GOA BUZZ

Goa Technology Association (GTA) in collaboration with the UK's Department for International Trade (DIT) held an informative session at Taj Vivanta, Panjim on 13th December 2022 which was attended by over 60 businesses including GTA members and Goa C h a m b e r o f C o m m e r c e members. The UK's Department for International Trade (DIT) helps businesses export, drives inward a n d o u t w a r d i n v e s t m e n t , negotiates market access and trade deals, and champions free trade. The session highlighted b u s i n e s s & i n v e s t m e n t opportunities in the UK and the support available to Indian companies planning to set up or expand in the UK via DIT. Mr Milind Anvekar, President GTA addressed the gathering on behalf of GTA and Mr Vikram S i n g h , S t r a t e g i c H e a d – Investment presented on behalf of DIT. GTA office bearers provided invaluable inputs and assistance towards planning and throughout the event. Thanks to the audience, the session was extremely interactive with an excellent Q&A session towards the end. The DIT team including Siddhika Banerjee (Head of Inward Investment-Western India) and Neha Nigadikar (Inward Investment Adviser) held one to one meetings with interested companies the next day. The Inward Investment team at DIT can help Indian businesses . Whether you are a start-up, a medium-sized / family business, a corporate or an institutional investor , DIT supports Indian companies with the realisation of their international business ambitions. DIT offers flexible support packages for every aspect of your investment. Our service does not stop once you are based in the UK, it continues a s y o u r b u s i n e s s e x p a n d s internationally. We have helped thousands of businesses locate and expand in the UK.

Park Hotels Partners with Tata Power to Deploy EV Infrastructure Across India

Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited is gearing up to roll out a n a t i o n w i d e s u s t a i n a b i l i t y initiative by catalysing electric vehicle (EV) adoption across cities. All the brands under ASPHL (THE Park Hotels, THE Park Collection, Zone by The Park, and Zone Connect) are installing public charging infrastructure at the p r e m i s e s - A s p a r t o f t h e C o m p a n y ' s p l a n e t p o s i t i v e initiatives, ASPHL is working with Tata Power to incorporate these fleet-charging facilities for four wheelers, which makes the Group, one among the top Hotel chains to adopt EV across the country. Tata Power has developed a userfriendly mobile App, enabling EV c o n s u m e r s t o locate charging stations, which can be booked in advance, or as r e q u i r e d , i n c l u d i n g payment of the s a m e . AS P H L ' s hotels present in each city will also feature as part of this application a c r o s s t h e country. Half the world' s population currently reside in cities, which will see a drastic increase in another two decades. While cities occupy only 2% of the world's landmass, the climatic impact and footprint are immeasurable in terms of energy consumption, and CO2 emissions. In India, electrification in the m o b i l i t y s p a c e w i l l s e e a sustainable progress path and a dramatic surge soon (by the year 2 0 3 0 ) , i m p a c t i n g t h e t r a n s p o r t a t i o n l a n d s c a p e . Battery and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will steer the f u t u r e t h a t w i l l a f f e c t t h e e c o n o m y , e n v i r o n m e n t a n d energy conservation. S p e a k i n g a b o u t E V implementation, Mr Vijay Dewan, Managing Director, Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Limited says, “We have always worked towards sustainability through our five core areas for strategic action. By implementing EV infrastructure, we are taking this a step ahead in the direction of reducing carbon footprint and being sustainable. With feasible, consistent accessibility of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), it will play a key role in making it easy for our guests to use the service and act as an added service benefit.”

