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BUSINESSGOA

50

Goa’s Only Business Magazine

PANAJI GOA VOL 4 ISSUE 12

JUNE 2013

business in the

‘off season’

12

Some businesses bloom when many others choose to hibernate during the monsoons

shrinivas dempo 50

Hon. Italian Vice Consul

narayan r. bandekar

Goa Chamber’s 50 new President

38

mahesh sonak 37

Legal Eagle

skitter faia

In the business of positive spin

www.businessgoa.in

News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features

MekongLoungeGoa

hearty Congratulations

narayan bandekar

Manguirish pai raiker

sandip bhandare

ralph de sousa

manoj caculo

nitin kunkolienkar

kirit maganlal

harshvardhan bhatkuly

nigel cabral

yatin kakodkar

pratima dhond

capt. bruno d‘souza

sandip sood

chandrakant gawas

joseph d’souza

vikram verlekar

for being elected to the Managing Committee (2013-15) of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry and best wishes to do great work for the sake of business in Goa

Contents

June 2013

28 Industry

Turbocam India Pvt. Ltd has been manufacturing world class turbo machinery using computer aided technology

30 Goan Brand

Keith Fernandes opens up about his stint in sales and how his advertising and event firm, Slipdisc.in came into being

24

12

37 Professional Dossier

12 Cover Story

Well renowned advocate, Mahesh Sonak on how he entered the field of law and his journey over the years.

Some businesses bloom when many others choose to hibernate during the monsoons. A look at those who make hay while it rains

18

38 Lady Power

Focus Goa

Skitter Faia, Branch Director at Perfect Relations talks about her career, her beliefs in life and her passion for the media business

A look at how retail sales have suffered due to the ban on mining and imposition of additional taxes on the spender

44 Bon Appétit

20 Special Focus

O’Coqueiro has still retained the flavours of good old Goan cuisine which are becoming hard to find anywhere else in Goa

A look back on Manguirish Pai Raikar’s journey as President of the GCCI

37

22 Starting Young

Film maker Ashutosh Parvatker talks about his decision to move back to Goa with an aim to revolutionize the film industry in the state

24 Enterprise 26 Interview

44

Rajesh Salgaonker on how he handles a real estate firm, a hotel and a hotel supply company

D.V Talekar talks about the journey of Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales and Services as the only authorised Cummins dealer in Goa

COLUMNS

40 Adventure Capitalist

28 40

U Mahesh Prabhu talks about the practicality behind electric vehicles versus fueled vehicles and the increasing pressure on natural resources

42 Academic Interest 42 30

06 Editorial 08 10 Corpo Scan 32Campus 32 Book Shelf 32 BG Cr-ossword 34 What’s new 46 Goa Buzz 50 Newsmakers 50 BG Quiz 04 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

43

D.S Prashant feels that despite challenges entrepreneurship is the a great career option and perhaps the best way forward

43 Letter From America Jay Dehejia talks about how the increasing number of immigrants in the United States is affecting its economy

BUSINESSGOA

50

Goa’s Only Business Magazine

PANAJI GOA VOL 4 ISSUE 12

JUNE 2013

EDITORIAL

hbhatkuly@gmail.com

BUSINESS IN THE

‘OFF SEASON’

12

Some businesses bloom when many others choose to hibernate during the monsoons

SHRINIVAS DEMPO 50

NARAYAN R. BANDEKAR

Hon. Italian Vice Consul

Goa Chamber’s 50 new President

MAHESH SONAK 37

In the business of positive spin

38

Legal Eagle

SKITTER FAIA

www.businessgoa.in

Sabse chotta Rupaiyya

News Views Articles Interviews Profiles Focus Analysis Opinions Events Features

Oops they did it again. Just when you thought

the currency. The UPA government’s inability to

that the rupee was at an all time low, it just

channelize capital inflow and lack of reformist

Editor & Publisher Harshvardhan Bhatkuly

sunk even further. I even had a friend who

attitude towards industrial policy is the last major

does outsourced work for clients based in the

reason why the rupee is on the way down. With

Co-Publisher & Group Head Urvija Bhatkuly

US offering me sweets because the dollar had

the term of this Lok Sabha coming to a close,

risen in rupee estimation – yet again. The irony

there seems to me more time spent by all parties

couldn’t be found more when the government

on clamouring for political one-upmanship rather

were advertising their various ‘achievements’ just

than keeping the economy in apple-pie order.

as the rupee decided to go down under. That the

The result is the mess that we are all saddled

rupee is now the worst performer in Asia over

with. It would be a great disservice to the nation

the last few months is another low-point that our

for any mud-slinging of political nature rather

collective egos have to suffer.

than suggesting corrective measures that could

VOL 4 | ISSUE12 | JUNE 2013

Advisory Board Datta Damodar Naik Ralph de Sousa Rajiv D’Silva Swapnil Kamat Team Alisha Patel Annalise Gouveia Pritesh Naik Ashok Kolvekar Govit Morajkar Contributors in this Issue Jay Dehejia D.S. Prashant U. Mahesh Prabhu Editorial, Advertising & Administrative Office SAVOIR FAIRE MEDIA Business Goa 101/5, Rua Thomas Ribeiro Fontainhas- Mala Panaji, 403001 Goa India Tel.: 0832-2425514, 6456555 Email: businessgoa.media@gmail.com

Business Goa is a monthly magazine dedicated to trade, commerce and business features and news.

Published on the 15th day of the month

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

Unsolicited material may not be returned.

The opinions expressed in Business Goa are not necessarily that of the publishers. While great care is being taken to ensure accuracy of information, the publishers are not responsible for omissions or incorrect information. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the publishers.

Why did this happen? Economists and market

rev up India’s economy. But the pessimist that

pundits have zeroed in on five main reasons

I have turned into cannot see any tall leader on

for the rupee freefall. One, there is a sudden

the landscape who could deliver the goods for the

strength about the US Dollar due to the buoyancy

country.

in the US markets. Second is the fact that there is a slowdown in the Indian economy. This has

Entrepreneurship on the rise:

made the current situation even more volatile

One often hears that the best time for

because the government is unable to generate

entrepreneurship to flower is during an adverse

decent capital inflow. India’s current account

market condition. Although it may sound romantic

deficit was equivalent to a record 6.7 per cent of

for the skeptics, there seems to be a ring of truth

gross domestic product in December last. Thirdly,

towards this view. As I was speaking to a bunch

the equity markets are looking at uncertainty

of

because the Foreign Institutional Investors are not

the one thing that I was impressed by, was that

enthused with the direction of our economy. The

they were keen to jumpstart their businesses.

FIIs’ withdrawal is an area of concern given the

Most of them were just out of college and some

fact that this is one of the most robust channels of

came from service background. Yet their choice

the dollar to come into the country’s kitty. Number

of entrepreneurship as a career option – in a

four is the shooting up of import bill. Oil and gold

market condition that one may not be able to term

imports account for 35 per cent and 11 per cent

as ‘conducive,’ speaks volumes about the new

of India’s trade bill respectively. Traders say that

emerging crop of Goan youth. What is even more

there has been continuous demand for the dollar

heartening was the presence of young ladies who

from oil importers, the biggest buyers of dollars

also have decided to take the reins of their careers

in the domestic currency market, pushing the

in their own hands and pursue business dreams.

rupee lower. Similarly, falling gold prices have

I am reminded of the famous Charles Dickens

offset the government’s and Reserve Bank’s

quote “It was the best of times, it was the worst

moves to reduce gold imports, which increases

of times….”

JUNE 2013

would-be-entrepreneurs

current account deficit and the same weighs on www.facebook.com/businessgoa

06 Business Goa

young

www.twitter.com/businessgoa

recently,

Govt should bring in self-sufficiency in vegetables, fruits and milk: Shantaram Naik

corpo scan

Rajya Sabha MP, Shantaram Naik said that Goa Government should have a policy to bring in self-sufficiency in vegetables, fruits and milk production in the state. Naik under whose hands mechanized tillers under Tribal Sub-Plan were handed over to the agriculturists at Maina, Curtorim, further said that agriculture in general has remained a stagnant activity, of late

Excise revenues up but Customs take a hit due to mining ban The Commissionerate has shown a very impressive performance in revenue collection for the year 2012-2013 despite the lowdown of the Goan economy, due to the ban on mining activities.

In central excise, the Commissionerate collected Rs 528 crore as against Rs 320 crore in the previous year. It accounts for 70 per cent growth. In Service Tax, the Commissionerate collected Rs 475 crore as against Rs 380 crore in the previous year and thus registered about 30 per cent growth. However, in Customs, the Commissionerate has collected only Rs 1958 crore as against Rs 4528 crore in the previous year which shows a drop of Rs 2571 crore and in percentage terms is 57 per cent. It is largely on account of mining ban and consequent fall in

exports. The total revenue under all the heads put together, the Commissionerate collected Rs 2961 crore as against Rs 5228 crore, resulting in a shortfall of Rs 2267 crore. Through Internal Audits, the Commissionerate has collected Rs 3.5 crores in Central Excise and Rs 11.5 crore in Service Tax. In Anti Evasion, Rs 1 crore in Central Excise and

about Rs 14 crore in Service Tax was collected. A record number of Provisional Assessments have been finalized during the year on Customs front.

The major contributors of revenue in Central Excise are Sesa Goa Limited followed by Colgate Palmolive (I), Berger Paints (I) Limited and Hindustan Lever Limited

Sushil Kumar Modi addresses Goan businessmen

Narayan Bandekar, Sushil Kumar Modi, Manguirish Pai Raikar and Sandip Bhandare

Sushil Kumar Modi, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers for the Implementation of GST said that a broad consensus has been

reached on almost 80% of the contentious issues.

He said that though few issues need to be sorted out, no one is opposed to GST and he was confident that irrespective

of whichever Government came to power at the Centre, GST will be implemented in 2014.

Modi was addressing the Goan businessmen at an interaction organised by GCCI in Panaji.

Modi explained in simple terms the nuances of GST and how it will free industry, trade and commerce from multiple taxation and will result in all round benefit to the industry, consumers and Government. He said that GST will lead to lowering of prices in the long run and make Indian products competitive in the world market

GCCI elects new Managing Committee for 2013-15 The new Managing Committee for Goa’s oldest industry body, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the term 201315 was elected unopposed. The new Committee will assume office from July 2013 under the leadership of industrialist and mining magnate, Narayan R Bandekar who was also elected unopposed as President.

The new Managing Committee has familiar faces from the business landscape 08 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

of Goa like Nitin Kunkolienkar, Sandip Bhandare, Manoj Caculo, Ralph de Sousa and Kirit Maganlal. It also has members like Pratima Dhond, Yatin Kakodkar, Nigel Cabral, Capt.

Bruno D’Souza, Chandrakant Gawas and Joseph D’Souza who have served on the Managing Committee, earlier. New faces like Harshvardhan V. Bhatkuly, Vikram Verlekar and Sandip Sood have also been elected to the Managing Committee.

Manguirish Pai Raikar will be on board as Immediate Past President.

The members of the newly elected Committee represent a wide variety of sectors like Mining, IT, Automobiles, Hospitality & Tourism, Taxation, Retail, Agriculture, Logistics, Shipping, Gold & Jewellery, Advertising & Publishing, Manufacturing and Consulting

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Most buildings fail in providing good quality of life: IGBC Most of the modern buildings constructed in India fail in providing a good quality of life, although they may be up-todate in amenities that give a high standard of living according to the Indian Council of Green Buildings (IGBC) an organization of the CII that is trying to promote green projects in the construction industry.

A two-day conference on ‘Sustainable Development for a Green Goa’ organised by the CII-Goa and IGBC sought to focus attention on green construction and allied services.

Bharat Kamat, chairman IGBC, Goa said that putting up a green project addresses several issues.

With the major issue being the structure on a sustainable site, water and energy efficiency, proper material as well as incorporating practices for treatment of waste.

Setting up a green project is only a little higher than a normal project said real estate developer Amar Britto, Acron Constructions, pointing out that the cost escalation is about three per cent more. However, Goa’s track record in constructing green buildings is dismal, he said, with only eight projects that can be categorized as green out of the thousands of buildings coming up.

Meanwhile, S Srinivas, IGBC said that other than green buildings, industry also needed to look into constructing sustainable habitats. This was important as 75 billion sq ft of construction was coming up in India and only a minuscule of them followed green practices.

The two-day conference, while stressing on the need for green buildings, discussed that having garbage disposal systems and water recycling was also a part of it whereby builders could cut down on the water consumption.

Construction was coming up in India and only a small section of developers are seen following green practices

Polyhouse cultivation becoming popular in Goa

corpo scan

12 polyhouse farmers, who came forward have been trained in plasticulture by the State Agriculture Department and are earning ` 25,000-plus a month. The polyhouse cultivators are located at Loutolim, Saligao, Sanguem, Quepem, Ponda, Dharbandora, Sattari and Usgao. “As most farmers in the State possess small parcel of lands from 1000 sqm upwards, we took the initiative in training plasticulture farmers the use of polyhouses,” State Agriculture Director Satish Tendulkar said

Goa Investment Policy date extended The announcement of Goa’s much awaited new Investment Policy that is expected to lay down the blueprint for future industrial growth is likely to take some more time with the task force assigned with the job of making it providing the finishing touches to a document that will provide a vision for Goan industry.

Atul Pai Kane, Chairman

of the task force said that few details that are vital to the policy such as availability of land and electricity are yet to get clear for which meetings are being held by members and the government, before the policy can be finalized.

Leaving mining strictly alone, the industries selected as most suitable are in knowledge sector and R&D, pharmaceuticals, integrated educational hubs,

Miramar Residency bags TripAdvisor award Miramar Residency, a property of Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) located on Miramar beach, has recently been awarded a ‘Certificate of Excellence’ by the popular travel website TripAdvisor.

