INCREDIBLE GOA JANUARY 2023

10 EDITORIAL 12 GOA BUZZ

26 IN FOCUS

The Incredible Goa Awards platform was created to honour the people and businesses that deserve the accolades, this year we have given this platform to 25 deserving people, and brands from various fields of specialization. Here is a glimpse of the event.

30 STARTUP GOA

Born in the historic city of Allahabad, also known as Prayagraj, situated in Uttar Pradesh, Anima comes from a middle-class family background. Having been very efficient in her studies, Anima...

34 WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Tara was born in a middle-class Gujarati family in Viramgam, Gujarat in 1949. She had done her preliminary studies in a Christian Missionary School and later on, she embarked on her...

36 IG FOOD

‘Modern by Mood and Desi by Food’ very efficiently describes the core essence of this newly opened restaurant- Daivya’s in Vagator While the buzzing streets of Vagator are now blooming with new

38 IG HOSPITALITY

Especially in the tourist belt, but to stand out and carve a name for itself right from the start is something a very few hotels can manage to do. Aiden by Best Western in Vagator is one such name...

40 TREND SETTER

Felipe has always been very proactive during his youth. He used to be into sports activities like basketball and athletics but once he started working, he had to quit them because of a shortage of...

42 GOAN TALENT

Sarita belongs to a musical family and her father was a wellknown musician in Goa. All her family members are connected with the music fraternity somehow or the other and since this is ...

44 YOUNG GOA

Pratik Palyekar, 28, was born and brought up in Panjim, the capital city of Goa. After finishing his initial studies at the city-based KB Hedgewar high school he went on to do his bachelor's in

We all know that the most on-trend topic today is Crypto, and half of the population holds the knowledge to invest in Cryptocurrency. But connected to the No.1 question today is “Will DeFi disrupt the...

Goa is in Development Mode

Editor & Publisher

Rajesh Ghadge rajesh@rajeshghadge.com

Finance & Admin Rajeshree Naik Ghadge info@incrediblegoa.org

Copy Editor

Layouts & Design Creative Concepts Media creativeconceptsgoa@gmail.com

Sales & Marketing Team Incredible Goa sales@incrediblegoa.org

Contributors

Norbert D’Souza CA Gaurav Kenkre

Dr. Schuyler Pereira

Aditi Malhotra Aakash Ghadge

Anita Athi write@incrediblegoa.org

Circulations Manager

Looking at the numerous development projects underway here in Goa, it looks less like a tourist destination and more a business hub these days. The infrastructure in almost on par with Pune or Bangalore and with the hundreds of startups wanting to set up in Goa, businesses are on the rise. We can see so many new inland roads, highways and bridges being constructed rapidly. On top of that, the recently opened Manohar International Airport at Mopa will add to the hopefully smooth transition of this tiny, beautiful place into an upcoming business destination.

huge makeover. You'll have noticed already that in every nook and cranny, roads and pavements are being dug up to lay down the cables and pipes.

Meanwhile, the hospitality business is booming in the state due to a huge inflow of tourists and business travellers. All this is adding to the revenue of the state and at the same time, it is leading to inflation of property prices in the state. The real estate and facilities in Goa are still cheaper however, compared to the neighbouring cities like Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai which is prompting the big companies to buy entire floors of commercial establishments to fit their huge manpower of 200 to 500 seats.

Rajesh’s long journey began with an early realization of his writing skills and nearly a superhuman power of vivid imagination; which together l e d t o t h e b i r t h o f a successful media portal. His never-ending spree of learning has made him efficient in varied fields like coding, designing and also marketing. He fuels himself with continuous reading being a history fanatic and bouts of music and movies. Acting as a one-man army he prizes work over almost everything.

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Aakash Ghadge Team Incredible Goa

subscribe@incrediblegoa.org ghadge.aakash96@gmail.com incrediblegoamedia@gmail.com

Photography

Cover Page Credits - IG Team

Infrastructure development is a good thing to keep up with growing demands. Traffic has increased almost 10-fold compared to what it was a decade ago which is making the existing infra development unable to cope with the demand. We may even see small towns turn into cities and in turn, cities into megacities.

Tech companies setting up here need two things immediately: reliable and efficient power and internet supply and to meet that demand, all the major cities in the state are undergoing a

If development continues at this rate, Goa will be a business hub very soon. The working-from-home concept came about during the Covid lockdowns and companies saw the potential of getting cheap resources while at the same time increasing productivity. Also, who doesn't want to work from Goa?! It's undoubtedly an incredible place to live and work. I am signing off now so till next time, happy reading…

Rajesh Ghadge

rajeshghadgeofficial

rajeshghadge

www.rajeshghadge.com

rajesh@rajeshghadge

GEAR UP FOR THE 10TH EDITION OF GOA MARATHON ON 12TH FEBRUARY 2023

Our sunshine state is dotted with beaches and flourishing forests, attracting a magnitude of travellers, tourists and culture aficionados who have made Goa their home. There's no denying the beauty and benefits of living in this tropical paradise - until we acknowledge the existence of the underprivileged and homeless of our country, who rely on the kind and generous of our society. Here's where the Goa Marathon

began - a concept that began in early 2012 with an aim to raise funds to aid the development of homes has since flourished, with the support of our patrons and enthusiasts who believe in the vision. Organised by El Shaddai Charitable Trust in collaboration with Goa Athletic Association, the Goa Marathon enters its 10th edition - a milestone achievement that has benefitted the society in a multitude of ways.

W i t h o v e r s i x t y t h o u s a n d participants for last nine years the event has grown to become a staple in Goa's running calendar. All the funds raised from the event will be disbursed to charities that support the homeless and give them the opportunity for a dignified life. Goa Marathon has assumed a stature of eminence, being the largest philanthropic sporting event in Goa. While the decade has brought together both the young and old, first time runners and veterans, corporates and families, we took a step forward to introduce a ZERO WASTE Marathon Our collaboration with Ayya Waste Management helps us convert all the material waste generated from the event into bricks for our h o m e s w h i l e k e e p i n g t h e environment clutter-free. Join us as we celebrate a decade of Goa Marathon on 12th Feb 2023 at Goa University GroundGoa, surrounded with go-getters and fitness enthusiasts, coming

together in health and happiness to build homes and hope for the underprivileged of our society. We invite individuals from all walks of l i f e ; g e n e r a t i n g g r e a t e r awareness of the cause and the work of the NGO you choose to support. The ripple effect of your efforts has a lasting positive impact on the cause, beyond race day!

This year, we aim to attract over 8000+ participants to attend the event. In setting this goal, we will ensure to be moving forward under appropriate COVID Safe government plans assuring participants the Goa Marathon will be a fun and safe event. To know more about our mission and vision for the Goa Marathon 2023, contact us for an inviteonly orientation session with an exclusive and inspirational message from Founder and Philanthropist, Matthew Kurian along with his team. Gear up to start your New Year on the right foot with an unparalleled experience at Goa Marathon 2023.

WINNERS OF "COLLECT & WIN" CONTEST AT COPPERLEAF, GOA

S i d d e s h

Gaonkar, Yuti Sanvordekar,

D a v i s L i j o

Daniel, Junia

Sara Varghese, and Girish Arun

C h o d a n k a r

Each of the kids were presented with a memento cheque, gift vouchers worth Rs. 5000/-, and b r a n d ambassador kit.

COPPERLEAF, Goa's Favourite Restaurant, organized Gift Vouchers distribution ceremony for the "COLLECT & WIN" contest.

A t o t a l o f 4 1 9 f a m i l i e s participated in the contest and 8 families completed the contest successfully The "COLLECT & WIN" was an exclusive contest for kids below 12 years. The program was launched on 1st November

and got completed on 20th December. For every visit, the kids were collecting magnets of each alphabet forming the word "COPPERLEAF". The contest was to collect all ten letters in a series before 20th December.

The Winners of the "COLLECT & WIN" contest were Vallen A Azavedo, Kayden Lanz Lobo, Aarush Mohit Kenny, Yuvaan

T h e p r i z e distribution was d o n e i n t h e p r e s e n c e o f

Copperleaf owners Mr. Shreekant Pai Bir, Mr. Sachin Pai Bir, and Mr. Vishwanath Pai Bir.

Shreekant Pai Bir, Chairman of Vishwamukta Group which owns & o p e r a t e s t h e b r a n d

"COPPERLEAF" addressed the guests by congratulating the little ones and their families. He also thanked them for showing their

patronage and loyalty towards the brand. He also mentioned various ongoing discounts such as Armed Forces and Corporate programs running at Copperleaf along with the CSR activities.

S a c h i n P a i B i r , C E O o f Vishwamukta Group thanked all the winners and the team for motivating patrons to participate and complete the contest Vishwanath Pai Bir, COO of Vishwamukta Group informed everyone that more and more such offers will be coming for the year 2023 and they would be available for everyone. "On public demand, we are getting back HAPPY HOUR in which customers would get 50% discount on all food and beverages between 7-8 PM and this time it would be at both the locations." he said.

Ms. Clarissa Gonsalves, Hostess, did the compèring for the event and Mr. Vinu George, Restaurant Manager at Panaji outlet gave the vote of thanks.

AKASA AIR COMMENCES OPERATIONS FROM GOA

additional flight each day.

The first Akasa Air flight QP1392 on the Bengaluru-Goa route is scheduled to land at 1000 hrs IST a t N e w G o a M a n o h a r International Airport (Mopa) on Wednesday 11 January 2023.

Akasa Air, India's youngest airline, is set to inaugurate its maiden flight from Goa, the 12th city on its network. After Mumbai and Pune, Goa is the third city in the western part of India, to be added to the airline's network. Akasa Air will be offering double daily flights from Goa to Mumbai, and from Goa to Bengaluru from January 11, 2023. From February 1, 2023, the airline will increase its frequency from Goa to Bengaluru by adding an

Goa is one of India's most popular tourist destinations and has recently also emerged as a manufacturing base for several leading companies. The launch of Goa as the latest destination on Akasa Air's network, facilitating connectivity to Mumbai and Bengaluru reiterates the airline's commitment to strengthen important transportation links across the country. Akasa Air's operations from Goa will cater to the travel demand, further optimizing economic growth by increasing the tourist footprint.

