technology as advanced. For a long while, the technology for efficient material handling was either not available, or was sub-standard. Labour too, was a problem. “With the introduction of these cranes on vehicles, we are aiming to modernize the heavy loading scenario. Using these cranes, is a huge time saver which also leads to increased productivity and in the long run has proven to be a cost effective solution. In the long run, I hope that each and every truck is fitted with a crane,” states Rajendra. Adding to that, Arjun mentions that the Material Handling Division is right now at a market development stage. “We are currently working on
educating the industry about the usage of our products for efficient and effective results. We take part in trade shows, road shows, industry exhibitions and other such events that allow us access to individual buyers with whom we would not have reached out to otherwise. At Chowgule Material Handling, they not only manufacture cranes to standard, but also pay close attention to the vehicle that the crane will be fitted on. “The vehicles on which the cranes are mounted have their own limitations. When using a vehicle to lift a load, you need stability, else the vehicle will topple. The vehicle itself acts as a counterweight to the weight which is being lifted. Our eight tonne-meter cranes are generally fixed to light commercial vehicles whereas the twelve tonnemeter and seventeen tonnemeter cranes are fixed to higher tonne vehicles. These higher tonne vehicles however have city limitations and are mostly used outside the city limits,” explains Rajendra. The team at
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Chowgule Material Handling also ensures personalized services to each and every client. We sell solutions,” says Rajendra. Just as cars have been segregated and categorized, similarly Rajendra hopes that in the near future, the vehicles fitted with their cranes, will come to be known as ‘truck-cranes’ as they are special vehicles designed for a specific purpose. “It is a facility provided on a vehicle for multiple purposes,” he informs. Having successfully built a world class product, the Chowgule Material Handling unit is now looking to expand their operations. “At present we manufacture ten to fifteen cranes a month. In time, I am hopeful of reaching forty units per month. There is a strong market for the cranes. At present our Handyman cranes and Baclifts are extremely popular and are being exported to Thailand, Russia, South Africa and Myanmar. We are also trying to expand to the South East Asia, Middle East,” Arjun reveals with pride Testing of the 360o Truck Crane
Get Set For Goa’s Biggest Awards Show
JANUARY 2014
Business Goa 27
GOAN BRAND
Caravella Wines are quite popular in North Eastern States like Arunachal Pradesh and even have a bottling unit in Sikkim
Caravella wines
Wine for every occasion MONALIZA DIAS talks to Augusta Monte da Silva about her wine brand Augusta Monte da Silva
If I have customers loyal to the brand since 1994, it says a lot about the quality of the wine. We have managed to survive only because of goodwill of our clients Augusta Monte da Silva
C
elebration is part and parcel of life. We all wait for an occasion to celebrate. No celebration feels complete without the good ol’ wine to make you merrier. Wine is an irreplaceable part of any celebration. But seldom do we pay heed to who makes the wine that we drink. Each winery has its own distinct flavour and history. Augusta Monte da Silva, Proprietor of Caravella wines has seen the best and the worst of her wine business and still believes that her wine is the best. She says, “I am the only woman in the liquor trade in Goa. Considering this fact, it has never been easy for me, yet I have managed to reign victorious.” Every story has a beginning, and so did the brand ‘Caravella’. She says, “It began when my late Father-in-law Eulgencio Monte da Silva went to Portugal to study wine making. He came back and started manufacturing wine and exporting it to other countries such as Angola and Pakistan. 28 Business Goa
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He also had a canning factory. Both the factories were quite successful at the time. My fatherin-law started the production of ‘Caravella’ wines in the year 1945. By 1982 we got all the required licenses from the Excise Department in place. In 2004, I got the licenses renewed. When I got the license that year the winery started doing very well. I was now running the parent company, that people assumed me to be Madame Caravella. I gained a lot of goodwill in the market because people realized my capabilities and also because of the family name which helped boost the business,” says Augusta. What goes into making Caravella wine? Every wine tastes and varies from the others as every winery has secret ingredients to make it special. But lucky for us, Augusta gives
us a sneak peek as to how wine is made, she says, “We bring our grapes from Bangalore in truck loads as the grapes remain fresh for the distance is shorter than other places. The grapes are crushed to get the grape juice while the grape peels are disposed. We add Glucose syrup in the grape juice and keep it to ferment for 20 days after which it is kept aside for nine months to mature.” During the years 2006-2007, business was peaking; however it was mostly inter-state as Goa was a smaller market. Caravella Wines are still popular in North Eastern States like Arunachal Pradesh and even have a bottling unit in Sikkim. Today though, it is a different story with sales having witnessed a drastic drop. This, Augusta credits to the mining crisis. “Most wineries have shutdown because they cannot afford the overheads of the industrial estate costs, unlike the others, we are operating out of our own property so we are not burdened with rent or overheads. If people cannot afford basic amenities, how would they afford the luxury of wine? Earlier we used to sell Port wine, White wine and Red wine. From last year however, we did not manufacture Red wine and White wine because there were no takers. Right now we manufacture only Port wine,” she states. On a more hopeful note she adds that you cannot fight recession, you have to ride out the tide. “I am glad to say being self-sufficient, I can buy my own time and wait for the markets to open. A lot of people do not have this luxury. I am certain that in the next financial year, everything would change,” she says. We may try to do different things to make sure that our business stands out but it is our clients that define us and get us to where we are today, agrees Augusta, who says,
“My customers say it is the best wine that they have tasted. But frankly, if I have customers loyal to the brand since 1994, it says a lot about the quality of the wine. I have managed to survive only because of goodwill of my clients. We are also soon planning to venture into the Mizoram market.” As the face behind the brand, Augusta took everything that she came across in a stride. But what has made her so strong and optimistic? The answer is rather quite obvious, if a woman is responsible for a man’s success, there is always a man behind every woman’s success. She says, “My late husband Fernando Monte da Silva always told me that the sky was the limit. He always pushed me into achieving my dreams; he made me look at everything with a positive attitude. I have faced many struggles right from day one, but my major struggle was breaking into what was considered a man’s domain. I am the only woman in Goa’s liquor industry. Hence, initially I did face a lot of scepticism from people, but gradually they took note of my capabilities.” As a Goan brand, Augusta makes it a point to employ only Goans. She says, “We are Goans, hence we have to patronize Goans. There are many unemployed Goans, yet jobs go to people from outside the state. We have to employ the unemployed within the state before reaching out to the outsiders.” She further adds, “I consider my employees as family, they have been through all the ups and downs with me and have still stood by me. Our supervisor has been with the company for forty years,” she adds with pride. At a time when sales are slow, Augusta is still hopeful and hopes that the New Year brings in the hope that the Goan economy is awaiting with bated breath
EVENT OF THE MONTH
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Dr. Anand G. Naik Kurade lecture held at New Delhi
Delegates and Speakers with Sagar A. Kurade, Suman A. Kurade and Uttara S. Kurade
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pioneer in the food processing industry of India, Dr. Anand G. Naik Kurade started out at a time when few knew about food processing, albeit the opportunities associated with it. Dr. Kurade introduced modern manufacturing practices to an Industry which was largely unorganized and small. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, USA, with MS and PhD in Food Technology, he moved back to India in 1959 and started his career in Mumbai with Dr. Writers Chocolate Canning Co. He soon caught the attention of the Birlas when they were looking to set up Allahabad Canning Company. In 1968, he moved to New Delhi to work for Indo Bulgar Foods as their CEO and later as a consultant for their vegetable dehydration plant. This led to his starting Suman Food Consultants in 1970 which is now known as Suman Project Consultants Pvt. Ltd. – one of the oldest and leading consulting
companies in India in the area of Food Processing. Dr. Anand G. Naik Kurade also led several Industry initiatives from the front in his role as, President of All India Food Processors Association in 1986-1987. He was also the President, CIFTI (FICCI) from 1996-1998, President of Association of Food Scientists and Technologists (AFST-I), Vice ChairmanProcessed Food Export Promotion Council, Director-NERAMAC and as Chief Editor of Indian Food Packer (1984-1988). He was awarded the Kashalkar Memorial Award (Gold Medal) by the All India Food Processors Association in 1973 as well as Prof. V. Subrahmanyan Industrial Achievement Award by AFST(I) in 1989. His contribution has led to successful setting up and operations of more than 350 Food Processing projects in India and abroad. Dr. Kurade passed away on 13 August 2012. To carry forward
his legacy, AIFPA decided to host in his name the first Memorial lecture as part of its Annual AGM feature which will enable the Food Processing Industry to deliberate upon the issues at hand. Held at the India International Centre, New Delhi, the national seminar on Development of Food Processing Industries in the context of Various Regulations was inaugurated by Chief Guest, Tariq Anwar, Hon’ble Minister of State for Agriculture & Food Processing Industries, Govt. of India. Siraj Hussain, IAS Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Govt. of India delivered the key note address. The Dr. A.G. Naik Kurade Memorial Lecture was chaired by S.Dave, Chairman, Codez Alimentarious Commission & Advisor, FSSI. The speaker for this session was Dr. V.Prakash, Distinguished Scientist of CSIRIndia and Former Director,
CFTRI, Mysore. The seminar also featured technical sessions chaired by Dr. S.Jindal, Former President, AIFPPA on the topic of the need for single window system for all clearances to attract prospective entrepreneurs, the impact of taxation policies – local, State and Central – on development of FPIs, rationalization of AMPC Act and Warehousing Act to help food processors and farmers and the impact of multiplicity in regulations under FSSA, Legal Metrology and other Acts. Other topics deliberated on included: The opportunities for Indian Food Processing Industries to align with the best global regulatory practices to gain advantage in the European market, export regulations – need for simplifications and speedy clearances and application of software technology in various fields of food processing
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INFINITI MODULES PVT. LTD.