With the placement season rolling o u t , s t u d e n t s f r o m h i g h e r education institutions across the country hope to make it big and strike a chance to get the job of their dreams. The placement season at Goa Institute of Management (GIM) is almost reaching an end and has had q u i t e a v i b r a n t s t a r t . T h e placement season at GIM rolled o u t i n S e p t e m b e r a n d i s estimated to end later this month. This year, a new record has been set as Core Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) s t u d e n t , H a r s h i t a B a n t h i a , bagged a package of 55 LPA. Last year, IIM Lucknow recorded a package of 56 LPA and this year, p r i v a t e B - s c h o o l G I M h a s advanced to that category. Thanks to a combination of her technical abilities and the perspective expansion Harshita r e c e i v e d a t t h e B - S c h o o l , Harshita was able to secure this opportunity with tech behemoth, Microsoft. A talented young woman from a family of lawyers succeeded to follow her heart and reach her objectives in life. This was made possible by her desire to achieve in bigger endeavours, the encouragement of her family, and the mentoring she received at GIM. Before joining GIM, she spent time in Pune working as a software development engineer for an international bank. Harshita says, “Getting placed in Microsoft is a dream come true. T h e h i g h q u a l i t y a n d h i g h standard work culture apart from the challenging projects will not only help me grow technically but would also help me challenge myself as an individual, giving me a head start in the corporate world. I owe a huge part of this accomplishment to GIM. The case-based pedagogy here has helped in building critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The rigorous interview preparation sessions take care of the nittygritty of the interviews including the framework and scenarios.” ''GIM has been invariably at the forefront of industry excellence when it comes to their students' well-being and education. We encourage our students to bear the torch of conscious leadership and excel in their career paths. Like every year, we have seen t r e m e n d o u s g r o w t h i n o u r r e c r u i t e r s ' p o r t f o l i o a n d placements this year too'', said Dr. Ajit Parulekar, Director of GIM. The placements at Goa Institute of Management have shown a c o n s i s t e n t a n d m a r v e l l o u s performance in 2022, just like the previous years. The placement cell at GIM is run end-to-end by the students, and they have managed consistent year-onyear results within the top c o m p a n i e s i n t h e i n d u s t r y . Admissions are currently ongoing at the B-School and it is a great opportunity for business aspirants in the country to get postgraduation studies and transform their careers.

Goa ICAI Conducts Career Counselling Sessions for over 2500 Students in Goa

With an aim to help students choose a better career, and also to inform the students about the Chartered Accountancy Course as a career, Goa Branch of WIRC of ICAI along with Goa WICASA u n i t c o n d u c t e d a C a r e e r Counselling drive on 26/11/2022. 18 Schools across Goa were covered, right from Canacona to A l d o n a , b y 1 1 C h a r t e r e d Accountants who are experts in C a r e e r Counselling. Through this i n i t i a t i v e , G o a I C A I was able to reach over 2 5 0 0 students in a single day. Chairperson of Goa ICAI CA Gaurav K e n k r e stated that this was the largest such s i n g l e d a y

C a r e e r Counselling o u t r e a c h p r o g r a m e v e r conducted by ICAI in the state of Goa. "In fact, some schools and colleges could not be included only because their students had exams on that day. Or else the number would have been even l a r g e r . T h e s e s c h o o l s a n d c o l l e g e s h a v e a s k e d u s t o conduct the same event in December and we are already preparing for it" said CA Gaurav Kenkre CA Milind Shirodkar, Chairperson of Goa WICASA i.e. the students body of Goa ICAI, said "We are very happy that we could reach out to so many students. We firstly educated them on the general principles based on which one should choose a career. Then we s p o k e o n t h e s p e c i f i c s o f Chartered Accountancy as a career. We got great responses from all the participating schools. They have asked us to conduct such sessions regularly". The Counselling was done by CA Swati Naik, CA Siddhi Bagkar, CA Saish Naik, CA Shrinivas Prabhu, CA Sonam Daivajna, CA Sailee Mahambre, CA Kavita Bhonsle, CA Aakash Kamat Azrenkar, CA R a j e s h C h e d d a , CA M i t a l i Talwadkar and CA Gaurav Kenkre.