Commenting on the start of operations, Praveen Iyer, CoFounder, and Chief Commercial Officer, Akasa Air, said, “We are

pleased to take off from our 12th destination within five months of our commercial launch. To s t r e n g t h e n o u r d o m e s t i c connectivity, we are delighted to be able to connect the city of beaches with Mumbai and Bengaluru We are constantly expanding our network with an aircraft arriving every 15 days to fulfil our goal of developing a strong pan-India presence”.

Belson Coutinho, Co-Founder

a n d C h i e f M a r k e t i n g & Experience Officer, Akasa Air, said, “We are delighted to bring the Akasa experience to Goa and Team Akasa is looking forward to delivering our promise of being a dependable airline focussed on delivering warm, efficient, and reliable service. As Akasa spreads its wings to Goa, we hope to create happy memories with our humane and inclusive travel experience.”

announced Hyderabad as the 13th destination on its network offering daily flights on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru and Hyderabad-Goa routes starting from January 25, 2023.

Since its launch in August this year, Akasa Air has been progressively scaling up its operations and by January-end expects to cross over 500 weekly flights on a total of 20 routes across 13 cities - Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi, Guwahati, Agartala, Pune, Visakhapatnam, Lucknow, Goa, and Hyderabad. The airline will continue to grow its network to establish a strong pan-India presence focusing on the metro to tier 2 & 3 route connectivity, using a fleet expansion plan that adds one new aircraft every 15 days. Akasa Air's fleet size will be 18 aircraft by the end of March 2023 and over the next four years, the airline will add 54 additional aircraft, taking its total fleet size to 72 aircraft.

SHRI GIRIDHAR ARAMANE IAS, DEFENCE SECRETARYVISITS GSL

undertaken by GSL for Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard as well as t h e S h i p y a r d

Shri Giridhar Aramane IAS, Defence Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Government of India visited GSL on 02nd Jan 2023. During the visit, Defence Secretary inaugurated the newly setup Virtual Reality Center. The Virtual reality Centre is a state of the art facility that will provide an immersive experience to the

designers of GSL in incorporating the requirements of the customer at the drawing board itself, accruing considerable savings and enhancing the efficiency of design process.

During the visit, Defence Secretary was briefed by Shri B K Upadhyay, CMD GSL on progress of ongoing Project being

M o d e r n i s a t i o n Program at GSL. Defence Secretary interacted with the senior management and was conducted around the shipyard to s h o w c a s e t h e Infrastructure facilities that was set up under m o d e r n i z a t i o n p r o g r a m H e w a s apprised of the various w o r l d - c l a s s i n f r a s t r u c t u r e especially the GRP Composite Facility, which will provide GSL indigenous capability to build weapon intensive and high technology Ships for Defence and for exports.

Defence Secretary took keen interest in ongoing construction program of ships, R&D, innovation & design being done by shipyard and while appreciating the good

work done by the Yard, he urged GSL to further increase their productivity, turnover and adopt innovative skills to keep up with the latest emerging technologies in the field of ship building. During his address to the Officers of GSL, Defence Secretary reiterated that GSL has set high standards in the shipbuilding industry of the country and should work towards g a r n e r i n g m o r e o r d e r s , expanding product portfolio and at the same time supporting startups and innovators of the country.

CELEBI INDIA TO PROVIDE GROUND SERVICES AT MANOHAR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

destination.

Aligned with the vision of the Aviation Ministry, Celebi India is committed to support the necessary infrastructure and capacity building at various upcoming airports across the country. Over the last decade, Celebi India has reoriented the a i r p o r t e x p e r i e n c e b y professionally managing ground handling, passenger and asset management, cargo services across six metro and non-metro airports in India.

throughout the year is necessary to keep Goa as a preferred destination, especially during the peak season Today, airport experience has become a critical factor for tourists entering or exiting a destination; we are elated with our selection and are committed to providing the highest industry standards of service and ensuring a seamless e x p e r i e n c e a t M a n o h a r International Airport in Mopa, Goa.”

Celebi India, the country's largest aviation ground handling and c a r g o l o g i s t i c s c o m p a n y , commences ground-handling services in Goa with the opening of Manohar International Airport (MIA) at Mopa, North Goa. Goa marks the seventh airport for Celebi India active footprint o f f e r i n g u n m a t c h e d a n d seamless service across the country. The new airport addition

comes on the backdrop of b u r g e o n i n g d e m a n d f o r professional services and a unified experience by the evolved flyers thus redefining and benchmarking Indian aviation. The new airport will further enhance air connectivity, domestic and international tourism, and cater to the existing and growing demand of the coastal state as a global touristic

LETTER TO GOD & OTHER POEMS

BY

TARA NARAYAN

RELEASED AT GALF

Rs250). The half h o u r r e l e a s e function was a treat with the p o e t r e a d i n g from both her first collection

Mr. Murali Ramachandran, CEO of Celebi India, said, “India is the world's third-largest market and the demand for sustainable, efficient, and world-class experience at all airports is a must. Goa is one of the most adored destinations not only by Indians but also by international tourists for its pristine beaches

Celebi Aviation, apart from the New Goa airport, provides services at Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Cochin, Hyderabad and Kannur. They are also in advanced stage of starting operations at the Ahmedabad and Chennai airport. For the Goa operations, the brand continues to make investments in new equipment and hire and train the required employees.

PREMIER OF KONKANI FILM, AIZ MAKA FALYA TUKA

with English subtitles)

Directed by: Sreejith Karnaver

Cast: Ravio Rafus Fernandes, Prashanti Talpankar, Milind Nabar. Selwyn D'Silva

Duration: 1 hr 28 mins

Who takes an interest in poetry these days? You'll be surprised how many folk do have a secret yen for poetry. At this year's 11th Goa Arts & Literature Festival from Janurary 19 to 21, 2026, there was a treat. One of the poetry book release sessions saw media person and closet poet Tara Narayan (maiden name Pankajbala R Patel), officially release her second collection of poetry titled “Letter to God & Other Poems” (published by Goan Observer Publications, softcover,

“Single Woman” (published by Rupa & Co in 1991) as well as from her new collection After her half-an-hour reading session copies of her book sold out like hot batatvada for the soul! Doing the honours of a remarkably insightful presentation was teacher and fine actress of Konkani cinema Prashanti Talpankar. All went off very well and picture here has both Rajan N a r a y a n a n d S a n d e e p Prabhudesai – the “husbands” as Prashanti introduced them –posing for a finale photo. More power to your poetry, Tara!

The Cinephile Film Club is pleased to announce the premiere of the Konkani film, Aiz Maka Falya Tuka, this Friday, 27th Jan. 6.30 pm, The won the 'Prasad Lab DI Award & Moviebuff Appreciation Award' at Film Bazaar in 2020. This is the first-ever screening of the film and it will be attended by the cast and crew. The details are as given below. Film: Aiz Maka Falya Tuka (Konkani

Set in the village of Carona, Aiz Maka Falya Tuka (Me Today, You Tomorrow), belongs to the rare genre of supernatural mystery After an archaeologist unearths a medieval idol, the village is plagued by disappearances and deaths, leaving its residents to run for cover. A few months later, the archaeologist reaches the abandoned village to uncover the source of the affliction that may be closer than he thinks.

According to the director's note, the film was born in admiration for this world, a world that sticks to its own mores, resistant to the outside, and the cast of actors and non-actors was taken t h r o u g h p r o c e s s e s o f embodiment and localization. The film is a portrait of a community made from within.

INCREDIBLE
GOA
AWARDS
2022

THE HEROES OF GOA’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS CEREMONY

This is the second time in a row we have executed Goa’s biggest and most soughtafter awards ceremony at Goa’s iconic property the Planet Hollywood Beach Resorts, Goa. The event this time was very special due to many new additions which we will unveil as the story progresses, but what is most important is that the event was attended by the who’s who of Goan society and it was presided over by His Excellency, Governor of GoaShri P S Sreedharan Pillai Ji. Incredible Goa, primarily a society magazine, is now the only magazine in the lifestyle segment that gets published every month and provides platforms to the people that n o o t h e r p u b l i c a t i o n magazine has given before. Some of them have also been given the opportunity to receive the most prestigious award of the year in Goa. In the last 7 years, Incredible Goa has already honoured and appreciated the work of the hundreds of incredible Goans on its print and digital platforms and it will keep providing these platforms to more and more people and businesses for years to come. Let us take a quick look at our

heroes of 2022.

Shruti Tiwari is a Mass Comm Graduate from Jabalpur University and has come a long way to become one of the most prominent wedding planners in the country. She started her journey as a journalist at Samay AAJ TAK until one day she realised that her passion lies somewhere else and she commenced her n e w j o u r n e y t o w a r d s becoming a wedding planner. Initially, she faced a lot of struggles: it was a new field and she had no proper support system. But what she did have was passion, and hunger and that became the fuel for propelling her forwards. With a clear roadmap in mind, she decided to learn the skills

r e q u i r e d a n d j o i n e d a production house. She worked day and night without looking at the watch and with her 6-year-old son at home, she had to manage a double role as a mother and an event manager Time began to tick and she did not realise when she had touched the finish line. Today she runs the most successful wedding planner company in Goa catering to clients from all over India and overseas. Her achievements are countless but that is backed by lots of hard work, sacrifice and dedication.

Culinary Queen of Goa. She is popularly known for her show ‘Ruchik’ on T.V., Radio, and Stage, as cine artist, social worker, writer & singer and is a l s o k n o w n a s ‘ n o t e d compere’ and ‘interviewer of Goa’.