MASTERING ERGONOMICS 12
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Sand Mining FOCUS
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Nandini Vaidyanathan INTERVIEW
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This Pilerne-based company is a front runner in the business of modular office and school furniture across the country
Sanjeev Trivedi
MD, Infiniti Modules Pvt. Ltd.
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PANAJI GOA VOL 5 ISSUE 7
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Diksha Khanna LADY POWER
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News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features
CAMPUS GOA
book shelf
Rotary Club of Panjim hosts School Quiz
AVINASH B. SHARMA
The Rotary Club of Panjim, recently organized a quiz competition on the topic “how much we know about Goa” which was held at Institute Menezes Braganza Hall. The Quiz witnessed an overwhelming response from forty six teams representing schools from all over Goa. The Quiz Masters for the programme were Harshvardhan Bhatkuly and Rajiv D’Silva. Registration was opened at 8.45 a.m., and the quiz competition started with the lighting of the traditional lamp at the hands of the President of the Rotary Club of Panjim, Dr. Prasad
Netravalkar and senior members of the Club. After the preliminary round, six teams were selected to play the final six rounds of the quiz, it was a knowledgefocussed and educative Quiz which was won by Mushtifund High School, Panaji who were awarded cash prize of Rs. 5000 and certificates. All the participating teams were give participation certificates from the members of the Rotary Club of Panjim. Rohan Khaunte, MLA of Porvorim was the Chief Guest for the prize distribution ceremony. The Quiz was attended by large number of teachers and audience besides 92 participants
Dempo BBA Organises First Junior Management Fest The BBA Department of S.S. Dempo College of Commerce and Economics hosted Goa’s first Junior Management Fest, ‘Inspirit- igniting young minds’ a state level management event for higher secondary schools. ‘Inspirit’ is the brain child of the BBA forum ‘Horizon’. ‘Inspirit’ aims at providing the Higher Secondary students a platform to showcase their creativity and prepare themselves for the challenging career in management. The event saw participation from 10 higher secondary schools across the state including Don Bosco College (Panaji), Our Lady of Rosary (Dona Paula), Deep Vihar (Vasco), GVM’s (Ponda), S.S. Samiti (Ponda), People’s (Panaji), Mushtifund (Panaji), Dempo (Miramar), Dhempe (Miramar), and MES (Vasco). The event consisted of some very innovative and competitive rounds including Ad Mania (advertisement round), Crazy Creation (Product making and sales round), ‘Turn 32 Business Goa
JANUARY 2014
the Table’ (communication round), Biz Quiz and Snapshot (photography round). The judges for various events were eminent personalities from trade and Industry. The event was inaugurated at the hands of. R. Krishna Gopal, Chairman of Goa Management Association and NIPM, Goa Chapter. The welcome address was delivered by the Principal, Dr. Radhika Nayak and the vote of thanks was proposed by Prof. Teja Khandolkar. The event was concluded on a high note with the valedictory ceremony wherein the Chief Guest was Deepak Chodankar, Vice President, R&D, Smartlink Network Systems Ltd., Verna, Goa. The overall champions were Don Bosco Higher Secondary, Panaji and the Runners up were Dhempe Higher Secondary, Miramar; and were felicitated at the hands of the Chief Guests. The function concluded with a vote of thanks by the BBA Forum President, Adhvay Madkaikar
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The Yogic Manager The Yogic Manager is a business novel that retells the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata. The monumental war of Kurukshetra has been recreated in the business world at a consulting firm called ‘Characterra Consulting’. The protagonist Arjun Atmanand faces a crisis when his conscience clashes with the instructions of his boss and Characterra’s founder, Raja Sahamkar. To help him with his crisis, Arjun receives advice from Yogi, which he later uses to build a bridge between Yoga-Vedanta and Management. By reading and studying this book, you will: • Start to challenge conventional ways of thinking about business and gain a new, holistic perspective of Management. • Learn the principles and framework of Yogic Management, which you can then immediately apply to your work. • Become a more productive knowledge worker by learning how to control and channel the most powerful instrument of knowledge work – the mind • Gain practical advice on how to build physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual strength • Live a balanced and purposeful life by going through the four phases prescribed in Yoga-Vedanta • Join the evolution of Management – a movement that will elevate the human condition and restore harmony to an imbalanaced planet Rs.225, Paperback, 205 pages
Publisher:
BG CROSSWORD 50
Jaico Publishing House
QUIZZARE
Across: 1 - America’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, as it is popularly known (9) 6 - Film company founded by Steven Spielberg (6) 7 - India’s largest insurance company (3) 8 - Popular toy found in Lays chips packets in the late 90’s (4) 9 - Watch brand for ladies from Titan (4) 10 - American basketball league (3) 13 - National Broadcasting Company, in short (1,1,1) 15 - Defense Research and Development Organization, in short (4) 16 - Small car model from Fiat (5) 17 - Tempo ____ - multi utility vehicle made by Force Motors (4) Down: 1 - Milk flavoring product brand owned by Nestle in the US (8) 2 - Common brand of thermos flasks and water bottles (6) 3 - ______ bank - Indian bank headquartered in Bangalore (6) 4 - Indian financial services group (8) 5 - IT services company founded by Shiv Nadar (3) 11 - Bharat Aluminium Company (5) 12 - Floor cleaner brand owned by Unilever (5) 14 - Fossil fuel used in thermal power plants (4) answers to crossword 49 Across 1 – Bitcoin 4 – ESPN 6 – Infosys 8 – TRAI 9 – Aroma 10 – CREDAI 13 – ISB 15 – Lear 16 – API 17 – Mayo Down 1 – Britannia 2 – Teflon 3 – Nestle 5 – Plaza 7 – Spacely 11 – Derby 12 – ICRA 14 - BOP
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professional dossier JOSEPH RODRIGUES
Joseph says, “I was always a good sportsman in school and had excelled in athletics, swimming, table tennis, badminton and soccer. It was only when I came to Goa that I realized that karate was not just a sport, but a passion for me”
KARATE COACH
Kicking it, skyhigh
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s a child, during my school days in Kolkata, I grew up watching the famous Bruce Lee. His film ‘Enter the Dragon’ was what sparked my interest in Karate. I came out of the theatre in awe of him. Since then, I began learning Karate on my own as the place where I was living in was far from the city. Though the school I studied in offered karate classes, I never got the opportunity to learn. With no internet or other facilities, the next best way to learn was from books. That’s how I started learning to kick. I was already doing boxing at the time and I merged the two forms together and began doing kickboxing. This was all self-taught. In 1979, after my Dad retired and I had finished my Higher Secondary studies, we moved to Goa. After moving to Goa, I came in contact with a coach who used to teach karate at Don Bosco and I immediately jumped at the opportunity to learn karate professionally and from there onwards there has been no looking back. I was always a good sportsman in school and had excelled in athletics, swimming, table tennis, badminton and soccer. It was only when I came to Goa that I realized that karate was not just a sport, but a passion for me. One thing led to another, and my instructor, Kishan Gopani, who was very impressed with my efforts, asked me to help him with police training. This was in 1981. Subsequent to that, I met a German master who was living in Baga. The German master brought to the table a standard which was not found among Goan karate trainers and along with two fellow karate enthusiasts, I began training with him at my Grandmother’s house in Candolim. After a while, we set up a class in Mapusa where we began training students. As the German master would 34 Business Goa
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One of the founders of the Karate movement in Goa reflects on his professional journey
live in Goa only for a period of six months at a time, I took up the task of teaching during his absence. This was my entry into the world of teaching karate. Unfortunately, he could not give me the most sought after Black Belt and advised me to obtain the belt from a reputed institution in India. I then approached the World Karate Association in Hyderabad and got my Black Belt through them in 1985, which also made me the first Goan to attain a Black Belt in karate. It was then that everything fell into place for me and I began taking classes in a more professional manner. My student base grew and there was a point where I had one hundred students in my batch at Don Bosco. I even began taking my students for National level competitions since 1986. I started branching out, having more and more classes with a steadily growing number of students. Taking a step into the corporate world, I joined a reputed bank for a short period of time. Not wanting to give up on Karate as a profession, I now worked from 6am to 10pm every day. Eventually I reached a point where I had to pick between corporate life in a bank and my passion for karate. No questions
there about which one was the winner. Ever since that decision, I wanted to take karate to the next level and in 1992, I did a stint in the United Kingdom where I obtained further degrees in Karate. Training in the United Kingdom was very expensive and I remember selling off literally everything I owned to make this possible. A single session would cost around five Pounds (approximately five hundred rupees) unlike in Goa where my students would pay me a mere one hundred rupees a month. Upon getting my second degree Black Belt, in England, I came back to Goa and raised the bar for karate in Goa. In time, the All India Karate-Do Federation got in touch with me and I became an Associate of theirs. I then began taking karate even more seriously and starting holding classes in mornings and evenings. Karate today has evolved. It has evolved from a method of self defence to an