Marriott International returned with the 8th edition of the flagship charity run – Run to Give with a more inclusive and reformed avatar as Road to Give 2022, w i t h a n a i m t o e n c o u r a g e participants from across its South Asia portfolio of hotels to embrace all forms of movement beyond just running vis. walking, cycling, swimming and others. Goa Marriott Resort and Spa, Fairfield by Marriott, Goa Anjuna, F a i r f i e l d b y M a r r i o t t , G o a Calangute all a part of Marriott International, came together and organized the charity run on 26th November 2022. This annual charity run is an integral part of the Marriott South Asia calendar and is a testament to the company's commitment to c u l t i v a t e a p e o p l e - f i r s t environment that promotes the associates' well-being and drives i t s p e o p l e t o c a r e f o r t h e communities where they do business. This year, Road to Give 2022 had committed to lend support across 143 hotels from Marriott International hotels and resorts in South Asia who will come together to raise funds to support RISING STAR OUTREACH O F I N D I A - a n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n d e d i c a t e d t o empowering individuals and Their families to rise above the stigma associated with leprosy and to live healthy, productive lives through quality education, medical care, and community development. Road to Give 2022 is essentially a step towards creating a space for inclusion in our bid towards making tangible a contribution towards the upliftment of the communities around us. The annual run is an opportunity for Marriott International associates, along with family and guests to come together and make a move, this year in all possible ways, in the direction of a more diverse and accommodative future which holds space for individuals from across the spectrum. The idea is to make the event larger and cohesive each year by taking p a r t i c i p a n t s c l o s e r t o o u r TakeCare philosophies by adding new facets and elements to the annual run” said Ranju Alex – Area Vice President, South Asia, Marriott International. With an aim to incorporate participation from across the country, the run was open to Marriott associates, partners as well as families, friends and guests who could join the event, lend support, take some time to reflect, care for their bodies and minds and most importantly to be part of a larger, purposeful initiative that aims at us helping build a more cohesive and responsible society. The run held in Goa was a 6 KM run, where participants ran along the banks of the Mandovi River. The participants were entitled to t - s h i r t s , b r e a k f a s t , a n d completion certificates after the m a r a t h o n . T h e m a r a t h o n c o n c l u d e d w i t h a j u b i l a n t celebration along with the prize distribution to the winners of the event, Men Category: Sohel Madar and Women's Category: Helna Thottan Apte.

IHCL, Goa Heralds The Holiday Season With A Greater Purpose

IHCL Goa

' s largest hospitality operator and leader in the tourism sector rings in the festive cheer with a greater purpose of giving back to the society this holiday season. Under Paathya, IHCL' s framework of sustainability and social impact measures, various i n i t i a t i v e s h a v e b e e n implemented at the hotels to give guests a truly Goan holiday experience, which will benefit the local community and aid in preserving Goa's rich heritage. In the true spirit of the festive season, guests and associates will engage in meaningful actions of touching someone's life in an impactful manner. Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Vincent Ramos, Senior Vice President – Goa for IHCL said, “ I n c l u s i o n a n d b u s i n e s s responsibility is embedded in our DNA. Taking ahead IHCL's over a century old legacy, we strive for t h e l o c a l c o m m u n i t i e s t o share in the benefits of our presence by serving the needs of the underprivileged communities and leaving a positive i m p a c t t o w a r d s r e s h a p i n g o u r common future for a better tomorrow. In the merriment of the festive season, we a r e d e l i g h t e d t o e x t e n d a n opportunity to our guests and associates to make a difference.” Carecations, a series of curated travel itineraries by IHCL will help guests to volunteer and support local communities on their travels. From learning about Azulejos - once an almost forgotten art of hand-painted ceramic tiles to discovering another side of Goa in the hinterlands, to revisiting Goa's legendary past with Fado - the iconic music genre introduced to Goa by the Portuguese, the holiday itineraries and activities e n a b l e d i r e c t i n t e r a c t i o n b e t w e e n g u e s t s a n d t h e beneficiaries, allowing both to discover a rich bank of knowledge and stories. In line with the ethos and values of the Tata Group, IHCL, Goa has also collaborated with various s o c i a l w e l f a r e g r o u p s a n d philanthropic bodies across the state to amplify their reach in the community. The hotels will be showcasing traditional Goan Christmas sweets prepared by local women as part of the festive gift hamper collection. Moreover, t h e a n n u a l c a k e m i x i n g ceremonies held at the hotels witnessed the use of locally procured fruits, nuts, spices and spirits. Over 2000 employees of IHCL, Goa will be participating in various donation drives and other social works in service of the community throughout the festive season.

DARE
TO
DREAM!

SACHiiN JOSHI

BY RAJESH GHADGE

It's not true that someone born into a wealthy family doesn't face challenges that life has to throw at us. Struggle is an integral part of our life; without challenges, life is not worth the fight. The story I am about to narrate to you is of a man whose life has been filled with challenges and struggles at every step. Despite being born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he carved his own destiny. He is an Indian actor, producer, entrepreneur, dreamer and philanthropist and he is known for his work in Telugu and Hindi cinema. His father, Jagdish Mohanlal Joshi, is the owner of the JMJ group of industries. He also owned the Dambulla franchise of the Lanka Premier League (LPL), the Dambulla Viikings.