She is the winner of the ‘Best Actress State Award’ for the film ‘Tyaag’ and she is a noted writer and the winner of the ‘National Literary Awards’ instituted by Cochin and Pune. She also won the following awards: the Yash Damini State Award, the Gomant Kala Bhushan Award and Kamal Patra Award of Jaycees. She has also acted in more than 10 films, 5 telefilms and 20 dramas. She has also acted in ‘Zee T V ’ Serial ‘Mumbai Police’, performed her cookery shows on E T.V., Travel X-P English Channel, and NDTV and has been part of the TV serial “Goa’s Freedom Struggle” Directed by noted Hindi actor Mr Ramesh Dev.

3 . P o o n a m S h i r s a tAwarded for Excellence in Soft Skill Training

Amita Salatri entered the field of culinary art at a very early age, working her way up to e v e n t u a l l y b e c o m e t h e

Poonam Shirsat is the founder of the Skill Company and is in the field of education since 2009. She is a certified neuro linguistic programming

1. Shruti Tiwari - Awarded for Excellence in Wedding Planning

2. Amita Salatry - Awarded for Excellence in Culinary Skills

practitioner (NLP), certified l i f e c o a c h , p e r s o n a l development coach, success coach and a wellbeing coach from IBPCT.

I n t h e y e a r 2 0 2 0 , s h e launched a Skill Company, which aimed to bridge what our current education system wants and present the industry demands. Her career in training began with the setup of her academy in Nagpur. She is referred to as a ‘ G e n t l e G i a n t ’ o f t h e Academy who ensures focus and dedication.

With experience in grooming y o u t h i n p e r s o n a l i t y upgrading, anchoring and soft skills, she has been invited by several educational institutions and corporate bodies like Zara, Cadila, Meditab, Medispray Pharma, Hotel HQ, Job Secura, Lokmat Group and others. She is also the resource person for the Goa State Innovation Council and for Bajaj. Having travelled around 20 countries so far for work and for leisure, she believes it has been global and practical lessons of the corporate world and social behaviours.

4 . Ve n k a t e s h D e m p o -

Awarded for Excellence in Tourism Tech Startup Venkatesh Dempo is a child prodigy and at the tender age of 7, he acquired the skill of coding and robotics at the age of 12 he won the most prestigious "Google Code to Learn Contest 2022" for

creating an app “Tourism de Goa which caters to tourists visiting the state. He developed a liking for coding right from a young age but what made him get really involved with it was the l o c k d o w n . D u r i n g t h e lockdowns and even after, there were no physical classes and it gave him a lot of time to work on coding. Currently, he is a 7th Standard student in Sharda Mandir School, and besides coding and building

robots, he also loves to sing and play the guitar He also started his YouTube channel called DRAG which is an acronym for Dempo Robotics Academy Goa where he gives online coding, app building and robotics lessons. At present, he is conducting workshops all over Goa for children of his age and teaches them the basics of coding and robotics Apart from this, his social media handles Tourism de Goa which helps in promoting Goan businesses and upcoming events related to Goa’s tourism industry

sports arena by reaching the Asian Games and Olympics and that has become possible due to the unwavering support of her parents, especially her father, who trained her right from the age of 11 and made her one of India’s topmost windsurfers. She has been in this sport field for more than a decade now and has achieved a great milestone She thanks her parents for giving her the opportunity to excel in the sports arena but she does not want to burden her parents and hence she supports her passion for sports by utilising funds she makes from her i n v o l v e m e n t s i n s m a l l businesses.

6 . P r a v e e n G a o n k a rAwarded for Excellence in Classical Music

26 years, he decided to take voluntary retirement to pursue his dream in the field of music. His musical journey started from home under the tutelage of his father the Late Shri Pandurang Gaonkar He completed his studies in music at Kala Academy for 8 years a n d g r a d u a t e d w i t h distinction (Sangeet Kushal), and then secured postgraduation with distinction (Sangeet Parangat) under the able guidance of Pt. Kamlakar Naik of the Agra Gharana. He continued his journey into the world of music under Pt. Kamlakar Naik for a further 10 years. The rigorous training he received was founded on the Indian educational principles o f t h e G u r u S h i s h y a Parampara. He received further training from the great vocalist of Agra and Jaipur G h a r a n a , t h e L a t e P t Prabhudev Sardar, a senior disciple of Pt Nivruttibua Sarnaik and Pt. Jagannathbua Purohit. Currently, Pravin is honing his advanced skills under the able guidance of P a d m a s h r e e P t A j o y C h a k r a b a r t y a n d P t Satyasheel Deshpande He has also been fortunate to get guidance in light music from the renowned playback singer Pt. Suresh Wadkar.

7. Planet Hollywood Thane City - Awarded for The New Iconic Luxury 5-Star Hotel

5. Katya Coelho

- Awarded for Excellence in Wind Surfing Sports

Every parent wants their kids to do well in school and academics, but there are a few who encourage their children to take up sports as their career goal Katya Coelho is one such example who has made her mark in the

Praveen Gaonkar has done his M Com , N E T , and PhD (Doctorate in Commerce) Thesis on ‘An analytical study on problems and prospects of industrial estates in Goa’. After working as a professor at S S Dempo College of Commerce & Economics for

Situated in the upcoming business district of Mumbai,

T h a n e C i t y , t h e P l a n e t Hollywood - Thane City is the second of its brand in Asia. Now you can experience luxury and sophistication at Thane’s first 5-star hotel. Planet Hollywood epitomises what it means to live in the lap of luxury. From the moment you step in, be dazzled by the welcoming and vibrant look the lobby has to offer, unwind in Hollywood-themed rooms with contemporary interiors and experience all bespoke offerings.

The hotel offers an exciting array of top restaurants serving the finest cuisine and top-notch beverages, all with a unique and glamorous atmosphere Adding to the celebrity lifestyle, the hotel has a rooftop pool and restaurant for you to soak in t h e l a v i s h n e s s P l a n e t Hollywood, Thane City is situated in an up-market condominium-style township in the city of lakes.

8. Aiden Vagator by Best Western - Awarded for The M o s t P r o m i s i n g N e w Boutique Hotel

hotel is our appropriate choice for the most promising new boutique hotel in Goa. Aiden Vagator Goa is the first Aiden in India by the Best Western Chain of Hotels and our very well-deserved winner of the award.

9. Angry Sardar CourtyardAwarded for Best North Indian Cuisine Restaurant

Launched in October 2019

Hammerzz Luxury night club has been conceptualized keeping the varied moods of party lovers in mind.

I t c o m p r i s e s a c l a s s y nightclub, first of its kind in India with a 10000 foot ‘funktion one’ sound of 20000 kW, lights, LED walls and a large dance floor with a VIP Lounge making it the most promising Luxury Night Clubs in Goa.

Party animals from across the country and all over the world flock to this club to have a jam of a time. This club has a capacity to accommodate 1000 people and it hosts the best Djs.

A highly rated, casual dining restaurant situated in Anjuna running since 2016, Angry Sardar Courtyard is best known for its specialityauthentic North-Indian food available throughout the day with the kitchen operating 24 x 7 now also offers vegan food options.

An experience of exclusively crafted cocktails & other beverages at the infamous truck-themed bar to pair with your meal and satiate hunger pangs in the most vibrant ambience & hygienic service. Enjoy some loud Punjabi music & polish off that last plate of dessert!

10. Hammerzz Night ClubAw a r d e d f o r T h e B e s t Nightclub of The Year

Situated just 950 m away from Vagator Beach, bringing a touch of global hospitality to Goa, Aiden Vagator by Best Western is a boutique hotel that combines luxury, comfort, thoughtfulness and service like no other.

With its central location and close vicinity to beaches, popular restaurants, clubs and marketplaces, this boutique

11. Planet Dailies - Awarded f o r B e s t M u l t i - C u i s i n e Restaurant

A lavish and daintily presented buffet featuring International, Far East Asian and Indian over breakfast, lunch and dinner is the focal point of the Planet Dailies restaurant. The restaurant has an interactive kitchen for the guests to experience food making. The restaurant also has an a la carte menu featuring fresh garden salads, gourmet sandwiches, wraps and local curries The restaurant's al fresco dining is a great place to enjoy a late breakfast or a laid-back lunch over fruit cocktails.

12. Monty Sally - Awarded for Excellence in Fashion Design

Praveen Saldhana AKA Monty Sally is a fun-loving and creative person with a passion to excel in the field of fashion design His inspiration for designs comes from the places he’s visited, the paintings he admires and the music he felt all from real-life experiences. His affair with fashion design started when he first saw Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, L i n d a E v a n g e l i s t a a n d Yasmeen Ghauri walk the ramp. According to him, the combination of beauty, craft, ideas, and style was too much to miss out on. His role models in the fashion industry include Thierry Mugler, & John Galliano. He has never had a ‘fanboy’ moment because he doesn’t believe he could love or idolize anyone more than God and family. He just loves their work, that’s all.

13. Felipe Alvares - Awarded for Excellence in Fitness

Felipe Alvares is armed with the internationally recognised Fitness Certification - ACE

( A m e r i c a n C o u n c i l o n Exercise) and for over a decade he’s lapped up the intricacies of the science of fitness, age notwithstanding! Proficient, qualified, and passionate, he is now a name that stands out in the lifestyle a n d f i t n e s s i n d u s t r y . Convinced that fitness has no age bar, he has gone on to transform and help individuals who vouch for a better quality of life…

All thanks to the personalised touch that he introduced and added to their lifestyle and fitness regimes.

Shankhwalkar - Awarded for Excellence in Football Sports

Mahesh Pai runs the ISO Certified Finance company and he is also a business coach who has made his mark in Goa by delivering 100% growth and success to all his members who are a part of his business coaching.