Karate today has evolved. It has evolved from a method of self defence to an internationally recognized sport. Karate is also soon to be included as a sport in the Olympics Joseph rodrigues
internationally recognized sport. Karate is also soon to be included as a sport in the Olympics. I remember when I began training, it used to be a lot tougher than what it is today. We didn’t have any protective gear either. I have noticed this among my students also. If I have a tough session, the next day half my students don’t turn up. Though there has been turmoil in the All India Karate-Do Federation, recently things are starting to look up and the World Karate Federation has now recognized an Indian body. I have just been named as the President of the Goa Karate Association. Right now, there are over 5000 students learning karate and the sport has reached almost every corner of Goa. Currently, I teach eighty students the youngest being six and the oldest being fifty four. Being a karate coach is the biggest challenge itself today with younger coaches coming on to the field. I am proud to say that my students have been consistently winning medals at the National level and I think our biggest achievement is when Sybil won two silver medals in Tokyo and I won a bronze at the world championships. As a karate coach, I always instil in my students the spirit to train hard and never give up. Looking forward, I would like to see an all girl team representing India at the World Championships. Unfortunately this wasn’t possible earlier due to the lack of development in the Association. Now that I have assumed leadership, I hope to turn this a r o u n d within the next three years -As told to ALISHA PATEL
tribute
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Sad demise of Vasantrao Joshi
V
asantrao Subrai Joshi passed away on 28 December after a brief illness. The former Vasco MLA, renowned businessman and Chairman of Murgao Education Society (MES) College of Arts and Commerce, Zuarinagar, was 92 and is survived by five sons and two daughters. Joshi was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Chicalim. His funeral was attended by a large number of people as he had touched many a life. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar called him a “walking encyclopedia on Goa,” while Chairman of Dempo Group, Shrinivas S. Dempo felt that he was the “last of the doyens who built modern Goa.” Popularly known as Anna, Joshi was elected as a legislator from the Vasco constituency in 1972. He was a founder member of the MES College of Arts and Commerce in the early 70s.
Popularly known as Anna, Vasantrao Joshi was elected as a legislator from the Vasco constituency in 1972. He was a founder member of the MES College of Arts and Commerce Vasantrao Joshi
Popular in his home town and the state, Joshi’s family business involved selling of two-and four-wheelers as he was one of the first in Goa to set up an automobile dealership, Subrai Motors. He also played a huge
role in setting up the education movement in Vasco. Anna was a man of great repute in the state of Goa. Not only was he a renowned man but also possessed a generous and humble heart with an aim
Goa Institute of Management inaugurates new block at Sanquelim campus and names if after V M Salgaocar Dattaraj and Shivanand Salgaocar with P F X D’Lima, Shrinivas Dempo, Fr. Romualdo de Sousa, Pratapsingh Rane, Dr. Sunil Rai, Dean Menezes and other invitees
O
ne of India’s premier B-school, Goa Institute of Management (GIM) inaugurated the block which houses the multipurpose hall at its new campus in Sanquelim. The state-of-the art multipurpose hall was inaugurated by Dattaraj Salgaocar, Managing Director, V.M Salgaocar Group in the presence of Dr. Sunil Rai, Director, GIM and all the directors on the GIM board including Shivanand Salgaocar, Fr. Romuald,
Shrinivas Dempo, Pratapsingh Rane, Dean Menezes, Dr. P.F.X D’Lima and others. Following the multipurpose hall, the educational institute is in the process of building a tennis court, swimming pool and sport facility. In addition to the multipurpose hall, a P.F.X D’Lima Room and Rukmini Ammal Room was inaugurated by the Board of directors. The Goa Institute of Management entered a new phase in its legacy recently
with the completion of its state-of-the-art campus at Sanquelim in the Sattari Taluka which is located on a sprawling 50 acre plot surrounded by the idyllic foothills of the Western Ghats. Dattaraj Salgaocar, MD. V.M Salgaocar Group said, “This hall is donated in the memory of my father V.M Salgaocar who always believed that an educational institute is a temple of learning. An Institute like GIM not only imparts knowledge but also inspires students to be and do better.” Former Chief Minister Pratapsingh Rane added, “Goa needed a premier educational institute like GIM which offers a global educational experience. We are proud that GIM is listed among the best B-schools in the country”
to educate. He had a vision to educate the youth, for a brighter and stronger future. With his demise, we have not only lost a man of strength and passion, but also a man of a heart who could make a change in society. Joshi’s family has a link to the Shree Damodar Bhajani Saptah celebration, which was started about 115 years ago. Joshi’s father late Subrai Joshi had offered the courtyard of his house for the installation of the idol of Lord Damodar. Every year, Vasantrao Joshi offered coconut at the lotus feet of Lord Damodar in order to commence the 24hour long Saptah at the Damodar temple. The ceremonies were earlier organised by his father. A true gentleman who always stood for what he believed in is no more amongst us. His sons Paresh, Prashant, Parag, Pushkar and Pankaj will continue the rich legacy of their illustrious father
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Business Goa 35
LADY POWER
“Differentiation is integral to me as I want people to understand my design philosophy and what my brand stands for. My label offers diversity and goes from casual to fancy to celeberate womanhood in its every form,” says Diksha
Diksha Khanna
From cloth to creation MONALIZA DIAS talks to Diksha Khanna about her inspiration and entry into the world of fashion
W
e all have a fascination with something beautiful. Something so beautiful that we grow up loving it even more. So did Diksha Khanna, who found her passion in something creative and beautiful. She says, “I loved sketching and rendering drawings since childhood, colours used to fascinate me as a kid. During my teens, I definitely knew I had to do something which was creatively satisfying and this quest led to my admission at NIFT, Delhi for a Degree in Fashion Design. Soon after graduation, I spent time doing internships and realised the need to train more, and therefore I enrolled for a Masters’ Degree from the University of Leeds, UK. Along with my dissertation, I also did a few specialised design courses from London College of Fashion.” To master a trade, one requires experience. With an aim to gain experience and to grow as a designer, Diksha tirelessly strived towards creating beautiful designs. “I have worked for various domestic and international fashion houses. While in London, I worked for Bunmi Koko and Karma designs, which proved to be an invaluable and hands on experience required for our industry. After relocating to Goa, I worked with ace fashion designer Wendell Rodricks, who I consider to be my true mentor and guide,” she reveals. There is often a general misconception that a woman is expected to put family before her professional life. What many fail to realize is that a woman can balance both without failing in any of her roles. For Diksha, fashion designing is a way to express herself – making her thoughts and ideas come to life. She says, “For me, there is nothing better than working on my own as it gives me absolute freedom to explore, emote and express completely.” You would 36 Business Goa
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Starting my own brand also gave me an opportunity to face the challenges involved once you become an enterpreneur Diksha Khanna
expect a woman with no previous business experience to be a little intimidated when starting out on her own, but Diksha took the challenge head on. “Starting my own brand also gave me an opportunity to face the challenges and work out the nuances involved once you become an entrepreneur and since then, there has been no looking back!” A woman is considered to be a beautiful piece of art. Only a woman can know what it is to be a woman, it is a beautiful thing. This beauty should be kept in mind whilst creating something new. Diksha says, “Being a woman myself, definitely proves as an asset when working on fit and proportions in particular. All my pieces are designed keeping my own personality in mind and are a reflection of how best I can
express myself through fashion.” Every artist requires inspiration for their masterpieces. Diksha finds her inspiration in every nook and corner. “Anything can inspire me, since everything if looked upon with a creative vision is beautiful. Inspiration to me can come from nature, cultures, history, architecture or the white sandy beaches of Goa, all of it is very inspiring.” Having seen different parts of the world, she finds Goa the most inspiring. She says, “I believe Goa is a great place to be and also to put your creative energy to use. The design scene is growing and looks very promising in this State,” she adds. Diksha always strives to be different, it’s only when you are different that you stand out. She says, “Differentiation is integral to me as I want people to