I a m t a l k i n g a b o u t t h e multifaceted personality and business baron, Mr Sachiin Joshi, who owns Goa's iconic Kingfisher Villa, now named King's Mansion. Sachiin's life has not been plain sailing despite the fact that he has everything to lead a luxurious life without much effort, but he chose to face life head-on and decided to carve his own niche in the business and entertainment world. Lots of people address him as a Gutka King, some call him a flamboyant personality and others address him as a celebrity, but the real question is, who is Sachiin? When I met him the first question I asked him was 'Sachiin Joshi is a big name in the entertainment, h o s p i t a l i t y a n d b u s i n e s s industries, but we are still curious to know who the real Sachiin is. A dreamer, actor, f i l m m a k e r , h o t e l i e r , b u s i n e s s m a n o r s o c i a l worker?' to which he replied that he's always believed in achieving more than just doing things. “I am aware that it' s very challenging most of the time since I am involved in multiple businesses which have been handed down to me but I've always had an inclination towards acting and stardom and the main challenge in front of me was to be the best in all these fields. My father looks at me as a businessman and I make sure that I never disappoint him but at the same time, I am also pursuing my passion in acting since it's something that I have been part of since my childhood. The acting bug stung me when I was a kid. I lived just next to FTII (Film Television Institute of India) in Pune. We had a common wall between my house and the FTII. I have grown up as a student of FTII making films and that passion grew with me.” Sachiin Ji, also wanted to be a sportsman but he did not get much support in that field from his family and he turned his focus on to business and the entertainment industry. “In business, I do multiple things and hospitality is something that has been very close to my heart. My family has been in the fragrance business for generations, and I always l o o k e d i n t o d i v e r s i f y i n g whether it' s into hospitality, finance, fintech or agriculture and now we are expanding into real estate in a very big way. Cinema has been my

Sachiin Joshi alongside his Family

GOA’S ONLY SOCIETY MAGAZINE

passion and business, my bread and butter. I started the journey into the film industry from the south, and then I moved to Bollywood.” When I asked him about his privileged upbringing, he replied saying “It' s just the perception of the people and I do not want to change that, but my answer is very simple- the grass always looks greener on the other side. Every one of us has our own story, but mine has been like a duck in a pond where we see the calmness above water but ignore the frantic and constant paddling underwater. Similarly, you can 't see the struggle of another person by looking at his success alone. Coming back to the perception of being born with a silver spoon, I want to say that being born into privilege doesn't mean we aren't affected with hardship. I cannot compare the struggle and challenges that my father has been through, but I had my o w n s e t o f c h a l l e n g e s , w h e t h e r t h e y w e r e w i t h business or cinema and then the added pressure of being born into wealth. Talent and hard work cannot be brought by money, being successful is o n e t h i n g a n d s t a y i n g successful is another. As I said earlier, I have seen my father's struggle in business and people are not aware of that. Instead, what they see today is only his success but the struggle behind that success is only experienced by me and my family.” Speaking about his first venture “Viiking Ventures” Sachiin ji said that “My father started with the JMJ brand dealing with essential oils and fragrance industry but I decided to branch out in multiple ventures since I believe that I must change the perception of the world towards us, and this is where Viiking Ventures comes into e x i s t e n c e . A l l t h e diversification into the field of hospitality, fintech, finance and agriculture started with the Viiking Ventures. It all started from scratch and today after 20 years, it is the successful business everyone knows today.” S p e a k i n g o n t h e G o a connection and his Goa Gutka brand, Sachiin ji said that his father owned a brand in Goa for which he had to fight a legal battle which he won and from that, the brand 'Goa Gutka' was born. “My father was not a businessman: he was more like a scientist and his specialty was to provide the technical know-how into the tobacco space in the F M C G m a r k e t . E v e r y o n e t o d a y r e c o g n i s e s t h a t business with tobacco since it became so big. He has not just p r o v i d e d h i s t e c h n o l o g y k n o w l e d g e o f e s s e n c e s , flavours and fragrance to the tobacco industry but he also provided the same to masalas like the Everest brand besides providing it to the other FMCG companies in India. He was skilled in the creation of flavours and essences, but Goa Gutka is one of the most popular products. Although we owned that brand, it was sold in early 2000 itself and my father remained on the board as technical advisor to them. This is the big difference between perception and reality which I am sharing today here with you.” My next question to Sachiin ji was about his entry into the hospitality industry, as he owns ' s b i g g e s t hospitality brands, Planet Hollywood Hotels and Resorts. H e t o l d m e t h a t P l a n e t Hollywood was not his first brand and his entry into this f i e l d b e g a n w i t h t h e homegrown brand, Beatle. “It was our first hospitality venture which was started in the year 2008 and we had a c q u i r e d q u i t e a l o t o f properties in India so this way Plan et H ollywood Beac h Resort, Goa becomes our second property. The third one has opened recently in Thane and 4 more hotels we will be setting up soon. The Planet Hollywood brand is owned by Mr Robert Earl who has been very close to the Hollywood industry with many actors who were also investors in his company. Today they have more than six properties and are adding more than 20 hotels to their portfolio and the India hotels are taken care of by us,” he said. Speaking on the presence of Hollywood stars at the launch of the Planet Hollywood brand in Goa Sachiin ji said, it was d o n e t o b u i l d a p r o p e r perception of the brand just