This award, which places Miramar Residency in the top-performing 10 per cent of all businesses worldwide on TripAdvisor, is given to businesses that consistently earn high ratings from TripAdvisor travellers. The site features reviews and advice on hotels, resorts, flights, restaurants, holiday packages, and travel

guides. Sanjay Chodnekar, General Manager, GTDC, said, “We thank TripAdvisor reviewers for bestowing this honour on us.

Miramar Residency is indeed a unique property of GTDC with a fantastic location. We will persist in maintaining the high standards and delight our guests through continuous excellence.”

Miramar Residency has 60 wellfurnished, comfortable rooms with a spectacular view of the sunset on the Miramar beach. Its restaurant ‘Foodland’ is popular with the locals as well as tourists and its food festivals are a big draw

‘Gem of India’ Award to Pramod Rane Pramod Rane, Chairman and Managing Director of Airsonic Group has been Awarded “Gem of India Award” and Gold Medal for his outstanding contribution in the field of Hospitality and Tourism at the 71st All India Achievers National Conference held in Mumbai. The AIAC Award for excellence is given in recognition of those who have worked hard to achieve and excel in their chosen field of

activity. It symbolizes the spirit of “Outstanding Achievement” and “Excellence” in one go.

Rane brings with him 30 years of Travel experience in association with British Airways, Kenya Airways and North West Airlines.

Airsonic has established itself as a provider of superior quality tailor made offerings to customers across the country and overseas

tourism, light engineering, aviation and aero space, IT and ITES, food processing and logistics.

According to the members of the task force, the suggestions made by it is important because if accepted, they shall form the new industrial or Investment Policy. Government sources

pointed out that some tweaking or changes in the draft would be made but the core of the policy as suggested by the task force would most likely remain unchanged. Industry growth in Goa continues to be under the old Industrial Policy 2003 that is totally ineffective in drawing new units to the state and the industry has been asking for a dynamic policy for a long time

Dr. Raman Singh opens Chhattisgarh to investments from Goa Dr Raman Singh, CM of Chhattisgarh interacted with the CII members at Grand Hyatt and opened the young state for investments. Dr Raman Singh said that his state has a potential for investments despite the Naxalite problem that it faces.

The power production is huge in the state, 44% of forest land is open for exploration, the hub of herbal industry which is the future and agricultural production is double than the national average.

He compared the similarities to Goa and appreciated the Hon’ble CM of Goa in his efforts. He mentioned that he studied the Konkan Railway before he came out with plan on the national corridor.

The state of Chhattisgarh is the pioneer in the PDS aiming for only 0.4% leakages, the state has come out with a beneficial skill development program to improve the naxal problem.

Also present were Industry Minister of Chhattisgarh Rajesh Munat, Industry Secretary and Secretary to Hon’ble CM Aman Singh and MD of CSIDC, Sunil

Mishra, Atul Pai Kane, Kirit Maganlal, Shivanand Salgaocar, Past Chairmen, CII Goa Council and other eminent CII Members were also present.

Sunil Mishra spoke about Chhattisgarh and said that it is the ninth largest state with the lowest population density. The five main reasons for investors to come to the state is the uninterrupted availability of power at a competitive rates, top class infrastructure as was evident from the recently inaugurated Raipur Cricket Association stadium which is one of the best in the country, well connected with neighbouring states, physical and social world class infrastructure and availability of skilled manpower at a competitive rate.

No other state can boast of good ranking in IAS examinations, the Chhattisgarh CM said.

P K Mukherjee from Sesa Goa added that the sixth reason for investment is the dynamic Chief Minister of the state. He also requested to open the state for selective participation in the coal resources

Keeping pace with international developments in the battery industry, the centre will offer the widest range of industrial batteries used for home UPS and inverter applications, online and offline UPS system for shopping malls, hospitals, petrol pumps, hotels and banks, he told press persons. Plus it is used for forklifts, telecommunication

systems, EPABX systems among others. In an era where the global market believes in quality and prompt service, the Powercentre undoubtedly would be a one-stop solution for services.

The range includes INVA for invertors; Sealed maintenance free batteries; SMF VRLA batteries used for UPS; Exide Powersafe XHD among others

Exide opens power centre in Panaji Exide Industries, a leading batteries and power storage manufacturer has launched India’s exclusive Exide Powercentre at St Inez, Panaji.

This will enable customers to get access to Exide’s leading edge technology and manufacturing ability manifested through a range of quality power storage products, said Exide 10 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

director Subir Chakraborty while inaugurating Powercentre, in the presence of vice president Saurabh Datta and western region head of Exide, Bhaskar Bhattacharya.

12 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

COVER STORY

When it rains, it pours profits for some ALISHA PATEL with TILYA FERNANDES

F

or most people, the monsoons months of June, July and August are considered to a part of the ‘off season’, where many claim there is a lull in sales.

However, seasonal products such as rainwear, dried fish and preserves are in high demand.

Tourism too, and ‘back to school’ sales cash in during this ‘off season’. Business Goa takes a look at how various local businesses have an advantage of the monsoons and have turned them into ‘on season’ enterprises..

Books and Stationery One of Goa’s oldest bookstores located in the heart of Panaji, Singbal Book House, has been steadily cashing in on the ‘back to school’ rush which takes place every year in June.

Roma Singbal, of Singbal says that luckily for them, this year their stock of textbooks came in early and they were able to make decent sales. “Though we

have steady sales throughout the year, we see a sharp rise in sales during the weeks before schools can reopen in June,” she says. Following the initial rush for textbooks, the rest of the year witnesses a slow but steady trickle of sales from other categories such as exam guides as well as other general books.

“We have not felt the need to carry out special promotions or invest in advertising, but we do place ads on a small scale in

For most people, the monsoons months of June, July and August are considered to a part of the ‘off season’, where many claim there is a lull in sales. However, there are some who cash in on the rains

college souvenirs and magazines to reach our target audience,” informs Roma.

Walberg Coutinho of leading bookstore in Margao, Confidant, states that while sales do see a significant rise during the first few weeks in June, the drop during the rest of the year is no reason to worry as they have a slow but steady flow of sales.

The monsoons are also a good time for their library section as many people use this season as an opportunity to curl up with a good book.

Food stuff For a true Goan foodie, their meal is incomplete without fish.

So what does one do during the monsoons when fish is scarce and you are faced with a two-month ban on fishing activities? Dried and preserved fish save the day.

Prior to the monsoons, a variety of fish including mackerels, shark, Bombay Ducks (Bombil) and prawns are salted and left to dry under the scorching summer JUNE 2013

Business Goa 13

COVER STORY

For a true Goan foodie, their meal is incomplete without fish. So what does one do during the monsoons when fish is scarce and you are faced with a two-month ban on fishing activities? Dried and preserved fish save the day

sun. Once the monsoons hit, these dried fish are sold faster than hot cakes! Manju, a local vendor at the Panjim market claims that dried prawns and fish are sold throughout the year, but it is during the months of June to August that he sees an almost forty per cent rise in sales as compared to the rest of the year.

“People in Goa cannot do without fish and are willing to pay any price for it especially when it is hard to get,” he reveals.

When asked about the threat of outsiders taking over the market, he is quick to reply that he has his regular customers who know him and have been buying their fish products from him for years and he does not feel threatened in any way.

Echoing these sentiments is Laxmi, whose place at the new Margao fish market cannot be missed. “The profits that I make during the monsoons are enough to survive for the rest of the year when business is not as brisk as it is now,” she says. She also reveals that vendors coming from border coastal villages sell their goods for cheaper rates and as such, customers are drawn towards these new vendors.

“What they fail to realize is that in the course of transportation, the dried fish is subjected to damage as they are very brittle. Also one cannot be sure of the quality of fish that they are supplying,” she informs.

Food Preserves Though she sits in a lowly corner near the exit of Panaji market, you cannot miss Chandrakanti Naik, who sells a variety of

homemade preserves to get you through the monsoons. From popular varieties of pickles to ‘sollam’ to flavour that spicy curry or ‘amsan’ that gives otherwise boring food that perfect tinge, zing and sourness, Chandrakanti sells it all. “I also sell ‘gaunti’ (local) onions, which are famed for their curative properties, especially coughs and colds and other common monsoon related ailments” she says. While she feels that she does notice a difference in sales during the monsoons, she says business is steady. However, she laments that despite being a regular seller at the market for over twenty years, the Government has failed to provide her with a proper place to sell her wares and she is left to struggle to earn her daily bread.

Tourism The Goa tourism industry is all set to sell raindrops to visitors, who usually flock to this beach destination for its sun, sand and surf and stay away during monsoons.

State Tourism Director, Nikhil Desai says that the Department will hold road shows and publicity campaigns across eight states from mid-June onwards to invite domestic tourists to Goa while it rains. “The private and state run hotels have offered special packages for the season. Goa is at its best during this time of the year,” he says. The staterun Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) has launched several new attractions like white water rafting in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary, he adds. The monsoons have set in Goa since

“The heat is maximum during this time in Arab countries. Goa is the best place for the people from the Gulf to visit during the rains”

Ralph de Sousa

Spokesperson, TTAG

14 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

Goa is lovely in the monsoon

Every possible means is being explored to attract tourists, right from holding campaigns to use of social networking websites. The tourism department has launched special contests on Facebook and Twitter, where winners are offered vacation packages in Goa June 4 onwards.

Desai elaborates that every possible means is being explored to attract tourists, right from holding campaigns to use of social networking websites. The tourism department has launched special contests on Facebook and Twitter, where winners are offered vacation packages in Goa. “The state is also promoted as monsoon wedding destination and for MICE (meetings, incentives, conference and exhibition) tourism,” the Director said.

While average room occupancy remains 60 per cent in the state during monsoons, as beach shacks are removed due to gusty winds as well as

unfavourable weather conditions on the shores, private players are expecting big footfalls from the Middle East countries during this season.

“The heat is maximum during this time in Arab countries. Goa is the best place for them to visit in rains,” Ralph De Sousa, spokesman, Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) said.

A group of 12 tour operators from UAE had visited Goa recently, De Sousa said, adding that tourism from Middle East is looking upward this season.

Rainwear It is raining cats and dogs. You are on your way to work and carefully trying to avoid those huge puddles in the middle of the pot hole filled road. Suddenly out of nowhere, a car splashes you with muddy water. By the time you reach office, you are dripping wet. Sounds familiar?

Making sure that days like these are a thing of the past thanks to the numerous rainwear stalls that crop up around every nook and corner of the city. Umesh Onskar, owner of a makeshift stall just outside the Panaji market says that being a seasonal operator allows him time to purchase the latest in trends in raingear for the forthcoming monsoon season.

From umbrellas to sandals and raincoats, Umesh stocks it all.

His profits, he says, are largely made during the beginning of the monsoons when there is a rush to stock up on gear to survive the coming months. “A large

COVER STORY

The private and state run hotels have offered special packages for the season. Goa is at its best during this time of the year

portion of my sales during the mid monsoons are often from customers who have purchased sub-standard products earlier and come to me for better products,” he laughs.

Like its North counterpart, the Margao market too, witnesses a spurt in the sale of raingear.

Prasad Gaonkar of Prasad Essentials says that during the month of June, his sales shoot up by almost fifty per cent. He not only attributes this spurt in sales to the monsoons which he says bring in the customers as his wares are not only reasonable but also made of superior quality.

Many vendors who sell rainwear are those who set up shop only for the season.

There is brisk sale of raincoats, sandals and umbrellas in the town markets

Restaurants A very important part of the Goan economy which cannot be missed out is the Goan hospitality sector. Major restaurants and hotels have taken stock of the season which is generally a very bleak time of the year and are turning it into a profit making season. Alex Braganza, owner of popular restaurant, Rewind says that despite being located near the Saturday Night Market,

they are open throughout the year. “We are still in our first year of operations and though it’s early to reveal our plans, we are working on a plan to get by during this season. All I can say for now is that the plan is to party in the rains!” says Alex with an air of excitement in his

Rainwear is making brisk sales

voice, all geared up to tackle the monsoons. Nestled along the pristine Arossim beach, Park Hyatt Resort and Spa is offering guests a ‘Tropical Escape’ package exclusively during the monsoons. Designed to attract tourists to the resort, the package includes a daily food

On completion of Four Years of being the Voice of Business in Goa,

www.businessgoa.in and beverage credit as well as discounts on spa services. They also offer daily yoga classes.

Keeping up with the latest trend in cashing in on the monsoons is Grand Hyatt Goa which is offering specially designed Family Packages and Grand Experience Packages which promises to let guests relax in luxuriously designed rooms and enjoy panoramic views of the rain-dripped sunset over the Bay. Guests can also enjoy gourmet breakfast, lunch and dinner options, as the resort offers seven must-visit restaurants housing a wide selection of authentic and exotic cuisines. Guests can also enjoy an evening of casual chatter with family over a spicy chaat at Chulha - the Indian diner at the Grand Hyatt Goa, or warm up to a steaming cup of perfectly brewed tea whilst watching the pitter-patter of rain from the Bay View Lounge. Their signature pastry shop, Confeitaria has also whipped up a warm selection of homemade bakery items.

It’s raining profits or what?

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We would like to bow down and seek the blessings of our elders The magazine that you are reading is a living testimony that blessings work. Even in these day and time. When Business Goa was launched four years ago, it was just a small idea to focus and speak for the businesses of Goa. We had nothing but a dream and the company of six stalwarts on our cover – who have made modern Goan business, what it is today. Call us old fashioned, but we do believe their blessings and those of our readers, advertisers, contributors and well wishers have seen us go from strength to strength. Month after month. Thank you all. Stay with us.