H i s m e m b e r s i n c l u d e prominent high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs, builders, architects, doctors, industrialists, event planners and many more He has already been awarded various State & National Level Awards to name a few of them are the National Choice A w a r d , O u t s t a n d i n g Achievement Award, India's Brand & Leadership Award and many more 1 5 . B r a h m a n a n d

Brahmanand Shankhwalkar is an Arjuna Award winner for his unmatched achievements in the game of football. He is a legendary household name and a famous Goan soccer player arena who set a trend in Goa’sfootball fraternity by achieving milestones that no other player has ever reached. His name will go down in history as one of the pioneers of Goa’s football fraternity. During his journey, he earned many trophies and medals. He received the state award in 1977, the Player of the Decade award while with Salgaocars and later on he joined the Churchill brothers He then w o r k e d f o r t h e S p o r t s Authority of Goa and then he received the Arjuna Award in the year 1998, which is one of the highest awards in the sports arena. Later on, he was promoted to the post of Director of Sports (Coaching Cell) and in the year 1995, he retired from football.

16. Bipin Kadam - Awarded for Excellence in Tech Inventions are born from a need and he invented the ‘Maa Robot’ for his daughter who, due to a rare mobility disorder disease, is unable to take care of herself. Coming from the small town of Kudal situated in Maharashtra, Bipin Kadam came a long way to be in the position he is in today.

Without a great start in life with hardly any educational opportunities and hailing from humble beginnings, this lack of resources did not stop him from achieving his dreams. He started off as a drilling operator in the lathe machine which is a rotating workpiece similar to a cutting tool. He had a lack of resources and education but that did not stop him from achieving his passion and that passion gave him the opportunity to succeed in whatever he did. He moved from a manual lathe m a c h i n e t o c o m p u t e r operated machine and soon the time came when he decided and succeeded in making a robot to help feed his daughter.

17. Sachin Rane - Awarded for Excellence in Startup (Namaste Chai)

entered the FMCG market with a bang.

Being the brainchild behind t h e b r a n d w e k n o w a s Namaste Chai, he now has 30 f r a n c h i s e s , 2 0 0 + s t a f f employed across India and a base of loyal and growing customers, both offline & online. One can say, his vision of making Namaste Chai India's leading beverage brand is well on-course.

18. DNA GOA - Awarded for B e s t I n t e r n e t S e r v i c e Provider in Goa

Sachin Rane is a passionate, self-educated entrepreneur who has made his mark in the consumer products segment. At a very young age, he took the leap as an entrepreneur &

DNA is a pioneer Internet Service Provider company in the state of Goa starting its operations in the year 2017 with a vision of connecting every Goan with high-speed internet. The company started with the vision to provide coste f f e c t i v e h i g h - s p e e d broadband to households and o f f i c e s t h r o u g h c a b l e networks DNA - Digital Network Associates - in collaboration with Chandan Group Goa launched low-cost internet services in 2017 in Goa.

Today they provide high-speed internet & WIFI services in the entire state of GOA including areas like Panjim, Caranzalem, Miramar, Patto , St.Inez, Taligao, Altino, Dona Paula, Bambolim,Chicalim, Porvorim , New Vaddem, Baina ,Sada , M a n g o o r H i l l , M P T , SwatantraPath, Vasco, Verna, Colva, Margao ,Fatorda ,

14. Mahesh Pai - Awarded for Business Coach of The Year

Gogol,Borda ,Navilim, Comba, Ponda, Honda, Malbhat, Bicholim ,Monte Hill, Aquem ,Rumdamol, Tivim, Mapusa, Anjuna, Calangute, Candolim, Guirim ,Arpora, Parra ,Pilerne, Sangolda, Shanti Nagar, Morod, Canca, Khorlim, Ganeshpuri, Duler, Baga and Calangute.

D N A D i g i t a l N e t w o r k Associates Pvt Ltd has established a large-scale IP network infrastructure with a capacity of 10Gbps and is further scalable to 100Gbps comprising the city of Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Palghar.

19. Dr Celo FernandesAwarded for Excellence in Social Service

A d e n t a l s u r g e o n b y

state of Goa, built two football playing arenas for K i r a n N i k e t a n S c h o o l , Sancoale and Our Lady of Rosary School, Caranzalem. He fully funded and provided the infrastructure for TERI Coastal Education Hub at Goa Velha, was at the forefront in providing relief materials during the Covid-19 p a n d e m i c a n d i n 2 0 2 1 launched the unique ‘Living Happily with Diabetes’ Clubs across the state of Goa, which, as of today, is spread across 22 locations with a total membership of over 800 members who are assisted in keeping their sugar levels under control avoiding all complications associated with diabetes.

He was awarded the Dentist of the Year in 2011 by the Kerala Dental Association, Lion of the Year by Lions District 317B in 2013 and MFRT Samman Award for the Mutual Fund Round Table Conference held at Hyderabad.

20. AUDI GOA - Awarded for Best Luxury Brand of The Year

profession with 27 years of experience in private practice & a financial field by the passion he is fondly referred to as the Financial Doctor of Goa. Dr Celso Fernandes has the unique distinction of being a life member as well as the State President of the Indian Dental Association, also a Life Member and a Melvin Jones F e l l o w o f L i o n s C l u b s International and have been a member of Lions Club of Margao for three decades. He currently holds the position of Founder & CEO of Nave Marg Foundation, which is a charitable arm of Nave Marg Financial Services and till date, it has undertaken the construction & renovation of 12 school toilets across the

This is a new category of the awards introduced by us this year to give a platform to luxury brands in Goa. Audi’s moto is ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ which literally translates to ‘progress through technology. This German luxury brand is known for technology and style as much as its performance, wellcrafted interiors, and its

trademark Quattro all-wheeldrive system. Nearly every model is a solid performer with a high-grade interior. Ride a n d h a n d l i n g a r e accomplished, and the cabin is quiet. Audi win in the best luxury automobile brand in Goa.

21. EL Shaddai - Awarded for E x c e l l e n c e i n S t r e e t Children Education

outreach programmes which provide educational facilities and community health camps for slum children and women.

22. Sachin Pai Bir - Awarded for Excellence in Restaurant Business

El Shaddai is the first, and perhaps the only, charitable trust in Goa that works towards the education of street children. Started by Anita Edgar and Matthew Kurian, El Shaddai operates in Goa and other States in India, implementing the Child Rights Act 2003/05 for orphans, street children, and children coming from economically desperate conditions. Here underprivileged children and destitute women are cared for and provided with food, clothing, shelter, and education, for a better future. They have seven residential h o m e s , t h r e e d a y c a r e centres, three community centres, a destitute women's shelter, four schools, and cottages for seniors who are a t t e n d i n g u n i v e r s i t i e s , colleges, technical institutions and professional training centres & working. They provide community sponsorship programmes for f i n a n c i a l l y c h a l l e n g e d children and they also have 39 s l u m s c h o o l s a n d s l u m

An engineering graduate with a Master in Engineering in Information Technology and a c o m p u t e r e n g i n e e r b y profession, Sachin Pai Bir started his career as a visiting f a c u l t y a t t h e G o a Engineering College while his father was working at the State Bank of India. Today he runs a successful business but he comes from a family that believes in service and a steady secure job. The business was never on his bucket list- it just happened accidentally and with this opportunity, he transformed it into one of the biggest brands in Goa called Copperleaf, a multicuisine fine dining restaurant chain, presently operating from two locations in Porvorim & Panaji.

Copperleaf Porvorim is a 180Seater outlet that started its operations in January 2016 whereas Copperleaf Panaji is a 300-seater outlet with spacious seating, spread across 10,000 sq. ft. of ground & first floors opened in 2021. Both the outlets include 5-star amenities, such as splendid i n t e r n a t i o n a l s t a n d a r d washrooms, wheelchair a c c e s s i b l e e n t r a n c e s , w h e e l c h a i r a c c e s s i b l e

washrooms, and the list continues. Copperleaf also offers takeaway services and its own food delivery service. Sachin found his true calling in the restaurant & hotel industry and is passionately involved in it for the last 19 years. He is a pioneer in setting trends in the restaurant industry & tirelessly transforming the hospitality Industry. He is an alumnus of Goa College of Engineering, Farmagudi Goa.

Dr Mohan Krishna has put Goa’s name on the global map with his award-winning Three Monkeys Indian Single Malt whisky. He is the world’s f i r s t l i q u o r m a r k e t i n g doctorate and recipient of the “Alcobev Marketing Guru” and “Marketing Scientist of the Millennium” Awards. He has b e e n l i s t e d i n l e a d i n g international magazines as one of the most influential personalities in the global liquor industry with 40 years of rich and profound experience. He is an award-winning firstg e n e r a t i o n s u c c e s s f u l entrepreneur who founded the “Cheers Group” in 2009 in Goa and carved it as India’s leading Single Malt company. he is the only Asian to initiate setting up a distillery in Scotland with his awardwinning “Labrodog Scotch Whisky”.

Bhuvanish Sheth aka Bhuvan Sheth joined the family business as Director of Finance and Marketing after c o m p l e t i n g h i s M B A i n International Business from the United Kingdom in 1998. The company is involved in the b u s i n e s s o f b u i l d e r s & developers in Bangalore, Goa & Mumbai. It has developed more than 2 Million sq ft to date including Nova Cidade Township at Porvorim, Goa and even, the iconic Mall De G o a , G o a ’ s b i g g e s t destination mall having a variety of International and national stores, cinemas and a food court. The company has started a new division – Sonhe Homes which builds luxury and premium villas.

Later on, he started Nizanta Retail Ventures Pvt Ltd in 2 0 1 6 T h e c o m p a n y i s engaged in the retail garment trade of and is a franchise of leading international brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein Jeans, US Polo, Benetton, and Jockey and national brands like Zudio and Deal Jeans. In a very short span of time, the company has opened 9 stores. He is shortly launching his own fast fashion brand COVE which will be manufacturing women ’ s western wear.

He is also the Director of Jai

Bhuvan Projects Pvt. Ltd. The Company is involved in the business of hospitality. At present, the company has two hotels in Goa, a 35-room business boutique hotel with restaurant and banquet facilities in Panjim and a 42room business hotel with Banquet and conference facilities in Porvorim Goa.