Aerial View of Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, Goa.

like it was built in Hollywood. “Of course, we could not name it Planet Bollywood,” he said grinning “The Planet H o l l y w o o d b r a n d i s synonymous with the stars and it' s all about entertainment, glitz and glamour and since I h a d m y B o l l y w o o d connections, my friends there also graced the property and hence it became popular. I would just say that it was the right PR strategy at the right time.” Speaking on the expansion of the hospitality brand he said that his company is not looking at expansion in a big way by taking over the property on management basis. “Currently we have two properties under the Planet Hollywood brand and two more we will be opening soon and as far as the Beatle brand goes, it is a boutique business hotel while Planet Hollywood is a luxury hotel.” Regarding controversies, Sachiin said “Nobody wants to b e t h e s u b j e c t o f controversies but sometimes you really cannot help it! I seem to attract controversies and the main reason behind this is that I'm an honest and straight forward person and some don't really like that. But as the saying goes – all's well that ends well - and with God' s grace everything is going good with me and f u t u r e l o o k s b r i g h t , ” h e narrated. When I asked him about philanthropy, Sachiin ji said that it comes naturally to him, “Some people talk about it a n d s o m e d o n ' t l i k e t o publicize it. Me and my family have always been a part of charities and while growing up I have witnessed it. The only thing is that we have not spoken about it in public domain. But soon I realised that it is important to speak about good causes in the public domain and I am talking from experience: the more you talk about a charity, the more people will donate and the more attractive it becomes. I would like to give an example of Bill Gates who has pledged a major chunk of his fortune to charitable causes and I also would like to mention our very own home-grown Ratan Tata Ji here who has given his entire fortune to charitable causes. These people inspire me to do the same and if I can in any capacity, I will. According to me, one cannot be successful without contributing to the world. The bottom line is that the most important thing is being human since humanity is key and with charity you get that satisfaction.” When I asked him about the secret of his fitness he said “According to me, if someone has the time to eat, they should make time to get or remain fit too because the fitter you are better your mind frame is so you can then do more and be a better person. I think fitness is more important than anything else.” “Today everybody wants to be successful, and everyone expects extraordinary results in their life but if you want such results, you also need to do extraordinary things. If you take calculated risks you will achieve what you want but there is no substitute to hard work. It's only hard work and effort that will equal success. You need to think out of the box, and you need to do more than the ordinary and then you will get the results. I want to tell everyone to put your honest foot forward, put in hard work and efforts and utlise your time well. Lastly, instead of learning from your own mistakes learn from the mistakes of others too then nobody can stop you and you will keep growing.” About Sachiin Joshi Sachiin Joshi was born in Pune to Jagdish Mohanlal Joshi, owner of the JMJ group of industries. He made his debut i n t h e 2 0 0 2 Te l u g u f i l m Mounamelanoyi and went on to star in two more Telugu f i l m s , N i n u C h u d a k a Nenundalenu (2002) and Orey Pandu (2005). He did not appear in films again until 2011, when he performed as the titular lead character in the Hindi film Aazaan, which he also co-produced. This marked his debut in Hindi films. Joshi returned to Tollywood with the remake of Aashiqui 2, titled Nee Jathaga Nenundali, and reprised the role played by Aditya Roy Kapur in the Hindi version. He co-starred with Nazia Hussain, who made her debut in Aashiqui 2. Joshi was also a lead in the 2013 film Jackpot, in which he starred opposite Sunny Leone and Naseeruddin Shah. In February 2012, Joshi married model and actress Urvashi Sharma who later changed her name to Raina Joshi. The couple are parents to three children.