16 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

First issue, July 2009

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RETAIL

Sales downslide

Spending power is down

Monaliza Dias takes a look at how retail sales have been suffering over the last few months

G

oa has always been known for the sea, sand and sun.

However, in recent years, the state has gained recognition as a shopping hub with a large number of national as well as international brands entering the Goan markets. However, one cannot but help notice that the retail markets in Goa have been witnessing a lull as people have reached a point where they have become more pound conscious than ever before and think twice before indulging in expensive meals or shopping sprees.

The liquidity crunch is evident and disposable incomes have considerably reduced. Among the various reasons for this shift in trend, the ban on mining and the imposition of various taxes including service taxes and VAT were found to be the major reasons of this downslide.

The very fact that people have become more cautious about their spending creates huge losses. The retail market is bearing the brunt of the ‘cautious spenders’.

Sanjay Bharne, partner of Bharne Creations, Panjim says, “There has been a slight downfall in sales due to the ban on mining, which has reduced incomes on various levels. People have been spending lesser than usual and hence the sales have been stagnant with a 5% decrease.”

Although they do manage to maintain a balance and are still posting profits, this is due to wedding and other festive seasons. However, he is hoping that with the onset of the tourist season in a few months, their sales will pick up. As a measure of reaping benefits, they also hold seasonal schemes and promotional offers.

VAT have increased to an extent that people are feeling the pinch. Though it may seem insignificant to a few it has affected the purchasing 18 Business Goa

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power of the general public.

George Menon, proprietor of Kitchenette, Margao says, “‘the sales have been going down, people have been spending less.

Overall we’ve been facing a 30% decrease in sales due to VAT and other taxes. We offer schemes such as discounts, special offers, which somewhat acts as a mitigator.” He also says, “during the Christmas season the sales automatically shoot up.”

On the other hand, Felipe Alvares, proprietor of Prime Electronics Panjim, a newly opened retail electronics store finds that the hike in taxes and mining shutdown has not slowed business down for him. “The increase in taxes and the mining meltdown has not affected me much. Although that little extra income which used to come in has not been there of late, I see things moving upwards from here on,” he feels. Business is generally slower during the months of June and July, he acknowledges and they utilize this down period to offer their customers special discounts and other offers.

Despite claims from the Government that mining and the rise in taxes have not slowed down the economy in any way, retail sales appear to have suffered the most. Vishal Pinto proprietor of Digital World, Panjim reveals that they have witnessed a drop in sales over the last five months. “There is a lower demand for high end phones of late and we have faced a thirty per cent drop in sales which is due to high taxes and of course mining closure.”

Although they are not expecting a further drop in sales, the firm has adopted various innovative marketing schemes to be on the safer side.

Apart from mining and various taxes, tourism too, is gaining grounds as one of the

While a substantial amount of retailers consider mining closure and the increase of VAT to be the main culprits behind their loss in sales, there is still a significant other side which does not echo these sentiments reasons behind the rise and fall in sales. For a majority of retailers, especially those based in the coastal belt, their sales depend largely on the influx of tourists.

Rahul Gawas, Operations Manager at retail major, Delfinos in Candolim states that during the off season the super market witnesses a forty per cent drop in sales as compared to the season’s sales figures. “Our prime target audiences are tourists who contribute to eighty per cent of our sales. Income from mining and imposition of taxes have not been a reason of concern for us” he says. Despite sales being down, Delfino’s have not adopted to go in for marketing strategies as they balance out their losses during the tourist season.

Tourism has indeed been the saving grace to most companies who not only focus on the locals but also aim for tourists as their target audience.

These companies ideally make a thirty per cent increase in profits due to tourism. Poonam Dessai, store in charge of FabIndia says, “There has been a reasonable increase in sales due to the tourist inflow especially foreign tourists. Our profits and losses in a way depend or vary from store to store. In the case of the Mapusa store there has been a fifteen per cent increase in sales because of the tourists.

But surprisingly the locals have also been spending just as much as the foreign tourists.” She also says that over the last few years, they have begun adopting marketing strategies such as sales and promotional offers which have been working well for them.

While a substantial amount of retailers consider mining closure and the increase the VAT to be the main culprits behind their loss in sales, there is still a significant other side which does not echo these sentiments. Many are still posting profits, adopting business strategies and switching to a new clientele.

It is that general idea of a ‘sale’ that triggers the minds of a customer and makes a person want to go shopping and hence these work out during the off season. At the end of the day, it is this coupled together with tourism that saves the day for most retail companies that would otherwise be a victim of mining and tax related burdens

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Since his takeover as President of GCCI, Manguirish has elevated the Chamber to a global level with a large number of activities and interactions that took place with some of the most respected business and diplomatic personalities from across the globe

Manguirish Pai Raikar

Tenure as GCCI President 2011-13

Innings well played!

ALISHA PATEL highlights some of Manguirish Pai Raikar’s major achievements during his term as the President of Goa Chamber

Manguirish Pai Raikar

M

anguirish Pai Raikar, born in 1955, is a science graduate with postgraduate degrees in Law and Management and several certificate courses in Finance and HR. He has been on the Managing Committee of GCCI since 1990, having served on various sub-committees before being elevated to the post of Vice President for two terms. He took over as the 33rd President of the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) for the term 2011-2013. Since his takeover as President, Manguirish has elevated the Chamber to a global level with a large number of activities and interactions with some of the most respected business and diplomatic personalities from across the globe.

His stint as President began with a Seminar with MACCIA on Raising Equity Capital and Listing of SMEs on the Bombay Stock Exchange in July 2011 and continued with a series of conferences and workshops over the months including a lecture cum interactive session on “How prepared is India to meet China’s Military and Economic Challenge?” by Major General (Retd) Vinod Saighal. He also held various meetings with the Consul General of France, JeanRaphaël Peytregnet as well 20 Business Goa

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as with the U.S Consul General, Peter Haas.

Under Manguirish Pai Raikar, the GCCI also held a meeting with Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister of Tourism as well as a talk on Economic & Financial Development in Goa by Deepak M o h a n t y , Executive Director, RBI. The year 2011 also saw the inauguration of the Goa IT Incubation Centre (GITIC) by former Chief Minister Digamber Kamat and IT entrepreneur, Ashank Desai, among other events, exhibition and workshops.

2012 began with Manguirish organizing a series of talks on a number of contemporary issues including “Mobile Phone/Tower radiations-Risks and Remedies”, Food Engineering and Seizing new Perspectives and Strategies. He also organized a meet with British Member of Parliament, Keith Vaz. A live budget presentation followed by a discussion was also hosted by Manguirish Pai Raikar. During his tenure, he was also fortunate enough to meet the then Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee and present him with a proposal to allocate special consideration to Goa’s tourism sector so that it could effectively compete with other global destinations.

The second half of the year saw a variety of events taking place including a visit to the newly appointed Governor of Goa, Bharat Vir Wanchoo. The Chamber also held various programmes under the GCCI-I Create banner for college professors and students. Under Manguirish’s able leadership, a MoU was signed with major

colleges across the State to promote entrepreneurship among college students. He also successfully organized the Entrepreneurs Notepad with Deep Karla, founder of makemytrip.com as the Chief Guest. The Consul General of Switzerland, Werner Niervegelt was invited to deliver a presentation on the ‘Advantages of Switzerland as a Business Location’ in November. The year ended with a TiE session to promote entrepreneurship and seminars on relevant matters to the State of Goa. On a lighter note, the GCCI organized the GCCI Cup Table Tennis Tournament in February.

As he entered the final year of his period as President of the GCCI, he began the year with a meeting with representatives of UKTI David Moore, Dy Head of British Dy High Commission and Chris Southsworth. He also hosted seminars with representatives from the Central Bank of India and the Chief Commissioner of Customs and Central Excise. As a clear indication of the heights the GCCI and GITIC have reached under Manguirish Pai Raikar’s leadership, both institutions were awarded the Business Goa Awards for Corporate Excellence in the categories of ‘Business Institute of the Year’ and ‘Catalyst of Entrepreneurial Change,’ respectively. He ended his tenure with a meeting with His Excellency Daniele Mancini, Ambassador of Italy as well as a visit from His Excellency Miloslav Stasek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic.

Throughout his tenure as President of the GCCI, Manguirish has always fought zealously to protect the interests of Goan businessmen. At a time when Goa was hit with the abrupt stoppage of mining, Manguirish convened an immediate meeting of the office bearers of the Goa

Barge Owners Association, All Goa Truck Owners, South and North Goa Truck Owners and the All Goa machinery Owners Association to deliberate on solutions to best tackle the problems they would be facing.

When Aamchi Panaji, an NGO working to decongest the city of Panjim, especially along the 18th June road’s interests clashed with those of the shopkeepers, Manguirish intervened and organized a meeting between representatives of the NGO and shopkeepers in order to understand the vision behind the NGO’s aims and address the apprehensions of the shopkeepers.

In July 2012, an exercise to invite Industry captains to Goa was held in Mumbai.

This event was promoted by Ami Goenkar, an active Goan community based in Mumbai and supported by the GCCI. A widely debated discussion was held on how to make Goa the next big destination for industries.

Manguirish also represented the Chamber at the presentation of the Goa Golden Jubilee Development Report which was compiled by Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar. Manguirish was also present at a meeting called by Parimal Rai, Principal Secretary (Industries and IT) which informed participants about the proposed Goa Investment Forum and requested the various departments present to welcome the investors in the State. He was also the Chief Guest and Keynote speaker at the International Conference on Management, Engineering & Technology organized by Choice Institute of Management Studies and Research.

He leaves behind a legacy as President of GCCI and will be remembered as a man who spoke out fearlessly for the interest of business in Goa

STARTING YOUNG Ashutosh Parvatker

I want my works to make a difference. I want to create that difference. I feel it is about time people started looking at regular tasks with a different viewpoint and bring to focus important issues. That is my aim behind each and every project that I work on Film maker

Film for thought Film maker Ashutosh Parvatker talks to ALISHA PATEL about his decision to move back to Goa with an aim to revolutionize the film industry in the state

F

ilm and the art behind it always fascinated Ashutosh Parvatker. Armed with a first class degree in Fine Arts, specializing in Audio-Visuals from the Goa College of Art, and various lucrative offers from large production houses in Mumbai, he worked hands on, at a popular studio in Mumbai before calling it quits and returning to Goa, with an aim to ‘revolutionize’ the media and film industry.

“Returning back to Goa was probably the best decision that I have made till date. Working in Mumbai gave me a firsthand view of the monotony of the film industry which was something that I found suffocating. To my advantage, I have always done things differently. I think differently too. And decided that I want to make a difference to the industry,” recollects Ashutosh on his big decision to venture into the deep blue ocean called the film industry in a state yet to come out of the baby steps in producing world class films.

After thorough research and much debate, Ashutosh began freelancing as a film maker and video editor in Goa. As a film maker, Ashutosh offers a complete package of pre-production, production and post production services for all types of visual communication ranging from short films and promotional videos to music videos and documentaries.

“What’s unique about my work is that I think outside the box.

My ideas and execution are far from the conventional, and the difference in quality of my work is for everyone to see. My rates too are far more reasonable than my competitors,” he says.

Despite being in the industry for merely a little over a year, Ashutosh has already worked on numerous projects including assisting the Director 22 Business Goa

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on Bollywood comedy ‘Chal Pichchur Banate Hain’ as well as a promotional video for the Goa Marriott Resort and Spa. “As people began seeing my works, word started spreading around and soon I had more work than I ever imagined and I also received several lucrative offers to move back to Mumbai and work on a number of hit soap operas,” he reveals.

Every professional’s journey goes through its high point and lows. For Ashutosh there came a point where things were rough, and obtaining grants to take up projects was close to impossible, and as a result, he moved back to Mumbai to work with Balaji Studios.

“Even though the money was good, I wasn’t happy and could not adjust to Mumbai. My heart yearned to be back in Goa and I left Mumbai again and re launched myself as a film maker in Goa. Growth is a part of every profession, and Ashutosh believes he has grown steadily since he started producing films on his own. “I learnt from my mistakes and used them as

“Returning back to Goa was probably the best decision that I have made till date. Working in Mumbai gave me a firsthand view of the monotony of the film industry which was something I found suffocating” stepping stones towards building a career as a film maker. My family too, have been my biggest supporters in guiding me

“Even though the money was good, I wasn’t happy and could not adjust to Mumbai. My heart yearned to be back in Goa and I left Mumbai again and re launched myself as a film maker in Goa”

Ashutosh Parvatker

along my journey,” he asserts.

Ask him about his views on the current film making scenario in Goa he is quick to reply, that there are plenty of opportunities available today, which weren’t available a few years ago. “All that these opportunities need are right people to grab them, which I don’t see happening today as most fresh graduates get sucked up by the illusion that opportunities are only available in big cities. Speaking from experience, I feel Goa has a lot to offer. All you need to do is create a niche for yourself and the rest will follow,” he affirms.

Revolutionizing the way society perceives film and the media was always the first thought in Ashutosh’s mind and to make his dream a reality, he recently teamed up with the Society for Promotion of the Arts, Culture and Education (SPACE)’s media cell and good friend and

fellow film maker, Douglas Gracias, to produce socially awakening films on education and other social issues which will be screened across the State.

“Our aim is to educate urban Goa on how children are educated in the extreme interior villages of the State and vice-versa,” he shares.

Looking ahead, Ashutosh feels that his long term plans are to set up a full-fledged studio in Goa that would provide ample opportunities to Goans to work on projects which are both different as well as socially relevant.