H e i s a l s o D i r e c t o r a t Ampersand Digimedia and Entertainment Ltd The company is engaged in the p r o d u c t i o n a n d p o s tproduction of television software, 2D & 3D animation s o f t w a r e f o r t h e entertainment industry, audiovisuals and multimedia presentations for corporate clients. The Company has also produced and telecasted M a r a t h i S e r i a l o n Doordarshan – Sahyadri Channel. It also does media events and promotions. He is also a Trustee in S.S.S. Shet Education Trust. The Trust is running English Medium School – Jnyan Vikas School in Porvorim Goa. It has around 425 students from classes ranging from 1st Standard to 10th Standard.

25. Vinayak KhedekarAwarded for Excellence in Folklore Studies

and dedication and selfbelief elevated him to the position he is in today is a sheer example of the saying that ‘nothing in life comes easy'.

He belongs to a small village called Savoi Verem situated in the Ponda Taluka. He does not hold any institutional degree o r h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n certificate but what he achieved in his lifetime is something that very few people reach. He is the author of 18 books: 14 in Marathi and 4 in English and those books are now a source of the h e r i t a g e o f G o a f o r researchers and students of literature and English. His journey started as a priest at the tender age of 12 but he learnt Sanskrit at the age of 9 when his thread ceremony was initiated Later on, he w e n t o n t o b e c o m e a journalist and travelled across the states in search of stories related to customs, culture, community and beliefs.

He served a long tenure at Kala Academy as a secretary a n d t h a t g a v e h i m a n opportunity to do a lot of developments at Goa’s cultural hub today. Whatever schemes and programmes that Kala Academy run had been started by him. He had documented many things related to the custom and culture of Goa that had almost vanished with time and d u e t o h i s t i m e l e s s contribution to the culture and customs of the society he was conferred with the Padma Shree in the field of Folklore.

H e i s G o a ’ s r e n o w n e d folklorist and Padma Shri Awardee, and his persistence

23. Dr Mohan KrishnaAwarded for Excellence in Single Malt Distiller

24. Bhuvan Sheth - Awarded for Excellence in Real Estate Business

THE NIGHT OF THE STARS

The 4th edition of Goa’s most prestigious awards of the year “INCREDIBLE GOA AWARDS 2022" powered by Rajdeep Builders and in association with Goa’s iconic property The Planet Hollywood Beach Resorts, Goa was held at Planet Hollywood on the 15th December 2022.

The Glittering ceremony was witnessed by the who's who of Goan Society and it was presided over by His Excellency, The Governor of Goa Shri P. S. Sreedharan Pillai ji.

The Incredible Goa Awards platform was created to honour and recognize the people and businesses of Goa that deserve the accolades and this year, this platform was given to 25 deserving people, brands, and companies from various fields of specialization.

Gandhar Mahajan Venkatesh Dempo

Gautami Hede

Charmaine Rodriguez Shruty Tiwari Yogendar Uniyal

PS Sreedharan Pillai Vinayak Khedekar

Bhuvan Sheth

Matthew Kurian

Shekhar Sardesai Sachin Pai Bir

Rajesh Dempo

Mahesh Pai Sumit Tyagi Katya Coelho Sachin Rane Amita Salatry Poonam Shirsat Pravin Gaonkar

Irine Almeida Monty Sally Bipin Kadam Felipe Alvares Ayusha Bandiwdekar Ketan Patel Dr Celso Fernandes

Rohit Naik

Nagesh Jawalgi Sneha Mandrekar

Divya Balivada

Megha Pai Rajeev Kumar Medha Pai

Bhakti Kulkarni Manguirish Salalkar

Karl Amaria

Tapan Acharya D S Prashant Rajesh Sheth Rohan Warty

Saidutt Kamat Rajesh Joshi Rahila Khan Shreya Bhonsale Aditi Malhotra Abhijit Surlakar Surajit Chatterjee

Vikram Pai Raikar

Aakash Ghadge Gunveer Seth Shawn Dsa

Sunit Sharma

Anooj M Tushar Bhandari

Armaan Malhotra

Ashwin Balivada

Varsha Hansraj Ashok Hansraj Jose Dias Arun Kinlekar

Misaal Raikar

Veenita Singh

Swarup Kalangutkar

Gaurav Sharma

Rana Shil Rani Malhotra Sunil Malhotra

Elaine Noronha Celbert Dias

Kishor Shah

Sandip Mondal Biplab Roy Naval Kishor

Priya Bapat

Soumik Gaurav Mane

Anand Giri Shivraj Naik Devraj Naik

Sainath Nilajka

Shankar

Julia Kurian Rohan Pai Darkar

Sweeney Malvika

Andrea Vishwanath Pai Bir

Dr Hemangini Shah

Nikhil Wagh

Eva Fernandes

DR ANIMA SRIVASTAVA

WORKING WITH COLOURS PRODUCED BY

BACTERIA

By IG TEAM

“I worked intensively on probiotic bacteria and realized the immense power these tiny microbes possess and how deeply they can influence human life. I always had an interest in research and development. Whilst working at the NDRI Karnal, I c o m p l e t e d m y P h . D . i n microbiology in 2019 from there itself.”

my husband was helping

Born in the historic city of Allahabad, also known as Prayagraj, situated in Uttar Pradesh, Anima comes from a middle-class family background. Having been very efficient in her studies, Anima did her masters in Micro-biology from the Allahabad Agricultural Institute and then she joined the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal as a Junior Research Fellow. The Incredible Goa team caught up with Dr Anima to find out more about her journey into the startup ecosystem of Goa.

After completing her PHD, Anima come down to Goa. “I shifted to GOA to join my husband who was employed here and I started working on various research projects in institutes like National Institute of Oceanography and CCARI, ICAR However, I always wanted to create something of my own, at the same time keeping my love for science and research intact. During my stint in NIO, I was working on a diversity study of pigment producing microbes from aqua-culture I was so fascinated to see such bright and beautiful pigments produced by microbes and I wondered why can't we use these pigments to dye our clothes or in printing for that matter It motivated me to read more about pigment producing microbes and their applications. I also found out about the harmful and toxic effects of chemical dyes presently being used by industries like textile, pharma, printing etc,” she explained. Being a microbiologist Anima had been curious about microscopic creatures and their power to synthesize d i v e r s e s e c o n d a r y metabolites of human interest. “I was very disheartened to see that most of the research in India is limited to the laboratories and research articles only and there is no bridge to take such innovative research to the market Fortunately for me, in 2021-22

G o a , s e t t i n g u p t h e i r incubation cell and because of covid he was working from home, so I had the opportunity to listen to some of his meetings That made me realize that the time is changing now and there are ways to get these ideas implemented only you have the courage to do so. I also learnt that GOI is in full support of the startup culture and there are various schemes and grants available if your idea is unique enough. That was the turning point for me. I started discussing the idea of extracting and stabilizing microbial pigments with concerned people and I got all the encouragement and support I required,” she added.

Anima's entry into the startup ecosystem began by writing the formal proposal for her startup idea. “While doing that I came across the NIDHI EIR scheme, and I pitched my idea to team FiiRE. Fortunately, I got selected for NIDHI EIR through FiiRE. Initially I was very scared and nervous, full of doubts as everything was very new for me. But thanks to team FiiRE and for their constant support and guidance. Other EIR fellows are also very supportive, and we keep discussing our progress and challenges with each other so it feels like one big family at FiiRE incubator! So far I have successfully extracted 11 different shades of pigments from microbes and now I am working on their stability I have been using lab facilities at BITS BIONEST incubator and IIT Goa to develop the prototype. Everyone is really interested in this.””

“There were many challenges I f a c e d d u r i n g m y s m a l l entrepreneurial journey which is normal for everyone, I think.

My challenges were mostly technical, related to lab work. Sometimes you expect certain results and you don't get them. Another challenge was funding, as life sciences research is very expensive, so y o u h a v e t o m a n a g e

everything within a limited b u d g e t . T h e b i g g e s t challenge I faced was a mindset issue While doing market research I figured that most of the people see microbes only as pathogens and something that is harmful,

especially after covid.” Speaking about her future plans, Anima said that her short term plan is to stabilize microbial pigments and to run some pilot projects for testing and validation. “The long-term plan is to replace harmful

chemical dyes and pigments w i t h n a t u r a l m i c r o b i a l pigments. At the same time creating the much needed awareness among people regarding the good side of the microbes. I want to also find a solution for agro waste / marine waste by using them as substrate for microbial growth.”

“Although I am at a very early stage of my startup to advise anybody, I am still seeking advice from my seniors and mentors. But I would say, do something that you truly believe in and then only you'll be able to give your 100 percent. Don't be afraid of challenges, they will only make you stronger and more resilient. Dream big and don't hesitate to take risks. Bigger risks result in bigger rewards.”

TARA NARAYAN

DON'T PUT YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET

By Rajesh Ghadge

“My English was always good thanks to teachers in a Christian missionary school I'm not therefore very surprised that eventually, I took to j o u r n a l i s m w i t h f l a i r . Journalism is an empowering and fulfilling profession if practised honestly, without monetising your conscience! There are different genres of journalism of course, and for my generation, it was never ' c o n t e n t m a t t e r ' . T h e journalism of the 70s and 80s was harder than today's easycome-easy-go social media journalism!”

“When My father moved overseas in a search of fortune, my mother decided to join him with six children. I grew up in a conservative Hindu Gujarati family on the little island of Penang I passed through convent school and higher school education, doing my Senior Cambridge and then HSC,” she added.

we worked for free and after one year I got my first job at a monthly political magazine entitled “Freedom First”, from there I moved to another monthly magazine “Debonair” here also I did not get much work to show my journalistic talent. But soon that day came when I met Mr Khushwant Singh from “Illustrated Weekly” w h o g a v e m e t h e f i r s t opportunity to publish a story written by me. Khushwant Singh was a most engaging editor and personality, I recall asking him, “How would you like to die?” He replied laconically, “in the arms of a woman doing it!” I was shocked. After the Debonair, I joined “Mid-Day” under the editor Behram Contractor, another good editor. I then quit to join the “ADC.”” Tara enjoys her work thoroughly and she firmly believes that journalism is far more exciting than secretarial work.