understand my design philosophy and what my brand stands for. My label offers diversity and goes from casual to glamourous to celebrate womanhood in its every form.” What must one do to survive in the rat race of the fashion industry? Learn. She says. “We must learn something new from our peers. Instead of feeling pressurized to do better, learn from them and improve on your own skills. The number of designers have significantly increased in Goa, but I do not see it as a contest, each one has their distinct design philosophy and honestly there is so just much to learn from the veterans in our fashion industry.” What makes a succesful person? The answer varies from person to person. Diksha says, “Being organised and having a healthy lifestyle is the key to it and I am lucky to have a great support system in terms of my family and friends.” Most of us are so caught up in making it big in our respective fields that we forget the smaller things in life that could bring much joy in our lives and others. But Diksha has not forgotten any of it. She gives equal priority to the people that matter. She can rightly be called an effective multi-tasker. Life takes us to different places at the most appropriate time. Some of us are already half way to our destination and some of us are just beginning to get there, with the zeal and passion to achieve big things, and so has Diksha, “I can very well say that I have just begun and the journey so far has been quite incredible. Each day brings in more challenges and equal amount of energy to deal with them.” A beautiful woman inside out, Diksha Khanna is definitely a woman on a mission. A mission to bring to light her creations, which are undoubtedly some of the best that Goa has seen
LETTER FROM AMERICA
Abraham Lincoln’s short speech of ten sentences is regarded as one of the greatest speeches in US history. In that oration Lincoln reconfirmed the declaration of Independence and more importantly the principle of human equality
November to Remember The writer talks about momentous events that have occurred in November
Jay Dehejia The Writer used to be a senior corporate executive, now a social entrepreneur. He spends most of his time between Goa and New York jay@dehejia.net
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s you were enjoying the calm pleasant ocean breeze in late November last year, and also thinking about the Christmas season, you may not have focused on two momentous events that occurred late that month. It was 150 years ago on November 19, 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln gave his “Gettysburg Address”, a speech at the dedication of the Soldier’s National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Fifty years ago on November 22, 1963 President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas as he and his wife Jacqueline Kennedy along with Texas Governor Connelly were driving in a motorcade through the city. In very different ways both these events continue to be important milestones for the United States. Lincoln, a Republican, was elected as the 16th President of the United States in 1861. The country was in turmoil. Ten Southern States were planning to secede the Union, as they rejected the abolition of slavery. The Confederate Army let by Robert E. Lee believed that foreign powers like Britain would intervene on their behalf, since cotton from the southern States
was important to them. Over 600,000 soldiers died in the war. Abraham Lincoln’s short speech of ten sentences is regarded as one of the greatest speeches in US history. In that oration Lincoln reconfirmed the declaration of Independence and more importantly the principle of human equality. The American Civil War had ended just over 4 months prior to the dedication at the cemetery, and the now famous ‘four score and seven years ago’ start of the speech referred to the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the US Congress in July 1776. Lincoln’s address ended with these words “…that this nation, [under God], shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” On November 19th last year, President Obama wrote a letter late at night, after his wife and daughters had gone to sleep. He wrote: “Through the lines of weariness etched in his face, we know Lincoln grasped, perhaps more than anyone, the burdens required to give these words meaning. He knew that even a self evident truth was not self executive; that blood drawn by the lash was an affront to our ideal; that blood drawn by the sword was in painful service to those same ideals.” The United States is once again in turmoil, though the issues are different, and the Republican Party is opposing the programs of equality espoused by the Democrat President and the Democrats who have the majority in the Senate. Is it possible that politicians in America are still debating the concept of ‘slavery’ and equality for the economically downtrodden? President Lincoln was assassinated on April 15, 1865. Fifty years ago on November 22nd, Lee Harvey Oswald
assassinated John F. Kennedy the 35th President “Ask not of the United States. I, like what your many others remember country can exactly what we were doing do for you on that day when we heard – ask what the sad news. I was just you can do for your coming out of class at the country” University of California, John F. Kennedy Berkeley, stunned like the rest of my colleagues, each one in his or her own whirl of thoughts. Kennedy had assumed office in January 1961, becoming the youngest President, and the first one to be and had to contend with one of born in the 20th Century. All of us his major failure called “The Bay were spellbound as we watched of Pigs Invasion”. him take the oath of office with Reflecting on JFK’s legacy, his wife Jackie and his two young President Obama stated in an children John Jr. and Caroline by interview with Barbara Walters his side. His inaugural address “And it’s been an incredible ended with the words: “And so, legacy but JFK in particular, I my fellow Americans: ask not think, captured the idealism, the what your country can do for you ability to imagine and remake – ask what you can do for your America to meets its ideals, in country. My fellow citizens of a way we haven’t seen before the world: ask not what America or since. And I don’t know of will do for you, but what together anyone who has had that same we can do for the freedom of impact on a generation and man. Finally, whether you are inspired so many people as JFK citizens of America or citizens has. He really moved people in of the world ask of us the same a way that still resonates with us high standards of strength and today.” sacrifice which we ask of you. We will never know if Jack With a good conscience our only Kennedy would have been a sure reward, with history the great or an ordinary President. final judge of our deeds, let us go We do know that he inspired forth to lead the land we love.” millions of people around the In the less than three years United States and probably that Kennedy was President he around the world. Fifty years set into motion some spectacular later, people in America spent new initiatives. He is best known November 22nd remembering for having started the Peace his charismatic personality, Corps and an ambitious program despite his shortcomings, to send a man to the moon. his brief Presidency, and his Even though he did not live to premature death. Conspiracy see his dream come true, we theories are aplenty as to why still remember Neil Armstrong’s and who really killed President words from the moon – “One Kennedy on that fateful journey small step for man, one giant on November 22nd, 1963. India leap for mankind.” Kennedy in has suffered from assassinations my opinion was way ahead of starting with Mahatma Gandhi in his time when he thought that he 1948, Indira Gandhi in 1984, and could convince the Soviet Union Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. to reduce the world’s nuclear Let us pray for peace and stockpile. He did not succeed, tranquillity in 2014 JANUARY 2014
Business Goa 37
RELUCTANT ENTREPRENEUR
To sell any product one needs to decide a “price” point and again this SHG was impressive. The usual thinking is if a product is made by struggling women then it has to be cheap. Home Work differentiates here
The Writer applauds the efforts of a Fatorda-based Self Help Group Pic Courtesy: The Navhind Times
Home Work
Blaise Costabir The Columnist a first generation entrepreneur whose company rotomoulds custom moulded technical parts blaise@gmizm.com
For any entrepreneur, the starting point is an idea which generates income. The idea here is to organise stay at home women to do some activity which will generate income, this in turn will help raise the standard of the women’s family
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ecently, I attended the launch of a social entrepreneurship initiative “Unnati” – for, of and by women of Fatorda. The brand name was apt – ‘Home Work’. One can easily write it off as a political initiative but that would be missing the wood for the proverbial trees. Let’s get the political issues out of the way, so that we can focus on the business of doing business. The launch was at the hands of the Governor of Goa, not someone who will come for every product launch, but given 38 Business Goa
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Usha Sardessai, the driving force behind Unnati ad Home Work with ladies from the Self Help Group
the fact that it was a community initiative and effects the lives of so many under privileged women, it is commendable. The concept was thought of by the wife of a politician, and concerns only the local MLA’s constituency. Once we get into the business part, it will be clear that there was depth and a lot of thought was applied in this project. Also, it was not a spur of the moment decision – the business process had evolved. For any entrepreneur, the starting point is an idea which generates income. The idea here is to organise stay at home women to do some activity which will generate income, this in turn will help raise the standard of the women’s family. What struck me instantly at the launch was the brand name ‘Home Work’. This was a huge change from the previous display at exhibitions of the group I had seen. Then I used to think, without a brand how will they be recognised? This is a point lots of entrepreneur miss – branding. We know of hundreds of people who make cakes, chocolates and food at home, but how many brand it? If it is not branded, how will anyone recognise it? How will anyone recommend it? How will you know in Mapusa, that this is the same sweet bought in Margao which tasted nice? Branding. Branding. Branding –