“I want my works to make a difference. I want to create that difference. I feel it is about time people started looking at regular tasks with a different viewpoint and bring to focus important issues. That is my aim behind each and every project that I work on,” he says confidently

ENTERPRISE Rajesh Salgaonker

Once Rajesh completed his graduation in Commerce, he enrolled himself for a diploma in Interior Design and took it up as a hobby. He has designed the interiors of his house as well as his office at Gopika International

GOLDBEAM

A man for all seasons Rajesh Salgaonker talks to Lyndon Pinto about how he handles a real estate firm, a hotel and a hotel supply company

Rajesh Salgaonker

M

ost people find running just one business enterprise difficult, and here is a man who inherited a family-run company and has diversified it and established three new businesses for himself.

The man we are talking about is Rajesh Salgaonker.

Years back when his father started the business, they we were the first ‘Bata’ brand dealers in Goa and their shop was at Church Square in Panjim in the 1980s. They then opened another shop at a different location in Panjim. Years later, when Bata started their own dealership, the firm moved into construction and developed properties at Porvorim, Mapusa and Thivim.

They also started Hotel Gopika International around 17 years ago. They were also one of the first people to start hoardings and press advertising in Goa and ran that business under the name Naina Publicity Service but later went slow on that business.

Once Rajesh completed his graduation in Commerce, he enrolled himself for a diploma in Interior Designing and took it up as a hobby. He has designed 24 Business Goa

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the interiors of his house as well as the office space at Gopika International. He joined the family business around 12 years ago.

His father passed away four years ago which was whe Rajesh took over the reins of the business completely and decided to venture into hotel supplies in the form of room amenities, F & B supplies, kitchen equipment, etc.

“As for the future we are trying to venture deeper into the hospitality industry.

We have a good clientele base in Goa, hence we are trying to move to outside Goa as well” His firm has been doing this for close to ten years, boasting of clientele that include hotels like Cidade de Goa, the Marriott, Intercontinental, Leela and all the major starred and other hotels.

Around two years ago, in partnership with two of his friends, Sameer Kakodkar and Raghu Shetiye, Rajesh started a construction firm by the name of GoldBeam Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. Raghu and Rajesh were in the process of selling the land when Sameer changed their minds and together they started construction on that land which is located at Santa Cruz. They are also in the process of acquiring new land and will be developing

that as well.

Although Rajesh is at the helm of all three operations, he says that all these businesses fall under different brand names.

“Gopika International is a hotel by itself. Salgaonker Developer is our real estate business which is now a part of GoldBeam Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. And there is our Hotel Supply chain that goes by the name of Shivani Hotel Supplies Inc,” says a proud Rajesh and adds “I am also the Co-Chair (Goa Chapter) of the Young Indians Movement a wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).” The journey has been full of ups and downs and sometimes he has had to question himself and his ambitions but he never gives up. Rajesh says “When we started Shivani Hotel Supplies, the first year was not very good but the following year things improved and today we have a 1.5 crore turnover.”

Although running three enterprises, the difficulties would primarily be in running the hotel claims Rajesh and adds “Every year, all the licenses need to be renewed, right from food and beverage to fire and sewage.

This is a very time consuming and difficult task as getting all the permissions and renewal of licenses is not done at a single window and there is a lot of running around to do, as different A Goldbeam project

offices issue different licenses.

Once you get all your licenses, you, then need to go and apply for house tax. The Government should give hoteliers a single window to renew all their licenses as it takes around 3 months to renew licenses. The worst part is in 6 months time, you need to start the renewal all over again.”

Talking about construction, Rajesh says that they face the same problems that are being faced by all other builders and developers. “As for the future we are trying to venture deeper into the hospitality industry,” he adds. “We have a good client base in Goa, hence we are trying to move outside Goa as well. We are also trying to expand the hotel line, procure properties along the costal belt or take over a sick unit, renovate and run it.

As for construction, we already have new projects and are locating new lands to purchase and start developing.”

Rajesh concludes by saying, “My business philosophy is manage a clear and transparent company.

My personal philosophy is – whatever I have to do tomorrow, I note it down today and at the end of the day, I tick off whatever I have done and if I have completed 70% of my targets then I say the day was a good day”

INTERVIEW OF THE MONTH

D. V Talekar

“We have adopted a “Customer First” approach.

We offer 100% ROI to our valued customers” D.V Talekar takes ALISHA PATEL through the journey of Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales and Services as the only authorised Cummins dealer in Goa How did Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales & Services begin its journey with Cummins?

Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales and Services (TMDSS) is the only authorised Cummins Dealer in Goa. Initially, we were engaged in similar operations in Maharashtra before shifting base to Goa in 2006. We started with a handful of engineers whom we had borrowed from our plant in Maharashtra. Within six months, we recruited service engineers and other staff from Goa. Over the years, our customers ranged from a DG set owner and a multinational corporate to mining conglomerates, shipyards and ports. We systematically approached our customers and undertook initial carpet mapping simultaneously with the recruitment activity. This customer engagement helped us to instil a sense of confidence and strengthen our footing as a service provider for all Cummins powered equipment. Since then, there has been no looking back. Today, Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales Services has a dedicated strength of more than forty service engineers who are supported by the back-end team, and are persistently growing ahead in Goa. What are some of the works Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales and Services does?

Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales and Services provide sales and after-Sales service support to Cummins Engines in Goa. We offer Cummins Genuine Accessories, Spare Parts, Batteries (Industrial and Automotive), Valvoline Cummins Lubricants, Filtration Products, Rental Power and Heat Recovery Systems. Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales and Services supports Cummins Engines used on various applications like Genset, 26 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

Segment and look forward beyond engines. We also plan to extend our Service capabilities in the field of Commercial Automobiles and are moving fast in that direction.

D.V Talekar

Automotive, Industrial, Marine, Construction and Mining, Agriculture, Rail, Oil Field and Defence, to name a few.

Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales and Services recently received a series of awards from Cummins. Could you tell us something more about them?

Our company has maintained its legacy of being recognized as the best service provider at a national level. We received two Best Performer Awards recently, from the Chairman and MD and Vice President of Components Business, Cummins Inc. for Customer Loyalty and Six Sigma Last Mile Project.

Cummins monitors Customer loyalty through its Net Promoter Score (NPS) methodology which it follows globally. We have topped the NPS Charts nationally and recognized as the dealership with the most loyal set of customers. We take this opportunity to thank all our customers for believing in us and supporting us through thick and thin resulting in such recognition.

Do you have any specific plans for your operations in Goa? Moving ahead, we want to strategize and strengthen our expertise further in Marine

Over the years, how has the journey been?

Hardwork and sincere efforts are always rewarded, but struggles are a way of life. As they say “Success is sweet but its secret is Sweat”.

The service industry is labour intensive, People management is a continuous struggle. Thanks to our robust, ever-evolving HR practices we are able to sail through. A strong sense of personal bonding and a family culture which has been nourished over the years keeps the team together to take on the challenges.

What would be your plans for the overall business growth and possible venturing into new avenues in the coming years?

As a group, which comprises of Trinity Mahalsa Durga and Terra Aqua Tech Services, we have ambitious growth plan going further.

At Trinity Mahalsa Durga Sales and Services, we are aiming to graduate from Service providers to solution providers in the Marine segment. At Terra Aqua, which is an Authorised Dealership for Tushaco (Colfax group) make of Positive Displacement Pumps, we are looking at adding a few other engineering products and venturing to become Tata Authorised Service providers for Commercial Vehicle sector.

You recently organized the “Best Maintenance Practices for CUMMINS DG Sets” a one–day Training Seminar

for Industry Representatives.

What was the main reason behind this and what was the outcome from it?

We conduct such Customer Meets and Technical Seminars on a regular basis in our endeavour to further our Customer contact approach.

The idea is to meet customer on the same platform and understand customer needs and provide them right solution.

This not only helps in building the technical capability at the Customer end but also helps to strengthen the business relationship.

As a Service Provider, What sets you apart from your competitors?

We compete with the unorganized sector of freelance mechanics and traders of spurious spare parts. Here we stand apart for obvious reasons – training, safety and systems.

Our Service Engineers are factory trained, specifically for different application segments to provide quality and economical service to the Customers. They are well equipped with standard tools and observe practices to ensure safety towards human, property as well as the equipment.

Service Delivery Process which forms an integral part of our Customer Excellence model enables us to attend to the Customer 24x7 thus, capturing the entire service event and customer experience.

What are the company’s beliefs or values which are given importance when carrying out operations?

We have adopted a “Customer First” approach. We offer 100% ROI (Return on Investment) to our valued customers

what’s new

www.twitter.com/businessgoa

Diet Clinic Opens in Vasco

CIBA hosts Entrepreneurship Development Programme

The Vasco Franchisee under the banner of 3 N Distractions of the Diet Clinic was inaugurated recently at the hands of actress Shveta Salvi. 3N Distractions headed

by Ms. Roshan Gunjal was intrigued with the concept and being an environmentally friendly person.

Her interest only seemed to be a natural progression into the field of wellness and health. The Diet Clinic Franchise in Vacso 3 N Distractions is all set to provide a new and healthy lifestyle to the residents of Vasco.

Narayan Bandekar along with his wife, Manda were present to light the inaugural lamp along with Harpreet Pasricha and Shveta Salvi.

The day saw visitors walk in to find out more about the Diet

Centre for Innovation and Business Acceleration (CIBA) through its Agnel Entrepreneurship Development Institute with support from Directorate of Industries, Trade and Commerce (DITC), Government of Goa concluded a six week Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) at the campus in Verna for people who intend to start their own enterprise. The participants were exposed to various aspects of entrepreneurship which included business opportunity guidance, market survey and assessment, preparation of business plan, general management, schemes of assistance and various other aspects of actual setting up of an enterprise. The programme through classroom sessions and industrial visits is intended to support potential entrepreneurs through exposure to various

Nana and Manda Bandekar with Roshan Gunjal, Harpreet Pasricha and Shveta Salvi

Clinic and were curious about what the Diet Clinic would do for them as individuals. The Nutritionists were present to discuss with each person the details of how a good diet is all that is needed to ensure a healthy body. The populace in Vasco is going to be very well benefitted with the presence of the Diet Clinic in the vicinity as was evident with the number of visitors the clinic had all through the day after the inauguration

concepts with inputs from entrepreneurs, government officials and trained faculty.

During the valedictory function held at CIBA recently, Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, Editor Business Goa addressed the participants and shared his experiences about entrepreneurism. He also urged participants to avail benefits of the schemes and to utilize CIBA’s support and guidance to venture into entrepreneurship.

Out of the twenty five potential entrepreneurs, fifteen have identified viable business opportunities that will be supported through Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana of the Government of India for providing handholding support to establish their enterprise in Goa. Raghuvir Mahale, the coordinator of the programme proposed the vote of thanks

JUNE 2013

Business Goa 27

INDUSTRY

The name ‘Turbocam’ was derived from ‘Turbo’ which stands for turbo machinery which is their area of specialty and ‘cam’ is the engineering term for computer aided manufacturing. Turbocam employs programming to manufacture turbo machinery

Turbo Power Savio Carvalho, Director of Turbocam India Pvt. Ltd. takes ALISHA PATEL through the principles and operations of the industry

T

urbocam International, one of the world’s most reputed turbo-machinery components manufacturing companies was started as a CADCAM (Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacture) software company in New Hampshire in 1985 by a man of Goan origin, Marian Noronha. He took up 5-axis software programming in the early eighties when this technology was quite unheard of. He soon realized that besides developing software, he could use his programming skills to manufacture sophisticated turbomachinery components. He began with a single machine, which he hired to produce bladed components for turbo machinery and from there onwards there was no looking back. While Turbocam’s mission was committed to paper and refined several years later, the ideals of creating wealth for people, supporting Christian service to God and people, and manufacturing high quality turbomachinery products were central to the start-up.

Besides international customers, Turbocam has, for the last twenty years, produced critical components for various Indian Defence organisations including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The manufacturing floor

28 Business Goa

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The early years saw many software solutions for manufacturing within different applications. At the same time, Turbocam was developing expertise in 5-axis programming, primarily for bladed rotating parts. In 1987, Turbocam Inc. bought a small BostoMatic 5-axis machine.

Over the years, the company prototyped impellers for the smallest turbo air compressors in the industry. Soon these gamechanging impellers found their way into larger air compressors.

Turbocam also contracted to make four stages of shrouded blisks for development of Boeing 777 engines. The making of these incredibly difficult parts taxed every resource of the company in software, machine design and maintenance, and machining skills.

Word spread about Turbocam in India as well and they were offered a huge contract by Hindustan Aerospace Limited to manufacture critical parts for the Indian Defence. No one in India had the technology to manufacture these aerospace components and importing them was impossible because of the sanctions. Being a Goan, Marian felt partial towards his home state and as a result, Turbocam India Pvt. Ltd was established at

Margao Industrial Estate in 1989.

The presence of an international airport and a seaport in the state also made it a good decision.

“The name Turbocam was derived from Turbo which stands for turbo machinery which is our area of specialization and cam is the engineering term for computer aided manufacture.

What we at Turbocam do well, is that we employ advanced programming and manufacturing techniques to manufacture complex turbo machinery components,” explains Director of the Goa facility, Savio Carvalho.

Though Turbocam’s forte has always been manufacturing turbo machinery parts, they are not restricted to merely manufacturing products for the aerospace industry and space organisations. They widely manufacture a range of products for industries ranging from power generation, automobile and also for research. “Anything that has an aerofoil shape can be manufactured by us. We manufacture parts for gas turbines, steam turbines, turbo compressors etc. We also manufacture some of the most critical components in aerospace machinery for aircraft engines” explains Savio. Turbocam have also manufactured critical parts

Savio Carvalho

for the launch of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicles manufactured by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) as well as worked on aero-engine components for aircrafts used by the Indian Air Force. “Due to the sensitive nature of our clients, we cannot reveal more about our works for the defence companies, but these parts and programmes are developed for some of their most critical defence projects,” informs Savio. Manufacturing precision products of this type requires the best available technology.