Tara was born in a middle-class Gujarati family in Viramgam, Gujarat in 1949. She had done her preliminary studies in a Christian Missionary School and later on, she embarked on her successful journalist career. Her father, Ramanbhai, drove trucks for an uncle in Ahmedabad and later on moved to Malaysia for work. He eventually started his own import-export business. Currently, Tara is supporting her husband, a well-known journalist Mr Rajan Narayan, in his publication venture - Goan Observer.

As Tara turned 20, her father decided to get her married but she had different plans and decided to move out of the house and live her life independently. “I did a year's course of typewriting at the Davar's College of Commerce and moved out of home to live in a working women's hostel in downtown Bombay. Mrs Issacs o f t h e C o l a b a Y W C A employment bureau got me jobs. The first two to three years were rocky, unhappy years,” she narrated. Later on, Tara went to do her diploma in journalism at K C College, Mumbai from where she got an opportunity to do her apprenticeship at the TOI publications. “I was placed at the “Evening News of India” table to pick up hands-on rudimentary reporting- the usual what, when, where, who, and why basics. Those days, we were on typewriters. There

Tara married Rajan Narayan at the age of 50 when Rajan was the Editor of O Heraldo. “Mine was a late marriage. I was almost 50 years old when I married O Heraldo editor Rajan Narayan and shifted to Goa in 2001. Goa was not new to me since I had been here for trekking and beach-bumming on several occasions. To cut this story short, we've been married for 22 years now, grown older and wiser and seen good and bad times together,” she said.

Tara now takes care of the Goan Observer along with Rajan Narayan, “Rajan has more political acumen than me, but I share his political sensibility insomuch as one must have a conscience, be honourable, and do the right thing Environment, wildlife, food, and women's stories are my forte. My food column 'Eating is fun/Eating is yuk!' increasingly focuses on eating

t o r e a p b e t t e r h e a l t h parameters It's one of the oldest foodie columns in Indian media, started in Mumbai and still continues in the Goan Observer,” she said. Although Tara and Rajan N a r a y a n h a v e w o r k e d together for a long time, they have also faced some bad days. “I think of leaving it all the time nowadays in our difficult bankrupt times. Sometimes I think I'm living in a nightmare! Journalism has become a nightmare- you can have no real idea. After 50 years in journalism, I cannot afford to retire. When you love your job, you don't retire of course. I like writing, meeting people, and listening to their stories. A good listener makes for a good journalist. Talk less, listen more! But journalism is a business like any other, the fourth estate of democracy.

B u s i n e s s i s d o w n a n d advertising revenue is almost zilch So many of us have become unpaid or paid employees of PR agencies and various politicians for want of government advertising,” narrated Tara.

Covid had impacted heavily on the media, and Tara was not immune to it “It has certainly been a bad time for t h e m e d i a . W e s t a r t e d suffering advertising-wise and post lockdown, our Rs 5 lakh budget plummeted to Rs1 lakh per month and it became an uphill struggle to stay alive and kicking. We have cut costs but this doesn't do much for us,” she said. Speaking about her future plans, Tara said “I see us struggling to stay afloat but we're doing the best we can and continue as long as our body beautiful works…as in

mind and body, heart and soul. I would like to improve the quality of our content matter and presentation but need some technical help to do it. In a bad mood, I recall American p o e t E m i l y D i c k i n s o n ' s inspirational words, “Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul/And sing the tune without the words/and never stops – at all…” It is one of my favourite poems.” When I asked her if she has a message to working women Tara said, “We struggle only when we have a healthy c o n s c i e n c e ! M o r e m e n struggle to earn a living for decent roti, kapda, makaan, education for the children and the minimal creature mod-con comforts. Women do double duty at home as well as in the office, with or without help. Indian men are still all at sea when it comes to sharing

domestic chores!”

“My advice to women is, don't m a r r y i n t o t h e s a m e profession. Couples often go for a toss when all their eggs are in one basket. We don't envision the future in bad times! Why do journalists marry journalists, doctors marry doctors, engineers marry engineers, and lawyers marry lawyers? If one partner is in a different job it means when trouble comes, one may often bail out one's partner. As it is I see couples in the same profession turning life into a bone of contention at homewomen get blamed for they a r e l e s s e m p o w e r e d . Seriously, I would like to quit journalism, and do another job – tell the hubby to relax, and take it easy, my income is good for both of us to live in peace t i l l t h e e n d o f t i m e o r doomsday!”

DAIVYA’S-MODERN BY MOOD AND DESI BY FOOD!

‘Modern by Mood and Desi by Food’ very efficiently describes the core essence of this newly opened restaurant- Daivya’s in Vagator.

While the buzzing streets of Vagator are now blooming with n e w r e s t a u r a n t s , i t t a k e s something special to stand out from the rest and Daivya’s definitely hits all the right chords.

up further to the streets of Amritsar to our tropical setting. You may not feel this instantly when you enter Daivya’s, but once the food hits your table, you will know what I mean.

From design and ambience perspective, Daivya’s has a minimalistic modern approach with a bright graffiti wall behind the bar that immediately catches

in delectable food. Coming to food, the small but carefully curated menu at Daivya’s allows you to enjoy some delicious starters with their main focus on tandoori items and kebabs in both veg and non-veg, while the main course offers you a selection of some mouthwatering Mughlai and North Indian dishes. The first thing that impressed me even before I tasted the food was the cutlery at Daivya’s Oh

m y m y , t h a t brassware was gorgeous to look

a t , l e t a l o n e

e a t i n g l i k e royalty. When the f i r s t s e t o f starters came on

m y t a b l e , m y mind was blown

never eaten a chicken pakora anywhere here in Goa and this one comes straight from the lanes of Old Delhi.

Dahi Ke Kebab was another winner dish for me, succulent kebabs that simply melt in the mouth.

For the mains, I wanted to try the basics and thus settled for Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani and Paneer Tikka Masala. Coming from Delhi myself, I can easily say that this was the kind of Butter Chicken I had been craving for and finally Daivya’s has brought that authentic taste for us to relish. Without moving a foot, I was transported to my old times in Delhi.

Located just off the main Vagator Market Road, Daivya’s might be a new entrant in the culinary scene of Goan shores, but once you enter the place and taste the food, a hint of familiarity starts taking over.

Daivya’s is an honest attempt to bring the authentic North Indian flavours from the by lanes of Daryaganj, Old Delhi and going

your attention. It offers both indoor and outdoor seating oozing chilled out vibes and sense of calm. It’s the kind of place, where you could hang in with friends over a few drinks and good food of course or have a cosy time with family or even grab your laptop and have some me time while you enjoy refreshing cocktails from the bar and indulge

a w a y , e v e n without any over t h e t o p presentation, the food looked very inviting indeed and the magic of that brassware c u t l e r y w a s evident.

I ordered Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Pakora, Chicken Tikka and Dahi Ke Kebab. Trust me, each and every item was delicious to the core.

Tandoori Chicken and Chicken Pakora are specialties are Daivya’s and hence must be tried for sure. I am sure you would have

If you have been to Delhi and experienced those flavours, I am sure you will be able to relive them and if you haven’t tried yet, Daivya’s is your answer to that Delhi food trip that you have not been able to take.

I had a hearty portion of Gajar Ka Halwa to end my meal and there could have been nothing better than this.

Being a Dilli Wala, my search for typical Delhi style of North Indian cuisine ends at Daivya’s.

Along with the food, the cocktails at Daivya’s will have your heart. I tried at least 3-4 different drinks just to experience holding those stylish types of brass cocktail glasses. Totally worthy for your Instagram.

So do pay a visit to Daivya’s soon and let me know how your experience was.

AIDEN BY BEST WESTERN- BRINGING A TOUCH OF GLOBAL HOSPITALITY!

Goa has no dearth of hotels, especially in the tourist belt, but to stand out and carve a name for itself right from the start is something a very few hotels can manage to do.

Aiden by Best Western in Vagator is one such name Recently awarded the Most Promising New Boutique Hotel in North Goa by I n c r e d i b l e G o a A w a r d s , recognition came early for Aiden and it's every bit worthy of the same.

Nestled in the by-lanes of Vagator, just 950 mts away from the beach and 2 mins walk from the main Vagator road, this is one of the first Aiden by Best Western in India.

Best Western Hotels & Resorts headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, is a privately held hotel brand with a global network of

approximately 4,500 hotels in n e a r l y 1 0 0 c o u n t r i e s a n d territories worldwide.

Aiden Vagator features the brand’s newest design solutions that are created to meet the evolving needs of travellers. The design features an appealing combination of fresh, energetic and engaging elements, creating a distinctive style that is evident at every touch point of the hotel. The beautiful lobby with a

refreshing welcome drink. As I walked to my room, the graffiti on the walls was hard to miss and appreciate and once inside my room, I realised that the rooms of this boutique hotel were at par with most of the 5-star hotels.

Spacious, and well-appointed rooms with a working desk, a lounging chair & table, a big screen LED TV, a minibar, an electric kettle, an almirah with locker and of

c o u r s e a

c o m f o r t a b l e bed are some of the key features that every room at Aiden boasts of.

The bathrooms are equipped

w i t h p o w e r

s h o w e r s a n d

a l s o h a v e amenities of top

q u a l i t y A l l comforts of the g u e s t s h a v e been taken into consideration

stunning ceiling is what catches your attention the moment you enter the hotel. The smiling faces and hospitable nature of the staff are something you would not be able to ignore. Their attention to detail and quick turnarounds will win your heart during your stay. As I was waiting for my check-in which was rather quick, I was served a shot of a nice and

T h e h o t e l ’ s classiness and premium standards are evident in the smallest of things For instance, a bottle of sparkling wine was waiting for me as I entered my room.