is the answer. The down side of branding is that a customer knows what to avoid. How will you ensure that the customer has a positive experience when he tries the product most of the time? The answer: Product testing. And this launch showed that prior to the launch a lot of effort had gone into product testing. The unbranded displays at exhibitions would have also helped fine tune the product mix, but more important was the inclusion of the experts’ testimony when referring to the ‘soap’ that was one of the products launched. Not every product can get away being tested by the customer “a la Tata product”. This process will be on going simply because customers’ choices keep evolving. The tag line which speaks for the brand was there and was put so well, “Made from the heart. Made at Home.” In these days where everyone is looking for an elevator pitch, this could not be better. To sell any product, one needs to decide a “price” point and again they impressed. The usual thinking is if a product is made by struggling women, then it has to be cheap. It was neither cheap nor expensive, it was priced right. Someone had done their homework for sure! Importantly the price point was chosen at the start, there is
no way a product launched at the bottom can move up later. Remember the Cielo car from Daewoo? They dropped the price drastically and what happened, the car faded into oblivion. Finally, ladies at Unnati expressed their goal – it was not just a constituency, and this model can be quickly replicated across Goa, India or the planet by people. Unnati for people and planet. They have their work cut out to reach their stated goal. They know where they are headed and they are on the way. A lijjat papad or Fabindia in the making? A lot of startups get the naming of their website wrong. A Google search for Unnati threw up 2 lakh results. Not the best way to start searching for this specific site and its members, ideas and products. The actual website is a more complex “unnatipeopleplanet. com”. This can be worked on; a search for “homework” will lead you nowhere. In these days where life is online, a company, especially a startup misses a lot when they get lost in cyberspace. Wishing the ladies behind Unnati all the very best. After all, well begun is half done. The launch was a learning experience for startups. It is a great idea and surely it will teach us more in the future
startup
Rural Entrepreneurship Division (RED) is CEL’s rural entrepreneurship project which works on the grounds of social entrepreneurship by looking to assist and setup rural enterprises and in the process give a sustainable source of income to village folk in surrounding areas
Learning the spirit of entrepreneurship thinking among the BITSian community and create business leaders in all spheres of life. CEL activities at the Goa Campus currently are focusing on the following:
The Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership CEL is an interactive platform for the student body at BITS Pilani who have entrepreneurial aspiration
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he Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) provides an interactive platform to those members of the student body at BITS Pilani who have entrepreneurial aspirations. The aim of the Center is to create leaders through entrepreneurial thinking. CEL is a center for excellence at BITS Pilani and works towards creating the right ecosystem for ideas to mature into successful ventures. To fulfill its mandate, CEL has taken up many projects and initiatives to foster the spirit of entrepreneurship on campus. Due to consistent efforts in this regard, CEL, BITS Pilani is ranked amongst the top entrepreneurship cells of the country. CEL is led by a student President, Rathin Shah, a budding entrepreneur and guided by Prof. Mridula Goel, Head of Department of Economics and a teacher of Entrepreneurship. Vision of CEL To inspire BITSians to play a prominent role in leading diverse entrepreneurial activities in the country and to make a significant contribution in global entrepreneurial innovation. Mission of CEL To promote entrepreneurial
Rural Entrepreneurship Rural Entrepreneurship Division (RED) is CEL’s rural entrepreneurship project which works on the grounds of social entrepreneurship by looking to assist and setup rural enterprises and in the process offer a sustainable source of income to village folk in surrounding areas. RED is working towards creation of social businesses among the stake holders of the society who act as change makers in the long run. To achieve the same, the RED team is infusing a socioentrepreneurial financial model to self-help groups in the slums of Goa by producing Recycled Paper and Handicraft products for a sustained source of income and value creation. It works to observe and solve problems in the nearby villages, like Zuarinagar, by helping them to devise solutions to their problems which will enable the people to earn and make their lives better. RED works mainly with women because they are disadvantaged and have mobility constraints. They want independent source of income so that they can spend according to their priorities – on their children’s education and other expenditures. New Venture Creation course A unique course in its objective and pedagogy: New Venture Creation is a course conducted across all the three BITS Pilani campuses in India. It focuses on teaching entrepreneurship by actually practicing it. CEL in association with BITS Spark (An initiative launched by the Institute and alumni of BITS Pilani with the aim of building an entrepreneur ecosystem for BITSians) has designed this
course where student-teams are expected to work on a startup idea, using the lean start up method. Students pursuing this course are required to address various issues in startup creation – product development, market research, technology viability, fund raising, competitive analysis, team formation, marketing and sales strategy. The course features interactive sessions and mentoring from entrepreneurs, investors and academicians with strong experience in creating and running startups, especially technology based ventures. Selected teams are also awarded pre-seed funding to pursue the startup further. Tech Business Incubator CEL in association with the Department of Information Technology, Government of India has established a Technology Business Incubator [TBI] under the TIDE scheme in the area of Electronics and ICT on campus. The TBI incubator along with efforts by CEL promotes entrepreneurial leadership in the state of Goa, and invites entrepreneurs to use TBI services so as to develop end products for commercialization. TBI provides physical infrastructure to startups in terms of office space along with computing and communication facilities. Access to departmental laboratories for product development purposes is also provided by the incubator. Apart from that, TBI also provides services like corporate and legal assistance, networking and funding opportunities, mentorship, etc. Summer in a Startup (SiS) An initiative of CEL, Summer in a Startup, aims to give the students at BITS Pilani the opportunity to intern at a startup over the summer. Launched in 2009, the objective of SiS is to add a symbiotic value, to the
startup and the intern. Working in a company with an optimum head count of less than 50, SiS interns have the opportunity to “be heard”, share insight and experience real action. Conferences CEL is also regularly involved in organizing conferences. Inspirational speakers, leaders in their own field have presented at earlier conferences held at Goa Campus. To mention a few names: Gyanesh Pandey, [CEO of Husk Power Systems], Abhinav Sinha, [Co-founder & VP – Business Development, Eko India Financial Services Pvt. Ltd] Swapnil Dixit [Executive Director Tata JagritiYatra] and Manik Thapar [CEO,Ecowise waste management]. Regular interactions with entrepreneurs are organized and have included several path breaking BITSians like Phanindra Sama [Founder of redBus.in], Raju Reddy [Founder of Sierra Atlantic, USA], Rajiv Jayaraman [Founder of Knolscape] etc. Apart from all these, CEL organizes entrepreneurial games, B-plan competitions, workshops, case-study analysis sessions, knowledge sessions, panel discussions, idea generation events etc. ‘Kick Start’, an event, based on the format of the Startup Weekend is also held annually. It is a golden opportunity for budding entrepreneurs that brings ideators, designers, developers and mentors on the same platform. This year, CEL has also made ambitious associations with organizations like the SwarambhYatra, NEN Powered TATA First Dot, etc. and future endeavours include more hands on entrepreneurial events like CEL Field Trips, Startup Fair etc. With all these and more going on, CEL definitely seems to be the next big e-cell on the block. True to its tagline, CEL is definitely Standing Tall
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Business Goa 39
PEOPLE TREE
As human beings, we will always have the urge for “Certainty” ,”Connection and love” ,”Critical significance” and to some extent “Uncertainty” if it favours us. But if we all focus our energies in acquiring these it will disturb the well being state and create turbulence for
The balancing act The Columnist talks about finding the right work-personal life balance
Kishore Shah The Writer is a organisational development and talent analytics consultant. He is also the founder sponsor of Goa CSR awards shahkishorem@gmail.com
There is no such thing as “Work-Life Balance” because life unfolds in both – certainty as well as uncertainty. It is important to find purpose
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s the New Year rolls, most of us, especially the ones from corporates, get into a ritual of making “New Year Resolutions” to ensure a balance between work and life. It’s a mixed feeling; the gut keeps warning us about the possibility of slippage, whereas the mind keeps making “Resolutions”. Despite knowing that these resolutions often come with an early expiry date, we continue 40 Business Goa