Turbocam employs state-of-theart, 5 axis technology. “Most of the products require to be cut to a very specific dimension and shape. The use of 5 axis technology allows us to make precision cuts from every possible angle,” explains Savio.

He further adds that anybody can purchase machinery, but it takes special skills to produce world class products. What happens at Turbocam is an integration of innovative engineering skills as well as as their unique programme development which produce components that have always exceeded their client’s expectations. Savio also reveals that during the course of their journey, they developed sixty thousand insulator segments made of woven glass cloth, rolled under high pressure and bound with resin. These segments were for the European Organisation

A noteworthy quality of Turbocam is that they value their employees so much, that till date not a single employee has been terminated because of the slowdown in economy and they have staff which has been with them from day one

for Nuclear Research (CERN) and were a part of the famed Big Bang Theory experiment which is currently underway in Europe.

A noteworthy quality of Turbocam is that they value their employees so much, that till date not a single employee has been terminated because of the slowdown in economy and they have staff which has been with them from day one. The company’s mission statement clearly reflects this stand of theirs. “Most businesses function on the belief that the customer is always first. I would like to agree, but sometimes employees have to come first. On a Friday afternoon, when the deadline is Monday morning, and the key employee who has to make it all happen has made a promise to his family that he must keep, then the customer may not be first. We have rarely let down a customer because we could not meet a key deadline,” states Savio. When Marian founded Turbocam, he began the

company as a means to make a living, while also spreading the Good News of salvations through Jesus Christ. He learned that in a business, God comes first.

God, they believe, has blessed their efforts and made them a growing company with dedicated employees, loyal customers and many suppliers who enjoy being associated with them. Being in a niche market with high end clients, Savio admits that the journey has been tough. “India is a wonderful country with plenty of opportunities, but it has more potholes and speed bumps than we would like to work against.

The bureaucracy has always been our biggest hurdle.” As a company, Turbocam has always been focused on issues pertinent to the betterment of the society that they function in. Since inception, they have been committed to not paying or accepting bribes of any amount or form. To that end, Turbocam founded the ‘India No Bribe Coalition’ in 2006 as a

way for Indian businesses and individuals to unite together to end the stigma of bribes. Pricing too, has been a minor problem for Turbocam. While they do all that they can to keep their prices as low as possible with efficient use of technologies, customs and import of raw materials seldom allow them to price at the lower band. “Our main competitors are in China and Eastern Europe. The competition is also growing from within India. Despite the hurdles we face, we try to stay below the global price levels,” states Savio.

Turbocam is unlike any other company in the industry. Being up to date with technology is the need of the hour for Turbocam, informs Savio. “The worst thing that could happen to us would be to wake up one morning and find out that there is a shift in technology and realize that we have to run to catch up,” he says.

Taking stock of the constant shifts in technology, Turbocam has already begun looking into newer processes and technologies.

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Air turbine wheel

They are also considering importing high-end electro chemical milling machines and Direct Laser Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) machines in the future. “We also want to enter levels of production which have not yet been ventured into by others in India. Right now, we are a thirty five crore turnover company employing over 130 people. I would like to see us grow, both in our turnover and employing many more people.

We also want to use automation to increase productivity. It will take us a few years to get there, but we will get there,” concludes Savio confidently

JUNE 2013

Business Goa 29

I found this mission of trying to tap a market that is uneducated so exciting, that I became more passionate and I made it my full time job. Bina, who is now our Creative Head and I became so passionate about Slipdisc.in that we decided to make our name a brand

GOAN BRAND Slipdisc

Billboard top of the charts A Keith Fernandes tells Lyndon Pinto how Slipdisc the brand was created

fter completing his 12th standard in Commerce, Keith Fernandes jumped straight into sales and marketing as he was more of an outdoor person. As soon as he got bored of a company, he jumped to another one. Coming from a middleclass family, his parents gave him the freedom to do what he wanted to. His dad always said ‘Do what you like’ and that is exactly what Keith did. He also had a stint in the Gulf where he worked for a year and then came back to his roots, took up a couple of jobs and then as he says ‘began his career’ when he joined the Pepsi sales team.

“I realized that I was a brand conscious person who used to associate with a brand. I became so brand fussy that I started liking my job and it is the first job where I lasted for five years.

The Dempo family used to bottle for Pepsi and the Timblo family used to bottle for Coca Cola but when the Dempos sold out to the Timblos and Coke was taken over by Britco Food Company Ltd., the entire sales team at Pepsi including me decided to move on and joined Bisleri, where I worked for two years.

While I was at Bisleri, I was given a job offer to handle the launch of Idea Cellular on behalf of JWT, the advertising agency whose outdoor division in India is Portland. The manager wanted someone aggressive and I was recommended by my competing manager from Coca Cola. That is how my career in outdoor advertising took off. We carried out the launch of Idea Cellular which is a joint venture by the Aditya Birla Group and AT&T,” recalls Keith.

While working with Portland, which is the biggest media planning agency in the world for outdoor branding, he realized that firstly, Goa couldn’t afford the kind of costing and secondly 30 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

Keith Fernandes

the Goan market did not realize the value of advertising. Portland was not touching local brands as they felt it was too small for the effort. Keith had a lot of free time on his hands as there were not many campaigns in Goa. In his free time, he decided to start an event management company. Around 11 years ago, Keith organized ‘Battle of the Bands,’ a concept that he was introduced to during his time in the Gulf. Coincidently, Bina Nayak had just shifted to Goa as she was tired of corporate life in Bombay. Keith met her and once he explained his plans to her she was up to it and eager to start. Thus with a lot a gusto and enthusiasm and a couple of nerves, Slipdisc came into being.

“We started off in a small shop where my dad used to run a grocery store and we organized the ‘Battle of the Bands.’ There was no money involved and we put in our own money as we were excited about this venture.

In the first year, we had eight bands. After the first event, we

found our adverts to be really good and we didn’t know what to do after ‘Battle of the Bands’ and hence we decided to get into advertising,” says Keith.

Keith states that the market did not understand the concept of ‘good’ advertising. After six months of talking to clients, walking from client to client, outlet to outlet from south to north Goa, they were close to giving up on the idea. But stuck on. The duo realized that Goa as a market needs to be educated and therefore started advertising for themselves, to bring in the business and to make people

The Start Up Now! organised by Slipdisc.in

talks about them.

Keith says, “People used to call us and ask us what is Slipdisc and ask us about treatment for a back ailment with the same name.

People questioned our rationale behind such a name but we stuck to our name as at least we were getting people’s attention and we were not boring and could now move to the second step of making people understand what we do. We began branding heavily for ourselves. It was and still is a slow process but we slowly broke into the market.”

“I found this mission of trying to tap a market that is uneducated so exciting, that I became more passionate and I made it my full time job. Bina, who is now our Creative Head and I became so passionate about Slipdisc that we decided to make our name a brand. We designed a logo, got a website and started advertising on the radio. We branded ourselves wherever we felt possible. We believe that we are one of the strongest brands in Goa right now and we are very visible.”

Keith also believes that one of their advantages would be that they have their own billboards.

When a billboard is not occupied they take the opportunity to consolidate their brand name.

Keith believes that the concept of branding his company has come because of his experience with Pepsi. By making their own ads stand out and branding for

When we started ten years ago, we neither had any clout nor monies with us. At that time Government adverts were in the hands of a few and it is still in the hands of the same few, our only way to survive was to go to the local business players themselves, today, when they go to pitch for a client, the client has at least heard of Slipdisc and gives them an audience.

Keith also feels that despite being recognized it is still very difficult to get people to advertise in Goa. He says “People do not believe in the need to advertise.

They believe that if they advertise there is no guarantee of fetching a return. They do not believe in brand valuation. However there is still a lot of scope for advertising in Goa.” He goes on to say that “When we got into advertising, we focused more on the local market rather than the government offices as we did not see that lasting for long. When we started ten years ago, we neither had that kind of political clout nor monies with us.” Slipdisc offers clients everything that comes under the outdoor advertising banner. They are not just an event management company and also assist clients with regards to creativity for an event. Slipdisc

has one annual event which is called ‘Battle of the Bands’ and in recent times, they have added ‘Battle of the DJs’, ‘Battle of the Dancefloor’ as well as ‘Battle of the Stars’ to their event bag.

“Last year we started a kind of promotional event for young entrepreneurs and new businesses called ‘StartUp Now!’ This would also help promote us and grow our portfolio and tap a market that was willing to take a risk and join us for unconventional advertising,” says Keith.

Keith states that they do not look at any competition as such as when it comes to billing but when it comes to creativity, they are a peg above. Their campaigns are very innovative and out of the box and more importantly, they are ‘in your face adverts’, which is why clients keep coming back to them.

He adds that Bina has been a major part of Slipdisc and she has been there right from the beginning. They also have a very young team, with the average age of being 23. The sales staff is

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young and vibrant and everyone is very passionate about Slipdisc. in as a brand.

Keith concludes by saying “Although there were tough times, we enjoyed every bit of it, to get clients who did not want to advertise and to get them to advertise was a big challenge – a challenge that we enjoy. Although Slipdisc has had to take the long route, eventually it has paid off and will continue to pay off and in the near future the market will grow and we will only get bigger and better”

A creative partnership Bina Nayak has been with Slipdisc since 2003. She has 21 yrs experience in advertising, having worked in several multinational advertising agencies. She takes care of all the creative aspects of the work – from design, content, execution, and creative strategy.

Bina has worked in senior creative positions with several agencies such as Speer Communications, Mudra DDB, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy and Grey. She was Head of Design at The Walt Disney Company India for 2 years, and continues as a consultant till date. The Bina Nayak accounts that she has worked on (National & MNC): Coke (Re launch of Limca & ThumsUp as Coke brands), Walt Disney International, Nike, Pennzoil, Unilever (Ponds, Lakme, Aviance) Monginis, Borosil, HSBC, ICICI, MTDC, ANZ Grindlays, ONIDA, Pfizer, Tata Companies, BSA SLR Cycles, Tamil Nadu Govt., Nutrine Biscuits, Goa Tourism (365 Days & GTDC), Calizz Museum of Goan houses, Santa Fe Realty’s Dreamwoods Villas, Oberoi Hotels, Taj Group of Hotels, Britto’s, Paradiso, Butter, among others

JUNE 2013

Business Goa 31

CAMPUS GOA

BOOK SHELF

Second edition of EDUnext Goa held by Dempo College and The Navhind Times

SHAILENDRA SINGH

When the state’s premier commerce college, the only one to offer a Post-Graduate Management program in Event Management and Goa’s largest circulating English Daily, come together and collaborate with the Government of Goa, they are bound to create magic! The magic is the impressive education fair – EDUnext Goa 2013, providing education and career solutions to generation next for the second successive year!

The two institutions under the “Dempo” umbrella collaborated with the Government of Goa to bring to the student community in Goa an Education Fair with a difference – there were exhibitors and education service providers, representing reputed institutions from within the state and outside; who showcased their services to a multitude of students and parents from all over the state, so as to enable them to make informed choices

of the right careers, the right courses and the right institutions.

EDUnext Goa 2013 provided a meeting ground for education service providers and education seekers; it provided an opportunity for one-toone interaction between the two groups in order that each query would be addressed satisfactorily.

EDUnext Goa 2013 continued the tradition, which was set for the first time in Goa last year at this event, by providing complimentary services by experts, for aptitude testing, career guidance and counseling while presentations were made to create awareness of lesser known career options, all under the same roof! The Fair also provided on-thespot placement offers through reputed placement agencies and organizations like HDFC Bank, UTC Placements Services and First Step Placements

www.businessgoa.in

F?@k Knows Shailendra Singh’s debut book has claimed the #1 spot on the Nielson Bookscan non-fiction bestseller list.

In the literary world, India has never seen such a rapid rise to notoriety. In another telling tale of the book’s instant popularity, F?@K Knows has been at the number one spot on the Crossword Bookstores Top Ten List.

Critics, fans and independent bloggers alike have been raving about the edgy, in-your-face writing style of this first time author. F?@K Knows is sometimes described as a “self-help book for people who hate self-help books”, sometimes as “popnonfiction sensation”, sometimes as “the funniest book that I have read in a very long time”. But all across the board, everyone is going mad over the first literary offering of Entertainment Mogul Shailendra Singh.

Some know him as a ‘sports marketing guru’, some as an ‘advertising wiz’ or ‘Bollywood producer’, and many acknowledge him as a shrewd ‘dealmaker’. He’s conceptualized the most famous and long-lasting campaigns for India’s biggest brands, managed and helped adjust the careers of India’s most respected cricketers, and provided a launchpad to the country’s biggest celebrities Publisher:

Rupa Publications

BG CROSSWORD 43

QUIZZARE

GIM’s part time Executive MBA focuses on entrepreneurship It’s not only fresh graduates who are eager to arm themselves with an MBA degree. Going by the Goa Institute of Management’s (GIM) records, a number of working professionals including corporate employees, entrepreneurs and government officials from Goa head back to the classroom each year. The country’s premier AICTE approved B-school, GIM conducts a three year part time PGDM - PT (Executive MBA) programme. This year, GIM has designed the curriculum with a renewed focus on entrepreneurship in response to 32 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

the unemployment situation in Goa. Said Dr Sunil Rai, Director, GIM, “GIM is committed to the task of providing the industry and society with excellent manpower developed in Goa itself. This year we have designed our PGDM-PT curriculum in a way in which it lays greater emphasis on entrepreneurship, SMEs and family owned businesses in response to the unemployment situation in the state. Our Entrepreneurship Development Cell will work closely with students to guide them at each stage

Across: 1 – Loan type used to obtain assets, which can be seized by the lender in case of non-payment (8) 5 – Major diamond company (2,5) 7 – Popular brand of instant fruit flavored drinks (5) 8 – Popularity of your Facebook posts is determined by the number of _____ (5) 9 –Pharmaceutical company headquartered in Israel (4) 10 – Discussion board on the Internet (5) 12 – ___ project – free software, mass collaboration project (3) 13 – ____ Lee – American comic book writer (4) 15 – Giant _____ - logo of the World Wide Fund for Nature (5) Down: 1 – Private airline operating in India between 1993 and 1996 (8) 2 – _____’s Cube – popular puzzle game (5) 3 – _______ - first name of famous French engineer, who built the tower bearing his name (6) 4 – _________ Bitters – used for flavoring beverages (9) 6 – _______ Kodak, the imaging and photographic equipment and services company (7) 11 – ____-Carlton, the luxury hotel chain (4) answers to crossword 42 Across 1. Whatsapp, 5. ACB 7. Labour 8. SETI 10. Nissin 11. CII 12. MISA 13. Margo 14. Fargo Down 1. Walton 2. ABB 3. Sputnik 4. Pace 6. British 9.

