STARTUP NOOK

By Rajesh Ghadge Images by Rajesh Ghadge

VIGO BHARAT

A PHYSICAL STARTUP SPACE FOR BUDDING ENTREPRENEURS

This is the new age of start-ups where those with brilliant ideas who want to begin a business to showcase them have really taken off. Goa is a hub of such start-ups where many hundreds of people have moved their base to the state for business with pleasure. The pandemic has created a new generation of start-ups in various sectors, especially for those working from home resulting in many changing their field of work and starting new businesses.

Vigo Bharat is one such physical start-up space situated in the business hub of the city known as Nariman Point of Goa. Vigo Bharat started with the idea of assisting budding start-ups and entrepreneurs in their future endeavours by providing them with office space along with all the facilities that a startup requires at the incubation stage. Vigo Bharat is backed by Hare Krishna Creative Realty Pvt Ltd (HRCRPL). This company is a part of the Hare Krishna Group. The Hare Krishna group is a Goa-based group that has withstood the test of time to mark their space in the state of Goa for over 25 years. The main promoter of the company is Mr Sandeep Agarwal, aged 45 years and a commerce graduate based in Goa. He has been in the family business since the age of 20. It is his hard work, perseverance and all the efforts that he has put in over the last 25 years that have made Hare Krishna Group an established business house in Goa. Hare Krishna Group ’ s primary business area has been manufacturing and the potential in Goa made Mr Agarwal migrate from Orissa and build this empire here in Goa. He is of the opinion that Goa has the potential yet again to become the Start-up hub of India and hence his enthusiasm and keenness to enter that space. He is well versed in the nittygritty of entrepreneurship and how an initial push for great ideas can change the face of

Goa. Mr Sandeep Agarwal, a prominent businessman and head honcho of the Hare Group of Companies is the major force behind

the concept of the Vigo Bharat start-up space. He believes in Prime Minister Modi’ s Digital India initiative and is motivated by the idea of innovation so he decided to begin this startup hub. The promotors of Hare Group of Companies are a 25-year-old business family with an emphasis on the Brick Motor kind of business. They are now looking to venture into different industries and diversify as well. “In the process, we are looking for innovations in our Brick and Mortar Industries as well and to promote startups/ entrepreneurs who can bring that innovation in terms of process simplification, reporting efficiency, quality control, environmental sustainability etc. So we are open to exploring new ideas in these areas that will come from a new breed of entrepreneurs and Vigo Bharat gave us that opportunity to welcome them with open arms, ” said Ms Chandra who is heading this start-up initiative. The motto of Vigo Bharat is to support great ideas and foster entrepreneurship in Goa and the rest of India which could lead to a better working society, working opportunities and overall, a better country moving towards innovation, ideas, sustainability and creating Global Unicorns. Vigo Bharat is also a medium to create a legacy and be open to exciting opportunities which, if tapped at the right time, could become unicorns and in the bargain multiply the investments made. “This would be motivating for more investments in future and assist in the overall development of the country, ” she added. “This start-up space is very dynamic and exciting and it is overwhelming to see some ideas which not only have great business potential but also connect us on an emotional level and we can see the difference they can make. It is through Vigo Bharat I got to experience this, ” she added. Mr Sandeep Agarwal, who belongs to a traditional business family start-up tells us that this is a very exciting concept for him since he believes that big businesses take off from small ideas. Being from very traditional business families, it takes some time to understand and gauge the impact these startups can have on the overall picture of businesses including manufacturing and mining. “Yes, the ideas have to be viable and scalable as well. Through Vigo Bharat we are getting a different spectacle of doing business and these days it calls for being adaptable and flexible to sustain and be a part of the changing scenario and we could taste that flavour through Vigo Bharat, ” said Sandeep Ji. “There are challenges as well and some risks at this point with the booming start-up space and the extra push from the Government would see us sail through but only time will tell. Right now it is a learning curve for us and listening to entrepreneurs about their ideas with so much passion and love is nostalgic and takes me back to my days of starting a business, but times were different back then. ” “We are looking to invest in a bouquet of startups and build a portfolio of companies with the potential of becoming unicorns. We plan to invest in at least 10 companies by the end of 2023. Preferably we would like to invest in ideas and innovation in the manufacturing space, but we are sector agnostic at the moment. We are looking for start-ups that can scale up pan-India and also internationally if possible. We aspire to create unicorns from

Goa.