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to make them year after year. There is an impeccable sincerity of noble intention yet we get stressed out trying to maintain that balance between work life and our personal life. Here is a interesting biography of a corporate warrior which would help us to decode the “Black Box” analogous to the one used in aircrafts to study the raw moments, identify patterns and traps we unknowingly get into, causing accidents and most of them – irreversible. Once upon a time, there was a person who had an extremely tough childhood where every single day was a struggle to make ends meet, but his mother nourished him with high ideals of life and supplemented him with values of sacrifice, hard work, fight against injustice etc. The boy took heed of what she was saying and slowly the seeds of a warrior were sown and grown into him. Soon his life was flooded with accolades. He topped examinations and “Perfection” became his second name. There was a fire in his career aspirations and soon he passed his exams with flying colours. On gaining “corporate wings”, there was no looking back. The Corporate environment was perfect for his nurtured personality and further fuelled his aggression. As days passed, the ‘programmed life’ unfolded. He got married, had children, alongside he was on his marathon run in his corporate career, swinging jobs like the circus trapeze artist ! He soon became a “Corporate warrior” working too much, eating and drinking too much, with little or no time to rest. The pressures from family unfolded a new drama and he took solace in spending more hours at office. One day as he was late all alone in his work station he heard a voice coming from his gut as if someone inside him, his alter ego was conversing with him. “I see myself running furiously
on a concrete road and along with me are several others. It is a crowded road as I look at their feet. It is a terrific scene, everyone sprinting with state of art shoes but as I ascend my glance on their face I can clearly see the fatigue and quite a few are wearing a mask with a fixed plastic expression outwards. I ask few of them where does this road lead to, but nobody seems to have an answer. The sheer “herd mentality” momentum is pushing them. Suddenly I see a small pathway leading into the forest with inviting green foliage. I step down and enjoy the serene beauty but soon I get preoccupied by doubts and anxiety of being lost and inspite of the natural drag towards the forest, my economically conditioned mind pulls me back on the concrete road. Soon I feel exhausted and to my astonishment I am carrying several bags on my shoulder but none of them belong to me, it appears like I am somebody to everybody and nobody to myself ! My life is unfolding as a prewritten program. I stop as I am really tired and it’s a cross road. In the evening, when I look at the stars above, I feel I am very small and insignificant but the very next moment I see the ground and the small crawling insect, I feel I am gigantic and huge? I am confused about, who am I?” Suddenly his mobile rings, shattering the ‘Vipaasana moment”. Our hero decides to face life. He reaches home and engages into a heart to heart talk, to his shock he realizes that he is tagged as “Santa Claus” by his son ,“Inert Gas” by his wife, “ATM” by his parents and “bad man” by his relatives just because of his over indulgence in work and taking his family for granted. Unfortunately he met some self proclaimed “Coaching and counselling quacks” who diagnosed him as suffering from a dreadful ailment called “WorkLife imbalance” and they further
deduced that work seems to be his number one enemy and it is high time he needs to confront it. Without batting an eyelid, he quit his lucrative job and decided to spend all his time with his family, he drew a super “to do plan with minute to minute detail” but slowly he realized that the significant others in his life had their own priorities and plan which impacted his time table and somehow the idea of spending “Quality time” fizzled out. The system started cracking. He realized that he was again at the receiving end and probably becoming a nuisance at home! Soon the cash flow too was affected and he started to wonder about the paradox. When he was in full swing on professional front, everybody criticized that he was neglecting the family. Now when he quit his rewarding career and gave all his time to the family, they found him to be an obstacle. Totally shattered, his search for “Balance” was still on until one day when he accidentally stumbled upon a Malayalam documentary “Manju Poley” and it initiated an emotional process within him. He could soon relate that in the past right from his childhood, he was nurtured into a warrior culture which robbed him of his childhood innocence. What he picked up was “Fight”, “Flight”, “Fright” and “Fury”. What was untouched was “Facilitate”. He was unknowingly taught that growth means only “numbers” and “more and more” what was missed out was the meaning of making purpose. All these years, he focused only on “Resources” and engaged in acquiring resources but when he saw the film, he realized that there is no such concept of “Work-Life Balance” because life unfolds both in certainty and uncertainty and if one does not embrace uncertainty, he will sooner or later fall out. It is important to move towards “Resourcefulness” like creativity, compassion,
ourselves and others. Hence, it is of paramount importance that we cultivate two very important areas – ‘The art of giving’ coupled with ‘Emotional awareness of self and others’ and the second one is to ‘Let go.’ innovation, relatedness and not crib about “Resource scarcity” He watched the documentary numerous times and every time it had the power of the “Black Box”. It opened up life’s treasures and facilitated him to focus more on “Well being”. It dawned on him that he was over using his intellectual capital at the cost of his other capitals like “Physical, social and spiritual”. He moved away from clock time to engagement and made necessary adjustments with a clear focus on “Purpose” for whatever he did in all the 5 areas namely “Intellectual, social, spiritual, physical and hobbies .He soon took up a job and carried himself with same integrity be it work place or family, so he was no longer a split personality. If he practiced team work at work place, he was a perfect team member at home and contributed with
equal vigour which also included doing all household work and even offering his wife a cup of tea when she returned home from work. If he demonstrated his caring affectionate feeling at home, he transported same for his colleagues at work place. Soon he realized that each of his 5 capitals were supplementing and enriching the other capitals. He co created some interesting experiments for “Well being” like 1. Code sharing Openness in sharing his triumphs and travails with his family as he realized that the shortest distance between any two points is a straight line! This slowly built the unobtrusive transparency amongst family members. They too reciprocated. 2. Time White spaces He realized that as every printed paper has white spaces which can be still utilized, similarly in our own life, as well. Every day
we have enough white spaces to do something extra for ourselves and others. He reignited his hobbies by carefully utilizing the “Time white spaces” 3. Sigma Growth and development His family co-created a Growth and Development plan for all and ensured each one takes ownership for supporting others by “Code sharing” and “white spaces”. The same was replicated at work. This art of giving and facilitating growth and development made life holistic 4. Hobbies He nurtured his hobbies. Unknowingly it calmed his aggression and made him pleasantly assertive. He also invested to explore how he could support the hobbies of his stake holders, both at work place and home. As human beings, we will always have the urge for
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“Certainty” ,”Connection and love” ,”Critical significance” and to some extent “Uncertainty” if it favours us. But if we all focus our energies in acquiring these it will disturb the well being state and create turbulence for ourselves and others. Hence, it is of paramount importance that we cultivate two very important areas – ‘The art of giving’ coupled with ‘Emotional awareness of self and others’ and the second one is to ‘Let go.’ I am sure there is a “Corporate warrior” in all of us who needs some genuine insights for “Well being”. He is not bad, but probably there were issues in his nurturing and environment. Let us facilitate him so that he contributes in making this beautiful world stress free and a place of joy , peace and happiness .Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous New year ahead
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HR MANTRAS
People are naturally curious and often suspicious about what is going on in an organization, especially if they sense a change that is going to affect them
Communicate immediately
The Business Step As a team leader, set yourself a personal standard: “The first to know after me is my team – and that will be my top priority.” The Business Point The only task a manager has is to communicate.
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mmediacy is critical in communicating with team members when news breaks. People are motivated when they are the first to learn and demotivated when they are the last to find out. There are a number of little things you can do to ensure that you communicate effectively with your people about what is going on in the company: Inform your team immediately you find out something significant. Make this a top priority. Tell them the facts without 42 Business Goa
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embellishing them. Use face-to-face communication wherever possible. If you have opinions about the facts, ensure your people know that these are your opinions. Use group communication wherever possible (thus avoiding repetition to a sequence of individuals). Where group communication is not possible, communicate concisely with each team member. Avoid emails and text messages. If a face-to-face conversation is not possible, talk on the phone. Emails and text messages should only be used as a last resort. They are the lazy way to communicate. Only inform people of things that they view as affecting them or that are of direct interest to them. When communicating with team members take them into
Inform people about the way things are and tell them right away
Inform team members before communicating any news to the media and the rest of the world your confidence. Trust them with confidential information. If the information really is confidential (and commercially sensitive), do not put it in writing. Keep the communication verbal. Drop everything else to keep your team informed. The best bosses ensure that there is plenty of blank space in their diaries for communication. Thus if they know that they are attending a board meeting, they will set some blank time aside afterwards for debriefing the team. People are naturally curious and often suspicious about what is going on in an organization, especially if they sense a change that is going to affect them.