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Ramanata Crisna Pai Raikar School of Agriculture opens

A

griculture has always been the backbone of the Goan economy, even prior to the Portuguese rule. It can be traced back to a time when a few families harassed by famine and plague came to the Western coast of India along with their workers and cattle and settled in Goa and began appropriating and turning fertile the land where they settled. The climate and soil in Goa was found to be conducive to the growth of a wide variety of tropical crops including mango, jackfruit, cashew, banana and vegetables like lady fingers, brinjal, pumpkin, drumsticks etc.

However, in recent years, agriculture has been on the decline. Studies have shown that among the various reasons for this downfall, a lack of initiative on the part of the gennext to take up agriculture is the primary cause for the decline in

agricultural related activities in the State. There is also a lack of knowledge on the topic and the science behind cultivating and marketing crops. After a thorough analysis of the past and present agricultural scenarios, the Ramanata Crisna Pai Raikar Education Society’s Ramanata Crisna Pai Raikar School of Agriculture has launched a two year vocational course in horticulture and floriculture.

Goa is bestowed with bountiful nature and has been appreciated for its peace and tranquillity. Our villages have been predominantly engaged in cultivation. Off late, it has been seen that due to nonviability and lack of manpower, the agricultural activity in Goa is on the decline. Reasons for the same vary from absence of modern techniques or lack of education in this field or it may be just apathy on the part of the people.

“We strongly felt the need of a good agriculture school to teach the new line of approach as well as provide a commercial touch to farming activity in the State. To begin with, it would be pertinent to start off activities that will bring in immediate gains to the farmers and together with it

Ruta’s World Café opens in Margao

Ruta Kahate

A

fter 20 years of being part of San Francisco’s vibrant food scene, Chef Ruta Kahate

has opened her own place at Dr Miranda Rd, Behind Nanutel, Margao, Goa. Ruta’s World

to elaborate upon the traditional farming activities. Therefore the experts opined that the school should start with short term courses related to floriculture, fruit culture, horticulture, garden farming and spice cultivation etc. besides how to maintain small orchards with financial gain.

The help of our experts is also supplemented by seniors from the ICAR and the Department of Agriculture. We hope to make a difference to the agriculture sector through knowledge dissemination from this school.

We also feel that it will increase the activity of agriculture as we intend to give free service to the farmers in determining the crop suitability as per the soil of the area and also regarding the water management,” says Manguirish Pai Raikar. The Ramanata Crisna Pai Raikar Education Society has set up this agricultural school in Savoi Verem in Ponda and classes will commence from June 11. This school will conduct higher secondary school studies under vocational educational program and will offer courses such as horticulture, floriculture and computer techniques.

This is a MHRD course and has been approved by the Goa Board and Directorate of

Education. The course will be for 2 years, i.e. 11th and 12th. The students will have to complete and pass their 10th standard to be eligible for admission in the school. The admissions started immediately after the SSC results were declared this year. “This is a first of its kind school in the state,” said Manguirish, and added that the school will teach a new line of approach as well as give a commercial touch to the farming activities in the state.

The Objectives of the Ramanata Crisna Pai Raikar Education Society’s Ramanata Crisna Pai Raikar School of Agriculture are – to impart education in the field of agriculture, to promote progressive means of agriculture and to educate the farmers in the field of agriculture and allied sciences. Also, short term courses will be conducted which will be related to floriculture, fruit culture (pomology), horticulture (garden farming, spice cultivation, etc) along with maintenance of small orchards with financial gains.

The school experts are helped by the senior people from ICAR and department of agriculture, Raikar said. Students can work as field assistants, florists and garden incharge for companies, etc

Café is a stylish yet laid-back (dare we say hip?) place to eat, drink and relax to some great music. As the name suggests, the menu is global: from hearty Mexican to chic San Franciscan, from exotic Asian to down-home Indian. Ruta brings California’s food ethic to her new place: lighter food with an emphasis on fresh ingredients, local as far as possible. Everything is made inhouse from scratch, right down to the breads.

Serving all-day breakfast, lunch and tea, 9am to 6pm, six days a week, Ruta’s World Café is located on a quiet street in Margao with plenty of parking.

For more information, visit their Facebook page at www. rutas.in

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34 Business Goa

Hon. Italian 50 Vice Consul

JUNE 2013 MAHESH SONAK

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Goa Chamber’s 50 new President 38

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SKITTER FAIA

In the business of positive spin

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JUNE 2013

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professional dossier

“A successful career always begins at the bottom rung of the ladder. That is exactly where I started from. To begin with, I was merely organizing files, books and assisting the filing procedures”

Mahesh Sonak - Advocate

Legal Eagle “I strongly believe that it would be disastrous to the State of Goa and its peoples if the Mhadei River is ‘dammed’ or its waters diverted away” Adv. Mahesh Sonak

M

y father and brother are both lawyers, whereas my mother is a doctor.

Initially I took up Science, with the hope of following in her footsteps. I did not do too well, so not out of choice so to say, but because there seemed to be no choice, that I took up to law.

Again, I was uncertain whether I would enter legal practice or take up law related employment.

My brother advised me that I needed to work for a first class to keep up the employment option. I worked hard and obtained a first class through Bombay University.

While I was still in college, I used to frequent my brother Satish’s chambers and also accompany him to courts. Former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court Ferdino Rebello, then a leading advocate, offered me a position at his chambers. In this way, while still at college, I had opportunity to learn a good deal of legal procedures and some law as well. The experience and the opportunity to work at close quarters with Justice Rebello, was indeed invaluable.

A successful career always begins at the bottom rung of the ladder. To begin with, I was merely organizing files, books and assisting the filing procedures. At this stage, one

is not expected to know much about the law and whatever one learns is virtually a bonus. After completing my studies from the Salgaocar College of Law, in 1988, I continued working in Justice Rebello’s chambers for four years, eventually to set up a legal practice of my own.

Over the years, I have argued more cases than I can remember, though I vividly remember cases concerning the ban on bull fights, right to open spaces, illegal constructions, environment matters, local self government matters, service matters or admissions to medical colleges.

About a decade ago, admissions to professional colleges such as medical colleges threw up a large number of legal challenges involving constitutional and administrative law. Among some of my most memorable cases are the ones involving challenge to the constitutional validity of laws and convincing the court that the legislature has indeed exceeded the constitutional mandate.

Goa is a small State, and as an advocate I could never afford to specialize in a particular field of law. But I enjoy practice in constitutional law, environment law, mining law, service law amongst other subjects. Majority of my legal practice has been at the High Court, writ law practice,

mostly against, whichever is the government of the day.

Each day in the profession brings up new challenges. My day begins as early as six with preparations for my cases. The stenographer arrives promptly by seven and a couple of hours are devoted to legal drafting.

Between 10.30 am and 5.30 pm, I am in the Courts of Law, and then in my chambers till about 9 p.m. After attending to the clients, time is spent in legal research and preparation for the cases. Fortunately for me, I have been blessed with a wonderful wife, Sangeeta, who bears up with my nonsensical schedule.

After the birth of our son, Eeshan in 2001, I reduced my legal work considerably so that I could spend more time with him.

Though he has now grown up, I am enjoying the less gruesome legal work schedules.

During the course of my professional journey, I have represented a large number of individuals, industrial houses, government officials as well as government corporations.

Though the names do not matter much, the causes do. I do feel that my duty is to present my client’s cause in the best light possible, without in any manner, compromising my duty towards the Court or the higher cause of justice. In environment law cases, my wife thinks that I am mostly on the wrong side and so I often end up with arguments and counters at home, even before the arguments in Court begin.

This I find to be a good practice.

I have dealt with numerous cases under the legal aid scheme and as ‘amicus curiae’ (Friend of the Court). Pensioner’s causes, public causes, causes relating to

civil rights, which I have often undertaken, give tremendous satisfaction. The legal profession affords scope to evolve original interpretations, and stand between the citizen and the state, where the state seeks to exceed its constitutional bounds or encroach upon citizens’ liberties.

This is a unique privilege, which the profession confers and I cherish, along with all the responsibilities that go with such privilege.

Family traditions have impressed and emphasized that no client is to be turned away for reason of fees. If a cause deserves judicial redress, then it is a cause that needs to be taken up regardless of fees. The legal profession is not just about amassing knowledge of statutes and legal procedures, but more about developing habit of clear thinking, logical reasoning, and analytical research and above all, never divorcing the all pervading human perspective.

At present, I am one of the lawyers representing the State in the ongoing battle for the River Mhadei. I strongly believe that it would be disastrous to the State of Goa and its peoples if the Mhadei River is ‘dammed’ or its waters diverted away. As a lawyer, I do believe that one should not get too attached to a case or a cause, lest such attachment clogs your objectivity. However, Mhadei is a cause close to my heart and complete detachment is difficult.

In this profession or in life, I do not have time to think about the future. The routine is too hectic and leaves me with no time to really think or plan seriously about the future.

The prayer and endeavour is to meet these demands with fortitude, courage, compassion and right spirit. Further prayer and endeavour is that I maintain my physical and mental faculties, so as to be useful to the legal profession and the society, which have contributed so much to my life and living!

As told to ALISHA PATEL

JUNE 2013

Business Goa 37

LADY POWER

skitter faia

“I love what I do and I do it with a sense of dedication, commitment, empathy and integrity. The rest I leave to destiny”

“It is important for our youth to find opportunities here in Goa”

Skitter Faia, Branch Director at Perfect Relations talks to LYNDON PINTO about her life and career

C

oming from a middle class family, Skitter Faia quickly realized that education was the only way to a successful independent life. After High School, she opted for the science steam because that is what everyone with a high percentage did at the time. But what she really loved was creative writing and reading. Eventually, she gave up science and took up English literature.

Skitter recollects “I can honestly say I loved attending lectures in college. Sitting on the benches of Chowgule College I was transported from the ancient world of the Greek Gods to the Yellow Daffodil Fields of William Wordsworth. Books became an important part of my life. Very often they have been a source of strength and inspiration to me.”

It was during those formative years in college that Skitter realized that she wanted a career in media. She eventually completed her post graduate studies in mass communication.

Even while studying, she took to writing and contributed to the local newspapers as a freelance writer. Post studies, she started off as a features writer with a local newspaper, which was a great learning experience. Skitter eventually moved to the Middle East and after a 3 year stint with the banking industry in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, returned to Goa, keen to get into PR. That’s when she joined Perfect Relations, a national PR agency where she has grown through the ranks in the last seven years and is now Branch Director.

“I’d say that it’s been a wonderful and exciting journey so far. I’ve always loved working with the media fraternity in Goa. They are genuinely nice people, friendly to interact with and simple at heart. We’ve worked with clients across sectors and have learned so much along the way. Over the years, we and 38 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

our clients have grown together from strength to strength. I have a great team to work with, smart young individuals who are dedicated, driven and committed.

There are many people I know who move out of the state in search of better opportunities.

So did I, but I wanted to come back in Goa. I’m truly blessed that I’m able to be part of this exciting profession, work with a reputed company where I have been able to learn and grow and yet be able to live in Goa,” says a content Skitter. She believes that ups and downs are a part of life and that you just have to go with the flow and do the best that you can. She adds “I love

“We as people are intrinsically connected. We are put on this earth for a purpose.

And to live the life that we are truly meant to live, we need to believe in ourselves and our abilities. There are far too many youngsters, mainly girls and women, who seek the approval of others to be happy. If someone tells them they are pretty they believe it, if someone tells them they are stupid, they believe that, too what I do and I do it with a sense of dedication, commitment, empathy and integrity. The rest I leave to destiny.” As for

Skitter Faia the future, Skitter plans to stick around in Goa. She feels that there is an exodus of Goans leaving this lovely state of ours and she doesn’t want to be one of them. “My team in Goa presently includes bright young individuals who have completed their media studies in Goa, who would have otherwise had to leave the state looking for a career in PR in the metros across the country. I am happy to be able to offer them an opportunity to learn and grow professionally in Goa.” Skitter also believes that there are a lot of young people that she meets who want to grow professionally in their careers way too fast, who are more concerned with the end results irrespective of the means deployed. In her opinion, it doesn’t work in the long run.

Instead she feels that one should do what one is passionate about,

“Follow your heart, the results will follow with time,” she says. She concludes by saying, “We as people are intrinsically connected. We are put on this earth for a purpose. And to live the life that we are truly meant to live, we need to believe in ourselves and our abilities. There are far too many youngsters, mainly girls and women, who seek the approval of others to be happy. If someone tells them they are pretty they believe it, if someone tells them that they are stupid, they believe that, too.

While it’s nice to take another’s opinion into account, what’s more important is to be aware of our own qualities, our strengths and weaknesses.