The hotel also has a multi-cuisine café that offers a selection of delicious dishes to satiate your hunger pangs. And for those who are conscious about their diet,

there are some healthy options as well for you to choose from. If you wanna cool off the heat, you can take a dip in the pool and if burning the holiday calories is on your mind, the hotel also has a gym to help you maintain your daily grind.

While on the inside, Aiden provides a peaceful, calm and comfortable stay, the hot & happening life of Goa awaits you just outside the gate. Be it the flea markets, popular restaurants like Bo-Tai, Titlie, Antares, Salud or the famous tourist spots like Chapora Fort, Vagator Beach, Ozran Beach, everything is just minutes away from Aiden.

The location of Aiden is definitely a big plus point making it an ideal choice for all travellers. And for those who love an extra dose of good hospitality and great service, Aiden is just perfect After having stayed at the finest hotels in India and abroad, I can easily say that there is surely s o m e t h i n g a b o u t A i d e n ’ s hospitality that makes it stand out from the rest.

For me personally, the experience of staying at Aiden was simply amazing and I would definitely like to go back and stay there.

So what are you waiting for, plan your Goa vacation with Aiden by Best Western now.

Hotel Details

Address: SY. No. 330/1, Anjuna, Vagator, Mapusa, Goa 403502

Contact:+91 83267 42030

Email:reservations@aidenvagatorgoa.com

FELIPE ALVARES

YOU HAVE ONLY ONE BODY KEEP IT FIT

By Rajesh Ghadge

In 2012, he started working for a company dealing with electronic consumer durables in the business development field and at that time he was also running his own venture. “During that time, I had given up on the fitness aspects of the life that I was practising during my younger age due to my hectic schedule and partying lifestyle. That excessive weight gain made me decide to change my lifestyle. I realised that I need to take care of myself so I went and enrolled myself on a fitness program called “Lose 9 Kilos in 9 Weeks” and it started to show results.”

Today Felipe runs a very wellknown fitness centre in Goa called “The Fitness Bar” but he himself trained initially at Goa's famous Norbert Fitness Studio.

health and look of the body.

“For me, fitness was never about losing weight or building massive muscles, but more about your overall health and look of a body. I wanted to change the concept of going on a crash diet to lose weight and till today in Fitness Bar, we do not run a weight loss program. Instead, we educate our members to drop the fat in their body and start building muscle which will keep them fit and healthy. For us, fitness is when your clothes fit you better, you can walk a flight of stairs without panting and if you can go through your everyday life without aches and pains then that is real fitness.”

Felipe has always been very proactive during his youth. He used to be into sports activities like basketball and athletics but once he started working, he had to quit them because of a shortage of time. His hectic schedule and busy lifestyle meant he gained some 200 pounds in weight. But he woke up one day, looked at himself in the mirror and decided to do something that very few do and that changed his entire life.

“Although today I have my own gym, I want to mention that I started at Norbert's. But as I gradually progressed, I realised the actual science b e h i n d e x e r c i s e , t h e importance of health, fitness and the importance of lifestyle change per se. The moment I realised this, I decided to study fitness and got a degree in it,” he narrated. Felipe went to Mumbai to do his study fitness and nutrition. “This was the beginning of my fitness journey and from there the “Fitness Bar” came into e x i s t e n c e W h i l e I w a s travelling for my studies in fitness, I realised that Goa was lacking a fun gym environment where one can work out and enjoy themselves at the same time. I wanted to change the monotony of going to the gym and doing the same thing over and over again. That's when I conceptualised the Fitness Bar.”

When Felipe started the Fitness Bar, his entire idea was to make people fit in overall

Felipe practices what he preaches and you will believe it when you meet him yourself. “Although I started my fitness journey out somewhere else, my actual fitness came from my own gym and it was the time when I started realising that real fitness is way beyond the scale, crash dieting or sacrificing carbohydrates or not consuming sugar or sweets. Also, just because you have turned 40 does not mean you cannot work out to stay fit.

According to me irrespective of your age, size and weight and any health issues that you may have, the only way to keep yourself healthy is by way of working out. It's just a matter of finding the right person who can help you achieve that.”

F e l i p e b e l i e v e s t h a t motivation is key to success., “I was motivated when I walked into Norbert's on the first day, but the motivation slowly dies if there is no discipline and that is the toughest part which people face. Everybody wants results quickly and that is why all these fancy diets and weight-loss programs work but that is not discipline. The

best mantra is to do what you are doing every day for the rest of your life. It has been a lifestyle change and that was the toughest challenge that I had faced. I had to give up things that I like the most. I was a chocolate fan but I had given that to achieve my goal.”

Nothing is possible without a very strong support system and all the motivation comes from that. “There is a need for someone will make you do the things that you want to achieve I always speak to parents and tell them to explain to their children the health benefits of fitness. The household plays a major role in motivation. I had faced all these challenges but luckily, I had a very strong support system and I managed to discipline myself and that is the secret of my fitness,” he

said.

Exercise is like a habit which you need to nurture with the proper discipline and a lot of willpower and once you get into that you never want to come out of it. “I had to give up the consumption of alcohol and now I only drink socially, keeping myself disciplined and that is why I can afford to eat and drink what I desire without the fear of losing on health and fitness. What is important is to feel fit and healthy the next morning and rest all will be taken care of,” he said.

Fitness is not about fitting into your dresses on your wedding day but it's a journey that will continue with you throughout your life. “I also want expel the myth that being fit means being thin or slim That's completely wrong: being fit is the capacity to do ones daily

activities without having any health issues,” he added. Speaking on the role of supplements in fitness, Felipe s a i d t h a t h e d o e s n o t recommend them unless someone really needs them.

“We do promote supplements but at the same time, we tell everyone that it is not a meal substitute We suggest they get their protein intake checked by a professional nutritionist and if needed, consume it. Whey protein is not harmful as it is a byproduct of milk. If you get your entire day's protein from your food then there is no need for supplementing your diet.” Felipe wakes up at 5 am every day without fail to open the gym. For him, it is passion first and that is the secret behind his success He does not promote bodybuilding, but a lifestyle change, healthy living

and fitness. Speaking on the message that he wants to give out he said. “Age does not matter: you are never too young or too old to get fit, so please take your life seriously. You have got only one body which you have to live with rest of your life Your cars will change, your home will change, your clothes will change, but your body is something that you are going to live with throughout so take care of it and stay fit and healthy,” he concluded with these words of wisdom.

SARITA VAZ

ALWAYS DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE THE MOST

By Rajesh Ghadge

Sarita started her musical journey when she was in school and now she is famous across the world. She sang in Monica My Darling, a NetFlix film that brought her fame. I met Sarita to find out more about her musical journey and here are the excerpts from the interview.

“I belong to a musical family where my father was a musician, my brothers and sister are also connected with music: some sing and others play musical instruments Overall, it's a musical family. I started singing during my school days. “I have always won prizes in school and college singing competitions. In the year 1994, I joined Chris Perry, a legend in Goa's music industry He was the first person to give me a platform to prove myself. He came to Mumbai to record my first album.”

Chris Perry re-recorded many songs originally sung by Lorna with Sarita. “He also gave me the opportunity to sing all his old songs, like Bebdo, Pisso, Red Rose originally sung by Lorna and we did covers of t h e m b u t t h e y w e r e n ' t released due to his untimely demise. We did many shows together.”

school where I teach music to students and I am still doing this. But whenever I came to Goa people used to invite me to sing at functions and parties which were the only times I actually sang. But one day everything changed and singing came back into my life once again. It was during the lockdown time when I came across a YouTube video of Mr Charles Sequria Vaz, and he was performing a famous song by Chris Perry called 'Tuzo Mog' (Your Love) and I said to myself 'Oh my God! It is My Cris Perry's Song' she said adding that she used always address her mentor as 'My Chris Perry'. “I was on the train on my way to the school and that was it, I did a little research on google and got in touch with Mr Charles and my new journey into the musical arena started.”

Sarita belongs to a musical family and her father was a well-known musician in Goa. All her family members are connected with the music fraternity somehow or the other and since this is Sarita's story, we will speak more about her journey in this chapter which is very interesting and inspiring. It is the story of an artist who did not give up her love and passion for music despite the odds.

“I was very young when Mr Perry came across and identified the talent in me. He used to say to me 'Sarita you are so talented, why didn't we meet before?' I would have continued to sing for him if he was still alive. He was one of the most talented musicians I have ever come across. After Chris Perry, my musical journey almost came to a halt as I got married and went to Mumbai, had children and became busy with family life.”

Sarita's love for music did not end there though and she started teaching music to children. “I got a job in a

The day after Sarita got in touch with Mr Charles, lockdown started and things remained stagnant for some t i m e “ B u t s o o n t h e opportunity came, and I was m a d e t o s i n g f a m o u s compositions of Chris Perry “Bebdo” sung by Lorna and “Me Amor” sung by Usha Uthup The song went viral with nearly a million views and I thought that it was my comeback into the world of music.”

It was in 2000 when Sarita's journey into the world of music began, Since 2000 she continues to sing with Mr Charles mostly covers of Chris Perry and Lorna “It was through this that I got my first opportunity to sing in a movie. I did my first film song in 2021 which was titled “Loop Lapeta.” The film opens with my song which is in Konkani.”

The second and biggest opportunity came to Sarita in March 2022 when she was signed by the makers of the

blockbuster film on Netflix

“Monica My Darling.” “I liked the song the moment I heard its tune and agreed to go ahead with it. This song in the film Monica My Darling gave me the biggest recognition

and limelight ever. The film became a superhit and so did my song which went to millions of views on various media platforms.”

When I asked Sarita about her future plans, she said that

there are few offers s h e r e c e i v e d following the song f r o m M o n i c a M y Darling “Also I and Charles have many plans in the pipeline that will be revealed soon The singing j o u r n e y w i l l n o w continue without a break. I give all the c r e d i t f o r m y reincarnation into the musical arena to Mr Charles Vaz, who gave me this second chance I owe my gratitude first to Chris Perry and now to Mr Charles Vaz, without whom I would have had no future in singing. If it was not for Charles, I would have not seen the light of fame.”