They will speculate, gossip, and perpetuate rumours. All this can be time wasting if not subversive. Overall it saps the organization’s strength as people huddle in corners discussing half-truths and the latest hearsay. There is only one way to overcome this – to place top priority on communicating the facts immediately to as many people as possible. The worst thing that can happen is for an employee to discover from a friend in another department a change affecting him or her, without being informed by the boss about it. This is a sure way to demotivate people. Absence of communication effectively devalues employees by sending the signal: “We have more important things to do than communicate with you about important changes.” Tell team members before communicating any news to the media and the rest of the world. This requires a high degree of sensitivity to and understanding of the team. A good team leader knows what sort of news the team should be informed about and what is of no interest to them at all. One example of really bad communication was a man who left work on a Friday afternoon and was unable to get out of the car park because his security pass would not activate the barrier. He approached the security guard, who checked a list and told him he had been made redundant that afternoon. Therefore his pass had been deactivated. The man’s team leader had not told him. Another true story is of an individual who was not told that his boss had left and that he was now reporting to a new manager – who also had not bothered to inform him. Whatever the change, whatever the decision – no matter how big or small – it is imperative that employees are informed immediately, ideally face to face
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Fun and surprises at Menino Regency Sandra Fernandes with participants
Hotel Menino Regency, Panjim recently organized a Christmas party for the boys of St. Anthony’s Convent Boys Home, Agassaim. The children made merry by singing different carols and songs on their way to Menino Hotel. They received a warm welcome by the Director, Sandra Fernandes. Games were arranged for them such as passing the parcel, musical hat, freeze dance. Spot prizes were given to the lucky children. They were then introduced to the hotel employees who arranged games for them such as passing the
parcel, to play with fun prizes to every game. There were even spot prizes. The winners of passing the parcel were Seniton and Chris, Freeze dance were Alvit and Vivek. They were then served snacks. After which, they enjoyed their face painting sessions, looking quite amused with their face painted. The children acted out the live crib, sang carols and even dressed their part. The children enjoyed a sumptuous buffet after which the children continued with their fun activities. The children were given a special surprise with Santa Claus making a debut and giving them gifts. The merry day ended with a Thanksgivng prayer
Evescape hosts women’s convention Evescape women’s magazine and the Art & Culture Department organized its first all Goa women’s convention entitled ‘Empowering Women to be Agents of Social Change’ recently. The convention was inaugurated by MMC Chief Officer Deepali Naik, GCCI Women’s Wing Chairperson Manisha Naik, educationist Beena Shantaram Naik, classical singer Shakuntala Bharne, Prof. Harischandra Nagvenkar and noted artist Harshada Kerkar Sonak. The program comprises of four panel discussions on ‘Why has violence against women persisted for so long?’, ‘Personhood: Legal perspective’, ‘The issue is not whether women are able to perform an active role in change processes – because they can and are able to contribute at all levels – the issue is how to ensure that women’s participation and voice genuinely influences decisions in political
processes’ and ‘The promotion of women is therefore a priority in the guidelines for state and non-state organisations, in development co-operation, and in the statutes of political parties. Role of media in empowering women as agents of social change.’ Among the illustrious list of speakers included Judith Almeida, Dr. Meenakshi Martins, Priya Ambe, Parimal Samant, Judge Anuja Prabhudesai, Adv. Yatish Naik, Adv.Satish Sonak Adv. Asma Sayed, Nirmala Sawant, Shobhika Jaju, Aruna Wagh, Iftiaz Sayed Dr. Sonali, Jyoti Dhond, Prakash Kamat, Sushant Kunkolienkar, Suhasini Prabhugaonkar, and Yati Laad. A workshop on cartooning was also organised by cartoonist Smitha Bhandare Kamat. At the end of the convention a white paper on the deliberations of the meet were handed over to the Government
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Business Goa 43
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Highway to Marriott Home
Magsons’ Christmas special
Prem Joseph, Director of Sales and Marketing, Hyderabad Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre & Courtyard by Marriott, Hyderabad, travelled on his Royal Enfield motorbike to all Marriott hotels in the country collecting gift-able stay vouchers from the hotels. Prem Joseph journeyed across Chandigarh, Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Pune, Goa, Bangalore, Cochin, Chennai and finally Hyderabad. He recently made his pit stop at the Goa Marriot Resort and Spa, he says. “I always go on rides to different states but this ride is with a cause and hence very fulfilling.” At the end of his 6000 km journey, 50% of the vouchers will be
Over the years, what used to be a simple family meal is now a mega event with the grandeur and number of dishes on the table at Christmas. Making all this possible was Magsons, with their lip smacking Christmas menu. Up for grabs were stuffed turkey platters with a choice of chicken, pork and vegetable stuffings and apple and juniper berry, traditional cranberry and three pepper BBQ sauces, and were served along with a side of vegetables and mashed potatoes. Also on the menu were sucklings, which came in two varieties: roasted and stuffed and with your choice of sauces. A four kg leg of pork with crackling as well as stuffed chickens were also available along with imported cuts of lamb and turkey. Apart from the Christmas menu, Magsons also had a range of offers to wish their customers a very merry Christmas. From
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auctioned, the proceeds of which will go towards Rising Star Outreach which is fondly called as Marriott Home, an initiative by Marriott Hotels to raise funds for children whose parents are affected by leprosy. The children there have a school, a community centre, library and a play ground where they spend time studying, playing and growing in peace and harmony. The joy they share among themselves is spread to the associates at Courtyard Chennai who wait for their chance to go and spend time with the children. Through their association with Marriott Home, the team helps deliver services to people affected by leprosy in the Bharathapuram colony
December 16 to 29, Magsons handed out Rs 5000 in cash to two lucky shoppers by a selection of lots. Customers could also avail of an unbelievable fifty per cent discount on essentials like butter, sugar, detergent and other items exclusively on the Magsons website www.magsons.in. They could also pick up a choice of Coca-Cola of Kingfisher beverage with each Freshline pre-cooked meal on offer at the Hymart. They also organized numerous competitions with prizes as grand as a cruise trip!
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Legendary retro band, The Awesome 4some pay tribute to The Beatles at Goa Chitra
Goa Chitra is rated as Goa’s premier cultural hub with world class acts becoming a regular feature at its intimate and inspiring amphi-theatre. The expectations continued with Goa Chitra’s fund raising concerts, ‘The Great Music Revival Concert’ series 2013-2014 with an exciting performance, which was a real treat for the Beatles fans – The Awesome 4some in a live tribute to The Beatles. The Awesome 4some is a versatile four-piece band with a wide repertoire from the Beatles collection. The band featured Benny Soans on drums, Berry on Lead Guitar and vocals, Dicky
on Rhythm Guitar and vocals and Desmond Taylor on Bass Guitar and vocals. They are huge fans of the original legendary foursome and came together for their passion for the band. Bringing centre stage to an intimate audience was legendary guitarist Barry. His style reflects his undying passion for The Beatles. Dicky’s high vocal range was a treat to the ears and easily blends with his love for The Beatles. Benny’s experience with the drums goes back to the retro jazz clubs of Bombay. Desmond Taylor, an all round bassist, with a host of experience has the passion, and leads many a band. This concert was a part of Goa Chitra’s ongoing ‘The Great Music Revival’ Concert Series. For Beatle fans this exclusive concert was filled with The Beatles nostalgia
Lusofonia Games Mascot and song launched As the Lusofonia Games, Goa 2014 close in, the excitement that is building in, is palpable. The SAG Ground at Campal witnessed a gala ceremony to launch the official mascot of the Games. Along with the mascot, the official Games song was also launched at the event which took place in the presence of state officials, sportspersons, the designated Chef-de-Missions of the participating countries, ACOLOP members and other dignitaries. Indian sporting champions Milkha Singh and Sania Mirza also graced the occasion. The multilingual Games song has been scripted by poet, writer and St Andre MLA Vishnu Wagh, in Konkani, Portuguese, Marathi, Hindi and English. Goan nightingale Lorna along with Sonia Shirsat came together to share their melodious voice to the multilingual song. The Games song has been composed by Goan musician Mukesh Ghatwal. India is a country with a rich
cultural diversity. This ethos of multiplicity was celebrated at the Lusofonia Games launch event through the theme which celebrated Panchattatva - the five elements of nature – Fire, Water, Earth, Air and Ether (Agni – Jal – Vayu – Prithvi – Aakash). Conceptualised by a team of creative intellectuals including Tomazinho Cardozo, Ajay Vaidya, ShridharBambolkar, Rose Ferns, Rajeev Shinde and SatishGawas led by celebrated theatre consultant Bansi Kaul, the glittering evening was a mesmerising performance of various art forms, symbolic of the five elements of the cosmos. Goa will be hosting the Portuguese commonwealth games in nine disciplines with participation from 12 countries. Participating countries are Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Macau (China), Mozambique, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Sri Lanka and the host nation, Goa JANUARY 2014
Business Goa 45
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BON APPÉTIT
SinQ Tavern by Bodega
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World-cuisine on a platter Alisha Patel soaks in the sussegad flavours of this North xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Goa based diner
Relaxed interiors at The Tavern. Don’t miss the avant-garde graffiti by international sensation, Jimmy Devasia
T
aking fine dining to all new heights is the SinQ Tavern by Bodega, a New York styled tavern situated at one of Goa’s finest nightclubs SinQ. With a distinct design and concept, the Tavern evolves throughout the day. Staring the morning as a casual café offering an all-day breakfast menu, the Tavern smoothly shifts into a fine dining haunt as the day passes. Coupled with good old comfort food which includes some tempting international choices, coupled together with free wifi and comfortable seating, the Tavern invited you to stay longer and soak in the Goan spirit of ‘sussegad’.