When in doubt, listen to that inner voice – it always speaks the truth”

ADVENTURE CAPITALIST

People often believe that using less fuel will save the earth; but they don’t realize that it could also kill economy. Anything that will kill economy won’t be a good idea. The only way the world could be made a better place is by offering alternatives to hydrocarbons

The sad tale of a “Better Place”

The author talks about the practicality behind electric cars versus fueled thus resulting in pressure on natural resources

U. Mahesh Prabhu Columnist is founder and CEO of TECHNOVED a Goa based web and software consulting firm offering its services to clients across four continents indiamahesh@gmail.com

A

part from causing pollution, fossil fuels are responsible for an array of problems marring our planet today; including terrorism and war thereof. Yet, credible alternatives to hydro-carbons are far from reality and Electric Vehicles (EVs) continue to be “future of transportation” for over a century now!

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Electric Vehicle Company was the largest automaker in the US, having dealers right from Paris to Mexico City. But, in the end, oil supplanted volts supposedly because of one perennial problem – batteries. Car batteries, as they are even today, are heavy and expensive and don’t last long besides taking quite some time to recharge. While you need five minutes to fill a car with enough fuel to go miles, five minutes of charge barely help you to go anywhere. Shai Agassi was next in line for position of CEO of SAP (a German multinational 40 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations) to succeed Henning Kagermann after his scheduled retirement in 2007. But when supervisory board of SAP decided to provide an extension to Kagermann until 2009, Agassi resigned in haste to do something ‘significant’. He sought to pursue his newly acquired interest in energy in a big way. After he had joined Young Global Leaders (an invitation-only group for politicians and businesspeople under 40) Agassi wanted to contribute to climate change in a significant way – energy business in particular.

Through Better Place (BP) Agassi desired to make EVs more possible. BP dealt with impending battery issue by simply swatting it away. Previous approaches relied on a traditional manufacturing formula: We make cars, you buy them. BP proposed an out of the box concept called “Electric Recharge Grid Operator” – “ERGO” for short. This was an absolutely unorthodox mix of automotive and mobile phone industry’s model. Rather than gas stations on every corner, the ERGO would blanket a country with a network of “smart” charge spots.

Drivers could plug-in anywhere, anytime, and would subscribe to a specific plan – unlimited miles, a maximum number of miles each month, or pay as you go – all for less than the equivalent cost for gas. Customers would buy their car from the operator, who would offer steep discounts, perhaps even simply give cars away. The profit was expected from selling electricity.

There would be plugs in homes, offices as well as shopping malls. And when customers couldn’t wait to “fill up” they’d go to battery exchange stations where they would pull into car-wash like sheds, and

in a few minutes, a hydraulic lifts would swamp the depleted battery with a fresh one. Drivers wouldn’t pay a penny extra: the ERGO owned the battery.

With all its pomp and grandness in idea a November 2012 earnings report published by conglomerate Israel Corp, which owns about 30 per cent of Better Place said the company had accumulated deficit of $561.5 million with more loss expected. On May 2013 the expected happened – Better Place finally filed for bankruptcy in Israel; precisely eight months after Agassi was booted out of the company.

Through Better Place (BP) Agassi desired to make EVs more possible. BP dealt with impending battery issue by simply swatting it away. Previous approaches relied on a traditional manufacturing formula: We make cars, you buy them. BP proposed an out of the box concept called “Electric Recharge Grid Operator” – “ERGO” for short So what made Better Place to fade away? Experts have several “insights” to offer; including “not enough takers.”

“The main problem was there weren’t enough takers for Better Place’s deal. Better Place managed to sell the concept to

Shai Agassi

just 400 customers in Denmark and about 900 in Israel! On the automobile industry’s side, Renault was the only company which supported the idea. As a result, Better Place burnt through $850 million of capital that it had raised from investors.” An ‘expert’ opined.

In an age where short cuts and easy money are more desirous it’s extremely difficult to find another Shai Agassi – one who would have the substantial technical as well as commercial expertise. Given the shutting down of Better Place one can be only certain that there won’t be another foray into this segment for a few more decades. And that’s definitely not a good sign.

Against the entire rabble rousing against “climate change” and “save the earth” campaigns it was sheer painful to see Better Place closing down and the media was equally culpable for not making enough hue and cry about it. Very few were aware of its existence.

People often believe that using less fuel will save the earth; but they don’t realize that it could also kill economy. Anything that kills an economy is not a good idea. The only way the world could be made a better place is by offering alternatives to hydrocarbons. And when ideas like Better Place die an unnatural, sad and orphan death, alternative to hydrocarbons seem only impossible

WHAT’S UP GOA

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MEOW time @ Café Mangii It’s time to flaunt those designer bags and show off the latest fashion trends, as Café Mangii will now play host to kitty parties with Italian offerings at an unbelievable price.

Indulge in a three course set menu and enjoy a Veg meal at Rs 499 while a Non-Veg meal is priced at Rs. 599. Enjoy an Italian feast with the Mangii special aromatic soups, pastas, risottos, salads and desserts and complement your meal with a refreshing iced tea, fresh lime or a soft drink of your choice.

The Kitty party offer is valid on all weekdays during lunch hours only.

Go have a MEOW time at Café Mangii

Goa Management Association to host two-day workshop on Finance The Goa Management Association will be hosting a two day workshop on Finance for Entrepreneurs and Executives in Panaji, between 24 June – 7 July 2013.

As an important and relevant topic to everyday business professionals and organisations, the programme is aimed at augmenting knowledge and understand nuances of financial management for finance / non-finance executives in organisations, and for individuals who wish to set up or operate businesses. The workshop will address the following issues among other basic financial management principles.

The workshop pedagogy includes individual and group exercises.

1. Drivers and Measurement of Financial Performance 2. Analysis and Interpretation of Financial Statements 3. Assessment of Non-Financials and Implications to Financial Performance 4. Costing and Budgeting 5. Working Capital Management 6. Project Financing 7. Fundamentals of Project and Business Risk Management 8. Central and State Governments Finances – Implications to Commerce/Industries 9. Recent Developments in National and International Finance Binayak Datta, former CFO and Vice President – Finance, Zuari Industries Limited, Goa, will conduct the workshop. Datta is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and has an excellent track record of distinguished service in senior leadership positions in several reputed companies. He has made valuable contributions to developing thoughts and ideas relating to policies on varied financial and fiscal issues and is recipient of several awards. He has conducted training for business schools and management associations, on a wide range of subjects, including finance, accounts, taxation, etc.

The participation fee for the programme is Rs.5,000 per participant.

Fee includes course material, Lunch, Tea, Coffee and Snacks.

You could nominate individuals from your organisation, who you would want to attend this programme, by 20 June 2013. The exact dates of the programme will be announced soon.

In case of any clarifications or suggestions, please contact Rajan J Bhatikar on +91-9850982281 between 11:30 am and 5:00 pm JUNE 2013

Business Goa 41

academic interest

I have learnt that there are a number of challenges when setting up your business. But if the approach is made properly it can become the silent revolution. Society, can thereby undergo a whole lot of metamorphosis

There is no better opportunity than entrepreneurship D.S. Prashant on how despite challenges entrepreneurship is the way forward

W D.S.Prashant D.S.Prashant is the manager at the Centre for Innovation and Business Acceleration ( CIBA ) supporting entrepreneurs and innovative startups. prashant@ciba.org.in

The easiest to target in bringing about a change are young minds, particularly children in their formative years.

We at CIBA, (Centre for Innovation and Business Acceleration) are trying to reach out to children who are naturally talented and whose thoughts have not been coloured by elders

42 Business Goa

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hich is the richest class in any society? The business class! Isn’t it? It’s neither the creator nor the destroyer. It’s the Manager who becomes rich. If we open our eyes and look around we will find it’s not the inventor nor the worker it’s the entrepreneur, or the business class who manages the resources effectively and efficiently. And they form the richest class. In Hindu mythology, Vishnu the preserver has the largest number of devotees and not Bramha or Shiva, the creator and destroyer, likewise.

When making a choice of a career, the general tendency is to choose within given options and not to think out of the box.

Unfortunately, in Goa, the choice of entrepreneurship as a career option is not perceived as an opportunity. The rewards which entrepreneurship offers to individuals and his immediate microcosm (family, friends and immediate society) are always handsome as compared to other professions. The natural tendency of a human being is to grow big. So why limit our dreams and aspirations? Given, that not everyone can be an entrepreneur, at least the germ to be an entrepreneur can be cherished? The climate for entrepreneurs in Goa has never been as conducive as it is today – support systems for guidance, counselling, mentoring, funding, technical inputs etc are just a shout away. Hence, to me a Goan not choosing to be an entrepreneur is pretty baffling.

I have learnt that there are a number of challenges when setting up your business. But if one’s approach is studied, careful and scientific, it can become the silent revolution.

Society can thereby undergo a whole lot of metamorphosis.

An entrepreneur friend, who has a 400 crore turnover food

processing unit in Maharashtra, was sharing his experience of his initiative in Gujarat.

When he started a unit in Gujarat, many people approached him (not surprisingly) not for a job, but for entrepreneurial opportunities!

They were looking at opportunities of supplying work force, raw material, housekeeping, waste material management etc.

Every opportunity available for an entrepreneurial venture was being explored. Supplying water was also looked at as a revenue model. This is entrepreneurship in its best sense. The culture of the Gujarati society and its ethos are entrepreneurship driven.

During a training programme on Technology Commercialization at the University of Texas, I met the C.E.O of the Incubation Centre at Rice University. They had changed the attitude of society towards entrepreneurship within a decade by actively targeting entrepreneurship programmes.

It was a huge motivation for me.

I endorse her vision that even the culture of our society can be changed to entrepreneurship if we stay focussed.

The easiest to target in bringing about a change are young minds, particularly children in their formative years. We at CIBA, (Centre for Innovation and Business Acceleration) are trying to reach out to children who are naturally talented and whose thoughts have not been coloured by elders. Else, they will follow the hackneyed path of maximising marks, then a university degree and then a job or go abroad to study and or work there. I have

no issues with this arrangement.

But there is a very fundamental issue – do you realise your true potential? All innovations happen when people dare to dream. Man thought of flying and he flew and today all of us fly by just buying a ticket. In the same vein, we need to build a scientific temperament and entrepreneurial spirit at a young age. Only then can you succeed as innovators and entrepreneurs. Once the mindset becomes entrepreneurial, there is no need to coax people into entrepreneurship.

The biggest hurdle is crossed if meticulous planning and execution according to a plan is followed religiously. There is no deviation from this path. This is the challenge for every teacher and for the parents to raise the child to grow to its fullest possible potential and not get lost in the rat race.

The entrepreneurial path is not easy but it has never been easier before than now. Today, if one has the desire to be an entrepreneur he can become one. There is no other career which can offer the benefits to everybody as much as entrepreneurship. As members of a society who are responsible for the future, we have an obligation to support entrepreneurship in Goa. This will change the state of Goa in times to come for the benefit of our children and their children

Letter from America

Indians and South Asians are the second largest ethnic community in the United States with a population of around 3.2 million

Working in America The author talks about the increasing number of immigrants in the United States and their affect on the economy

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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uring the last few weeks, we have seen and heard from a lot of pundits about the Immigration Bill that is being debated in the US Congress. The debate is mostly about illegal immigrants from the Mexican border who live and work in America. By all estimates, there are about 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Of these, about 50% are from Mexico with only 6% from Asia. Some argue that the Latinos who cross the border in search of jobs take on work that Americans are unwilling to perform; as such they help the US economy by paying US taxes. They also bring with them their own value system, which is a benefit to Americans. Opponents argue that illegal immigrants accept lower wages and therefore Americans are unwilling to take these jobs. I suspect this debate will continue as both sides of the aisle have taken firm positions, and good-faith negotiations are not being conducted in the House and the Senate.

As part of the broader debate there is also the discussion on H1-B visas issued for short-term work. Last year about 300,000 H1-B visas were issued. Of these,

around 50% were given to Indian citizens. Indian IT companies have set up offices in the US to be closer to clients, staffing the sites overwhelmingly with expatriates from India. This year, US based employers exhausted the annual 65,000-person quota for H1-B visas within a few days of the opening of applications.

US politicians argue that Indian outsourcing firms are misusing the program and lowering the salaries in the sector. Foreign workers are generally willing to accept lower wages, which in turn dissuades local technologysector workers from applying for jobs in the software sector.

Politicians believe that this is a downward spiraling helix with locals not being motivated into taking math, science and technology courses at Universities. This, in turn leads to a shortage of US citizens qualified and available for work in the IT sector.

Large and small American companies have got onto this bandwagon for their own benefit.

Indian companies like Infosys, Tata Consulting and Wipro have a lion’s share of the business that companies like IBM, Accenture, and others would like to capture.

I would be very surprised if American companies will pay any more than the basic entrylevel wage to Indian software engineers. India’s $110 billion IT industry gets a major portion of its revenue by working for US companies. US companies appear to have successfully lobbied for the draft immigration bill to include caps on the number of foreign workers that a US based company can employ using H1-B skilled-worker visas. The bill that is presently being discussed in the Judiciary Committee would make sure that US based IT companies will be allowed to bring in no more that 60% of their total work force on H1-B visas. It is believed that this will force Indian companies

based in the US into hiring more and more local personnel.

Large US companies like IBM and Accenture may continue to hire highly skilled software engineers from abroad at the low wages that they complain Indian companies are paying.

I spoke with a few software engineers working for Indian and American IT companies in the United States. It was horrifying to learn that IT companies are not concerned about building loyalty in their group of Indian engineers. Human Resources Directors appear nonchalant when Indians want to get better compensation for their work.

These companies accept a large churn as part of doing business as they are able to get new Indian recruits to take the place of those that leave. Several US organizations mentioned to me that Indian IT companies do not take any initiative in taking on the role of consultants. They perform a fantastic job, on time, and below agreed cost, but these companies do not act in an advisory role as may be expected of firms offering consulting services.

I wonder if Indian IT companies will suffer if the House and the Senate pass the new rules. There are some who believe, and I am one of them, that Indian IT companies, relying heavily on low-cost IT consultants and software engineers, may suffer. I suggest that outsourcing as we know it will have to change and Indian software companies will need to move up the value chain to develop new software and provide a higher end consulting service with better use of telecommunications and video services. At the same time, US companies that outsource their IT work will continue to demand lower costs from American and Indian software houses.

Immigration reform and its effect on South Asians comes at a time when part of North America is celebrating South

Asian Heritage Month. Canada has proclaimed, for reason that I am not able to determine, May 5 as South Asian Arrival Day. Indians and South Asians are the second largest ethnic community in the United States with a population of around 3.2 million. You will be delighted to hear that this group is the wealthiest ethnic community with an average household income of $90,525 (Rs.49 lakhs). This average income includes lower earning sectors like cab drivers and Manhattan street-corner news stands. Indians have done well in a range of sectors. We have heard of the ‘stars’ in the IT sector in Silicon Valley and in the Finance sector on Wall Street. There are Indian origin Governors (equivalent to Chief Ministers rather than Governors in India) in South Carolina and Louisiana. The US House of Representatives now has it first Hindu woman as a member, who took her oath with her right hand on the Gita and not the Bible.

What a change from 1923 when the US Supreme Court in a landmark case (United States v Bhagat Singh Thind) withdrew the citizenship of A.K. Mozumdar.

Mozoomdar was the first Indian to become a US citizen in 1913 after convincing the State judge in Spokane, Washington that he was Caucasian. In those days only Caucasians, Japanese and Chinese were allowed to become US citizens. The 1923 ruling of the US Supreme Court decided that Indians could not be classified as Caucasians. It was only on July 2, 1946 that President Truman signed the Luce-Celler Act on July 2, 1946 that stipulated that 100 Indians would be allowed to citizenship each year. In 1960, President Kennedy helped remove barriers for Indians to come and live in the United States.

Indians and Americans will continue to have a love-hate relationship JUNE 2013

43 Business Goa 39

BON APPÉTIT

O’COQUEIRO

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Filling you with tradition!

Lyndon Pinto heads to O’Coqueiro to test the enigmatic name it has created for itself

The landmark of NH17 at Porvorim

I

t is a little known fact that the first Chicken Cafreal in Goa was served at O’Coqueiro. It was in the early 1970s when chef Gines Viegas returned from East Africa with a penchant for catering and an abyss of catering experience.

He made O’Coqueiro famous for authentic Goan Portuguese food and hospitality. A trait that exemplifies the restaurant, even today.

When Lucio Miranda and Christavo Pinto started O’Coqueiro as a bar and restaurant way back in 1968, little did they realize or probably even imagine that O’Coqueiro - Portuguese for Coconut tree, would be world famous one day.

Not just for it food and ambience but in the long run for also housing the ‘Best Chef of India’ – Chef Peter Ferenandes.

The reputation of O’Coqueiro is such that even an international fugitive – Charles Sobhraj, was nabbed while having a meal there. Not believing in reputations, I went out to put the enigma of O’Coqueiro to test.

The simmering summer heat drew me from the generally cool settings of the verandah to the comforts of the air conditioned restaurant where I was greeted with a perfectly blended lime 44 Business Goa

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soda. No sooner had I taken a seat, my head turned to where there was a sizzle in the air and the strong aroma of a delicacy which I couldn’t place. As the dish neared my table, the anticipation built up. Is this for me or for one of the other guests?

I am pretty sure the waiter saw my expression, turned towards me, smiled and served me a portion of stuffed crabs. The first one went down faster than you can say ‘stuffed crabs’ but with the second helping, I was able to differentiate between the various tastes that combined to make the O’Coqueiro’s Stuffed Crabs one of the most tried and liked dishes.

Still on the sea food binge my next walloping dish was stuffed squids. I admit that eating this one was a little tricky but once you do manage to get it in your mouth, it is a taste that you will savour.

I was confused as to what went into the stuffing but magicians do not reveal their secrets and I was left to sample another one of the tricky little starter and figure it out for myself.

Goan Bread or Poie as most people know it as, arrived as an accompaniment to what O’Coqueiro introduced to Goa – Chicken Cafreal. Tender chicken that is rich in taste and embroiled

with spicy green gravy which is accentuated by the crispiness of the poie. O’Coqueiro definitely gives other Chicken Cafreal places a run for their money.

As for the main course, I stuck to what O’Coqueiro is famous for – authentic Goan Portuguese food. The meal comprised of Sambharachi Kodi which is a gravy made with dried prawn, Goan boiled rice and Mackerel Para which I wouldn’t say it transported me to times of the past but I will say that the food at O’Coqueiro does keep you in touch with your Goan side. If you are not Goan, then you are introduced to Goan culinary tradition that is part of folklore. With these thoughts in mind, my want to find fault with O’Coqueiro waned, as its enigma

is a sumptuous reality.

The restaurant also has two other relatively lesser known parts. Firstly the Tavern, which is an ode to the founders, has photographs of Goa of the old, with snippets of history written below each of them. The second part is the open air venue where different kind of functions can be held right from small weddings to birthday parties.

While having my dessert – a slice of Bebinca, I realized that although Goa is undergoing drastic changes, there are some things and places which are impermeable to change and O’Coqueiro is one of them

Sambharachi Kodi and boiled rice Chicken Cafreal and Poie

GOABUZZ

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Victor Albuquerque formally inducted as Hon. Consul of the Russian Federation in Goa H.E. Alexander M. Kadakin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India formally inducted Victor Albuquerque as the Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Goa at a glittering ceremony in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar and Consul General of the Russian Federation in Mumbai, Alexey Novikov. The Russian Ambassador presented Victor with the Russian flag as a sign of friendship while Albuquerque presented him a portrait of the Ambassador himself along with a momento. The function was attended by distinguished Cabinet Ministers of the Government of Goa, members of the travel and tourism fraternity and prominent personalities

Vinay Albuquerque

Surendra Furtado

Sylvia Albuquerque

Stefan Radstrom

Atmaram Nadkarni

Dr Wilfred D’Sousa

Dr Sanjyot Nadkarni

Sharmila Rajani

Dilip Parulekar

Churchill Alemao

Dr Antonio Sabido Costa

Dr Digambar Naik

Francisco Sardinha

Pankaj Joshi

Francis D’Souza

Dr Pramod Salgaocar

Harish Rajani

Alan Costa

Suresh Zantye

Manohar Parrikar

Maria Aurora Couto

Francisco Martins

Roana and Varun Albuquerque

Manohar Usgaocar

Shrinivas Dempo Pratapsingh Rane

Mauvin Godinho

Babu Quenim

Parag Joshi

Swapnil Naik

Thomas Abraham

Alexander M. Kadakin

Pallavi Dempo

Victor Albuquerque

46 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

GOABUZZ

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Mercedes Benz launches A-Class Mercedes-Benz India launched the highly awaited A-Class at a glamourous event, in continuation to its product agression for 2013. The A-Class sets new standards with its eye-catching trendy, cool and youthful design idiom, heralding the new era of compact luxury cars in India. With the best of design elements, comfort, sportiness, safety and efficiency. The A-Class offers the fresh definition of dynamism raising the benchmark significantly through efficient driving dynamics for the Indian road conditions. The A-Class features the ECO start/stop function as standard which makes the A-Class particularly economical

Sahil Adwalpalkar

Dr. Gregory

Sangeeta Gaunekar

Mahesh Adwalpalkar

Valmiki Naik

Gaurav Counto

Anand Palan

Aakash Counto

Ayesha Barreto

Sunil Nayak

Anil Counto

Upendra Gaunekar

Francisco Lume Pereira

Commodore Pinto

V B Prabhu Verlekar

Santosh Kenkre

Nokia V.P speaks at annual Goa Management Association Knowlege Series Lecture Shivakumar, senior vice-president (India, Middle East and Africa) of mobile handset major Nokia, recently spoke at the Annual Goa Management Association Knowledge Series Lecture – 2013 on ‘Innovations for corporate renaissance’. He said that new ideas are crucial for any organisation because they lend value which enhances the company, its customers and its products. Continuing on the theme of innovation, he added that a basic factor that needs to be kept in mind by companies that are innovative is that it requires investment in R&D and thorough knowledge of the mindset of the customer. Shivakumar was in Goa to attend a two-day conference of two premier management institutes of India - IIM, Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta, taking place in Panaji. He took time off from it to deliver the lecture. A marketing wiz himself, Shivakumar has handled 32 brands, teaches in top business schools in India and abroad and is on the board of IIM-Ahmedabad. Among his other achievements, he is also the winner of several awards, including the ‘Best CEO Award 2013’ and the ‘Most Distinguished Alumni of IIM Kolkata 2011’ award. The guest of honour at the GMA knowledge series was industrialist and now President of GCCI, Narayan Bandekar. The welcome address at the event was by Kumar Pillai, Vice-Chairman, GMA, and other senior members of the Association who were present included Pradeep Salgaonkar, honorary secretary, Amin Ladak and Francisco Lume Pereira

Shivkumar

D Kumar Pillai

Rajan Bhatikar

Dr Debashish Patnaik

Amin Ladak

Sunil Rai JUNE 2013

49 Business Goa 39

NEWSMAKERS

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Narayan Bandekar elected new President of GCCI

Shrinivas Dempo appointed Honorary Vice Consul of Italy

The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) got a new man at the helm of affairs with Narayan Bandekar being elected as its new president. Bandekar was the vice-president of the trade body for the last four years and will be president for a two-year term (2013-15).

His election was unopposed. Popularly known as Nanabab, Bandekar is also the president of the Goa Mining Association and vice-president of Goa Mineral Ore Exporter’s Association (GMOEA).

He is the founder chairman and managing director of the NRB group which has core business in mining and interests in industrial products, hospitality, restaurants, and a fitness centre. An avid sports lover, he is also associated with sports through the sponsorship of Vasco Sports Club and is also the chairman of All Goa Kho Kho Association. Bandekar takes over as president from Manguirish Pai Raikar

A recent decree from New Delhi announced that the President of India has appointed Shrinivas Dempo as the Honorary Vice Consul of Italy in Goa. Hitherto, Dempo had been acting as Consular Correspondent of Italy and discharging all the usual functions of consular representative of the Republic of Italy. The Chairman of the Dempo Group of Companies, Shrinivas Dempo occupied his vice consular office on the birth anniversary of his father and former group chairman, Vasudeva Dempo. As part of his functions, the Vice Consulate unfurled the flag of the Italian Republic at its offices at the Dempo Group Corporate Headquarters at Dempo House, that same day. Later in the month, the Ambassador of Italy in New Delhi, Daniele Maneini paid Shrinivas Dempo a courtesy call as a follow up of his confirmation as the Honorary Vice Consul of Italy for Goa. Expressing happiness on the occasion, Vice Consul Dempo spoke of his resolve to contribute to expanding and strengthening the relations between two great democratic republics, which are also two great ancient civilisations. Facilitating people-to-people links and forging commercial partnerships are the way forward, so that India and Italy (and thereby the European Union) take their special cultural and commercial relationship to a new level, he declared

Nolan Mascarenhas hosts photography exhibition Nolan Mascarenhas, a budding photographer recently hosted his second photo exhibition in Goa titled ‘Strangers’. His current exhibition aptly titled ‘Strangers’ is completely different from his first exhibition. “A year ago I held my first exhibition titled ‘Mystical Dragon’ where I photo documented the silk route and also the heritage of China. This exhibition is the work of the last threeand-a-half years. It deals with human emotions and surroundings. It also shows how we are different from each other,” explains Nolan. Nolan is also interested in shooting scenes and sights in Goa that will speak about its cultural diversity. “I am currently in the process of shooting in Goa. My focus is on the Indo-Portuguese influence,” he says

Gomant Vibhushan award conferred on R A Mashelkar

Raghunath Anant Mashelkar was recently conferred with the Gomant Vibhushan award by the Government of Goa. The Gomant Vibhushan seeks to felicitate Goan personalities who have made Goa proud through their achievements and brought recognition to Goa nationally as well as internationally. The award has been conferred to recognize Mashelkar’s exceptional and distinguished services in the advancements in science and technology. It comprises a glass-encased traditional brass lamp, a citation and a cash award of 5 lakh. Mashelkar was also the chairperson of the Goa Golden Jubilee Development Council that prepared the Goa Vision Document 2035.

In his acceptance speech, Mashelkar said that this was the most precious evening of his life because the award came from his birthplace. He said the award will occupy a place of pride in his home and his heart 50 Business Goa

JUNE 2013

Khalil Ahmed awarded by IGCC The Indo Global Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture recently presented the Indo Global Educational Excellence Award to Khalil Ahmed, proprietor of Broadway Bookstore for their outstanding achievement in the field of library, information technology and pioneering work in making knowledge affordable to the common masses besides setting the highest benchmarks in the world of book business

quiz

48

1. “The ______ - The Personal Computer That Works The Way You Do’ were the words used to promote which product named after its iconic founder’s daughter?

2. Connect UK’s Celador Productions Ltd to Sony TV India 3. Who was the much in news founder of the Galleon Group?

4. Which hotel chain’s brand is “Courtyard”?

5. The Medimix brand of soap is manufactured by which South Indian business group?

6. Identify Answers to BG Quiz 47 1. Sun TV 2.Infosys 3.Sabeer Bhatia 4.Warren Buffet 5.Ambanis 6.Vasantrao Dempo Email your entries to businessgoa.media@gmail.com First all correct entry will get 1 year’s subscription to Business Goa