Mushroom Crostini
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The Tavern, developed along the lines of an American deli, focuses on fresh ingredients and everything served is made from scratch. The menu too, changes often depending on availability of seasonal and local ingredients. Managed by Chef Vandana Naique, her food is a reflection of her personality; precariously excited, but grounded firmly at the same time. Rest assured at the Tavern, you can dive into a completely unfamiliar territory, but still feel soulful and perfectly balanced flavours that will instantly make it comfort food, even if you are having it for the first time. After the roaring success of the Sussegad Sunday, all you can eat brunch, the Tavern has now introduced an A’la Carte dinner service. The dinner service at the Tavern winds up the evening in style with Chef Vandana concocting a small but constantly e vo l v i n g menu of
Beef Crepes
eclectic cuisine inspired by her long stint in New York as well as her Goan roots. From pickled beet carpaccio with oven dried tomato compote, spiced candied walnuts and feta to braised beef wraps with lettuce, fried garlic and cilantro; the Tavern has something for everyone. With an emphasis on fresh and honest food, labels and cuisine styles don’t matter much, so don’t be surprised when you see American and international dishes effortlessly rub shoulders with a few Goan classics. True to that is her Grilled Salmon with Tambdi Bhaji served with lemon grass rice and crispy scallions. Her menu also boasts of a crispy
pork belly with braised red cabbage and mustard pineapple as well as beef crepes with wasabi cream and Creole salsa and an Asian prawn curry with peanut and garlic rice. Finish off your meal with a grand finale of desserts that has got Vandana rave reviews from the likes of Aretha Franklin, George Clooney, the Dalai Lama, George & Laura Bush and many more. If you miss out on her miso chocolate cake and fruit compote you have missed out on the best desserts available for miles. So what are you waiting for? Head down to the SinQ Tavern by Bodega for an evening of good food, good drink and good times
GOABUZZ
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The setting was perfect for the launch of Bay 15, Odxel Beach, Dona Paula. A lounge Bar & Restaurant, Harbour Grill and an amazing Beachfront Party Lawns, to celebrate those special moments ranging from weddings to launch parties and social events. Peter Vaz and Natalie Vaz played the perfect hosts. The who’s who of Goa came and enjoyed the evening. Ralph de Sousa was seen having a good time. Joe and Mariola Mathais, Gaurang and Sonia Sukhtankar, Datta Domodar Naik and Chirag and Denial de Souza and family, Deepak Tripathi and family, Suraj and Shefali Caculo, Cedric Vaz, Alan Viegas, Karl Coelho, Cedric Vaz, K K Sekhar and many others were seen socializing and enjoying the evening. Bay 15 is conceptualized and managed by Vikas Bhasin and his hospitality team
Pics: Brendon Sapeco
Bay 15, a perfect beachfront party destination in Donapaula
Stefan Radstrom
Surendra Furtado
Shefali Caculo
Vikas Bhasin
Anuradha Tavora
Anil Rodrigues
K K Sekhar
Suraj Caculo
Carlos Tavora
Ruth Furtado
Dr Muriel Sequeira
Mariola Mathais
Venugopal
Svetlana Radstrom
Peter and Natalie Vaz
Adolf Castelino
Rajesh Kenkre
Anushka Shirodkar
Basil Fernandes
Akbar Khan
Umesh Padmanabha
Zeenia Minocheri
Jervis Pereira
Poonam Rathod
Ashley Lobo
Lowell Nazare
Meenakshi Prabhu Mahambre
Farida Dias
Nuroddin Khan
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Harshal Saitwal JANUARY 2014
Rajesh Mehrotra
Renita Alvares
Vinay Prabhu Mahambre
Navin Abraham
Pics: Tejal Mahambre
100th meeting of Goa YMCA Toastmasters Club held Goa YMCA Toastmasters Club celebrated their Centenary / 100th meeting on 18th December. A fitting end to the close of the year as it was the last meeting of 2013. To add to the celebrations, the founding member Ms. Farida D’Silva Dias was also awarded with the highest achievement a Toastmaster can obtain, The Distinguished Toastmaster Award. She was presented the award at the hands of Area Governor Adolf Castelino. Toastmaster clubs aim at developing a persons Leadership and Communication skills through self learning. Goa YMCA TM meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month at 6:30 pm. Entry is free for guests
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Palacio hosts Christmas party The spotlight moved to Goa Velha, as the Palacio Group brought in Christmas cheer with the who’s who of Goa, at the poolside of ‘Club Nirvana’ at Glenwood Gardens. Live music by the Crazy Crows kept the crowd in high spirits throughout the evening while Team Palacio played the perfect hosts ensuring that the guests had a great evening. Vinay Bhasin cheerfully exclaimed “It’s been a great year for Palacio, we’ve achieved many milestones – that’s reason enough to celebrate!” Shamaine Coutinho, Palacio’s Marketing Head elaborates “Our vision of progress through harmony is becoming a reality, we’ve introduced many green initiatives and customer friendly processes this year and intend to keep it up in the New Year!”
Mohit Gupta and Vinay Bhasin
Desh Prabhudesai
Shamaine Coutinho
Bryan Soares
Denzil Xavier
Dr. Mahendra Kudchadkar
Kiran Bawa
Dr Sitakant Ghanekar
Ritu Sharma
Dr. Anupama Kudchadkar
Shital Gaitonde
Ketan Sanghvi
Shubhalaxmi Naik
Jogesh Khatwani
Shalini Xavier
Paresh Gaitonde
Anant Navelcar
Orty Soares
Dr. Maya Ghanekar
Amit Palekar
Aashna Khatwani
Asha Arondekar organises third edition of Orchid Awards for women achievers Asha Arondekar recently hosted the annual Orchid Awards, to celebrate the life of a woman. A veritable line-up of women achievers took home their pride, the Orchid award in different categories. After a huge response for the past two editions of the award ceremony, Asha introduced a new category this year called the ‘Girl Child Prodigy.’ She says, “There has never been a women centric award ceremony in Goa and hence I thought this was a brilliant idea to motivate women. The Orchid awards are a platform to be glorify women. It is a way to honour the efforts of women All Awardees: Nayan Borker, Suhasini Prabhugaonker, Annie Quadros, Muskaan Prabhugaonker and Neomi Barnetto
Fulrani Kinlekar with Sister Monica
Talasha Prabhu
Mangala Wagle
Nitin Kunkolienkar
Asha and Amol Arondekar
Nandini Sahai
Rajesh Dempo
Ramkrishna Dhavlikar JANUARY 2014
Business Goa 49
NEWSMAKERS Nana Bandekar awarded by State on Liberation Day celebrations
The State Government awarded industrialist and Managing Director of Vasco-based NRB Group, Narayan Bandekar with an award for social work at the Liberation Day function held in Panaji. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar did the honours. Speaking to Business Goa, Bandekar, who is the President of Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “The social work that I do is out of sheer love and affection that I have for the people of Goa. I have been supporting vaious socio-cultural initiative for more than four decades now. The satisfation that I derive for being able to drive a social initiative is the biggest award to me. I thank the State, especially Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar for decorating me with this honour”
Jitendra Kumar Sarraf named ‘Best Professional in Finance of Hotels’ Grand Hyatt Goa has been honoured with some of the most prestigious awards in the hotel and hospitality space. Standing testament to his impeccable organizational acumen, Director of Finance Jitendra Kumar Sarraf was recently awarded Safari India’s ‘Best Professional in Finance of Hotels’ award. With a proven track record of managing successful finance functions of leading 5-star hotels in the past, Jitendra Kumar Sarraf is one of the most valuable members of Grand Hyatt Goa. Sarraf plays an integral role in providing financial and strategic insight to the leadership team of Grand Hyatt Goa. “It is an absolute honour to have received this particular award and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our General Manager, Stefan Radstrom and each and every member of the Grand Hyatt Goa team. It isn’t difficult to be great at what you do as long as you have a team of incredibly talented individuals”, says Sarraf
Chirag Naik starts Canapé outlet in Panaji
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Dean Menezes launches CMM Arena online store
Dean Menezes recently launched Goa’s own online shopping address, www.cmmarena. com! No extra charges, no hidden costs, just easy shopping at your fingertips. The one stop shop for Home Furniture, Office Furniture, Electronics, Kitchenware and Home décor. Boasting an elegant layout, www.cmmarena. com offers some exciting deals. By signing up one could get Rs. 500 off on minimum purchase. The trendy and versatile home shopping store has a great line-up of home décor, beddings, bathroom accessories, crockery, dining essentials, housekeeping etc. One can choose from the wide range of floor coverings, mirrors, decorative lightings, fragrances and beautiful candle holder, photo frames, crockery and cutlery among other interior products that will complement your style and taste
Sotodecor completes ten years The very modish and fashionable Sotodecor, an interiors company run by Sonja Weder and Thomas Schneider recently completed ten years in business. Located in a quaint bungalow in Candolim, their work is known to have crossed the mundane, conventional standards of interiors as they custom make each piece of art, light and furniture through a unique style using elements of nature combined with contemporary chic. The brand’s unique style has indeed earned them a loyal clientele. Sotodecor is somewhat of a pioneer and presumably, have positively influenced the local interior market by way of functionality, quality, promptness and reliability. Sonja Weder and Thomas Schneider of Swiss origin whose individual strengths in aesthetics and structure have kept up with design and quality in terms of maintaining international standards while staying attuned with the local pace and opulent Indian traditions in terms of colour, interior layouts and preferences
quiz
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1. Which fashion designer gave the world, ‘the little black dress’? 2. Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn founded which global company? 3. LPK Waterfront is an initiative of which Goan entrepreneur? 4. This company was formed when Grand Met and Guinness merged?
Just a few months after launching Canapé at Miramar, Chirag Naik of Rich Bake Bakers from the Margao based Commonwealth Developers Group, has started another snacks ‘n sips outlet in the heart of Panaji – opposite Azad Maidan. The company is bullish on the horizontal growth of the brand. Canapé serves freshly made savouries and pastries and also mini meals along with a wide range of shakes and smoothies. The brand was launched at Fatorda in 2008 50 Business Goa
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5. This company gave Germany its first traffic signal light. 6. This organization was founded by Ambemall Subba Rao as Hindu Permanent Fund. 7. Identify this hotelier Answers to BG Quiz 54 1.Union Carbide 2.Kerala 3.Tarun Tejpal 4.San Tropez 5.Law Firm 6. Azeem Premji
Email your entries to businessgoa.media@gmail.com First all correct entry will get 1 year’s subscription to Business Goa