Sarita currently lives in Mumbai, but she wants to

come back to her motherland Goa. “I want to come back to Goa but I don't know when that will happen, maybe when I retire,” she said with a smile on her face. “My family in Goa wants me to come back for good but now my decision also depends on my children- if they don't want to come to Goa then for me also it may not be possible.”

When I asked Sarita if she wants to give any message to the budding talents in Goa, she said that one should follow their dreams “You should always do something that you love. When you do something t h a t y o u l o v e , y o u a r e completely engrossed in it and that is the key to success. I love music so much that I f o r g e t e v e r y t h i n g e l s e because I am doing what I love most I tell my children the same thing, do what you love.”

PRATIK PALYEKAR

TAKING OUTDOOR ADVERTISING TO THE NEXT LEVEL

By IG TEAM

“Currently, I'm the managing director at Primeslots Events Pvt Ltd and Proprietor at Primark services which is a waste management agency and a passion project of mine. I am also the proprietor at Kop De Goa, the biggest liquor store in Arambol, and I'm also a partner at Prime Ride, which is an E-bike rental service.”.”

Right from a young age, I always knew I wanted to get into business, not just one but in multiple lines of business. I also knew I wanted to curate my businesses in Goa itself. I lived outside Goa for brief periods, but Goa is home and there's nothing like it,” he said. “Primeslots is our family business and after working on it for 4 years as a marketing manager, I took over from my father as the Managing Director. My father has been my number 1 role model Everything, right from seeking i n s p i r a t i o n t o s t a r t i n g something new and learning how to execute it effectively and efficiently, I have learnt from my father,” he added. According to Pratik, he owes a lot of his business skills to his father, “My mother has been my rock, my anchor, my support system in my journey. E n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p c a n sometimes get lonely and overwhelming, especially when you're handling multiple businesses, but my mother has always helped me to clear my mind and help me navigate and handle difficult situations. However, I love multi-tasking so tackle the adventures and challenges that come with it, and this is what keeps me going each day.”

Primeslots as a marketing manager to help the team expand their client base in Goa as well as from other parts of India Today, our inventory is bigger than ever and Primeslots has the most spaces and outdoor media. Marketing and advertising have always fascinated me. It was like a calling that came very naturally to me, and I l o v e d w o r k i n g a n d experimenting with new forms of media and spaces that can be utilised for outdoor advertising in Goa. Goa is an evergreen tourist destination drawing people from across India and the world. I strongly believe that my homeland and Goa is a fabulous place for brands and institutions to do their outdoor campaigns and make their presence known.” Whenever Pratik travels to cities outside Goa, he always takes note of outdoor advertising styles and patterns done there and brings back these inspirations and ideas and further modifies and improvises them to be used here in Goa. “I have learnt a lot of positive elements from such observations which have been great add-ons to my work.”

O u t d o o r c a m p a i g n s o r advertising has immense scope in Goa “There is actually no limit to what we can think of and implement to give brands exceptional v i s i b i l i t y w i t h g r e a t effectiveness,” he said.

Pratik Palyekar, 28, was born and brought up in Panjim, the capital city of Goa. After finishing his initial studies at the city-based KB Hedgewar high school he went on to do his bachelor's in business administration (BBA) at Dempo College of Commerce and Economics and later pursued his MBA from MIT Pune. Currently, Pratik is holding the position of MD at Primeslots Events.

Before joining Primeslots, Pratik was working with Weddingz dot company which is one of India's largest wedding planning companies.

“After enriching my skills there for about a year, I joined

Pratik states that convincing people to try newer styles of advertising is a challenge because most people cannot think beyond traditional forms of advertising. “But the endproduct we provide is always m o s t e n g a g i n g a n d interactive. These challenges are fun in a way because it keeps your mind sharp, and alert and you think out of the box to get the best results.”

“I aspire to make Goa a panIndia outdoor marketing hub where brands from all over India and abroad would want to have their presence felt in Goa. Goa can most definitely make it as big as cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore in terms of the value of

outdoor media.”

“My future plans would be to expand in other major cities of Goa like Mapusa, and further south, like Margao I'm passionate about exploring more spaces and avenues to host and create outdoor advertising campaigns and as

always, finding innovative m e a n s o f o u t d o o r advertising,” he explained. Pratik believes that those who aspire to get into this field should know that it's a vast ocean and all you need is to have innovative ideas. “There's enough for everyone, and your

creativity will take you places. Developing good people skills, u n d e r s t a n d i n g c l i e n t requirement, being consistent and giving the customer something more than what they ask for is the key to making it far in this field. You will be remarkable, and your work will be remembered, referred and preferred.”

CRYPTO BRINGS NEW EFFECTIVE WAY OF BANKING CALLED DEFI

D e F i transparently

b r i n g s t h e exact system,

w i t h

Decentralized Finance you can easily track

When and Who has your money

a n d m o s t

i m p o r t a n t l y

How much of the Interest

r a t e t h e

p a r t i c u l a r person is giving you with the loan in return,

We all know that the most ontrend topic today is Crypto, and half of the population holds the k n o w l e d g e t o i n v e s t i n Cryptocurrency. But connected to the No.1 question today is “Will DeFi disrupt the existing Financial Markets?” Experts say the Answer is 100% “YES”.

But what is DeFi? And why Experts are so confident with this Commitment. All the topics are unfolded in this article.

DeFi stands for Decentralized Finance, it is more popular these days as the banking system of C r y p t o c u r r e n c y W e n e e d information on how the traditional b a n k i n g s y s t e m w o r k s t o

d i f f e r e n t i a t e t h e t e r m s Decentralized finance and Centralized Finance.

Every time we deposit some amount in the Bank, though it could be a Fixed Deposit or any other scheme, the bank offers us some amount over it as Interest. Simultaneously, the bank gives the money to someone in the name of the loan with a higher interest rate Throughout the process, we never get the idea that to whom the bank is passing on our money and what amount of money it is bringing up with that, all this information is kept away from us, and ultimately, we stay away from the profit.

w i t h o u t t h e interference of any Third-party institution.

The motto of this new form of the financial system is to develop a system of Finance that is completely based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and open and available to everyone including those who don’t have bank accounts to assist them.

About 190 million of the adult population do not have a bank account, making India the second largest nation in terms of Unbanked Population. In this age People usually don’t trust the Banking system or some thirdparty interference and here it brings the major role of DeFi Investing in DeFi projects likeColony Lab: on Avalanche

Blockchain.

Aave: Decentralized finance Platform showing on Liquidity Protocol.

In DeFi there are no Bank accounts to Bridge the gap but they hold access with SMART CONTRACT on the blockchain Also, instead of any real-world asset like property or gold, we exchange, Crypto assets like Bitcoin, USD coin, etc. instead.

Points to be noted while investing: Decentralized finance has brought up to us the passive and active ways to earn and invest through crypto assets. However, upside growth always has a second side of risks. One can also lose 100% of their money in any DeFi app or any other protocol available out there. So, applying the simple rule of thumb can mitigate the risks.

The Scalability of DeFi is low, which means its transaction speed is less and transaction cost is more. Notably, several sorts of freedom and transparency come h e r e w i t h r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . Everything here is BlockchainBased, so if the user fails to understand certain points, then the user is responsible for the consequences

Wrapping up:

India is adopting this smart and new system of DeFi seriously, as per the global; DeFi adoption index report India Is ranked 6th and the top-ranking country in the highest DeFi adoption in the world in America, Vietnam, and Thailand.

RD tHE 53 iffi goa

Glimpses of the 53rd International Film Festival of India, Goa held from 20th Nov-28th Nov 2022.

Photo Credits: ESG

By Gaurav Kenkre

GST CIRCULAR SIMPLIFIES PROCESS OF LITIGATING AGAINST PAST GST NOTICE

CA Gaurav

Kenkre is a CA in practice for the last 11 years. He is a regular speaker at various professional organizations, trade bodies, MNCs and Government bodies. He also writes regularly in local as well as national publications. Besides this he holds various positions in bodies such as ICAI, GCCI, College bodies, Rotary etc.

In the previous 5 editions we covered some legal provisions regarding to claim of Input Tax Credit. For the next two editions we will pause our discussion relating to the law as it stands, and instead divert our attention to two latest amendments which have come in respect of input tax credits. Both these amendments are as a result of the 48th GST Council meeting held in December 2022 and have wide ramifications. The first change is in the form of a Circular.

Most businesses may have received notices from GST department asking them to reverse Input Tax Credits in respect of invoices which have

and eventually withdrawn. Businesses also could not fully comply with this requirement since GST was just being implemented.

Inspite of the above legal position, GST department was continuing to issue notices for this “mismatch”. This had caused lot of hardship to taxpayers. Now, to provide some respite, a circular has come to explain to tax-officers, how to deal with this “mismatch”.

Firstly, in my view, although the circular does not directly say it, if you read between the lines, the circular suggests that the department admits that there was no direct legal provision for such “matching” for the financial

compliance with other provisions of Section 16(2) i.e. possession of an invoice, receipt of goods/services and payment to supplier.

To verify the compliance with Section 16(2)c (i.e. the requirement that supplier has paid GST), officer must do as below:

a. Where the difference in Input Tax credit as claimed and GSTR 2A exceeds Rs 5 lacs in a Financial Year – Rely on a certificate by a Chartered Accountant (CA) or the Cost Accountant (CMA) certifying that supplies in respect of the said invoices of supplier have actually been made by the supplier to the said registered person and the tax on such supplies has been paid by the said supplier in his return in FORM GSTR 3B.

b. Where the difference in Input Tax credit as claimed and GSTR 2A is less than Rs 5 lacs in a Financial Year – Rely on certificate from the concerned supplier to the effect that said supplies have actually been made by him to the said registered person and the tax on said supplies has been paid by the said supplier in his return in FORM GSTR 3B

While this is a welcome step some important issues may need further study – T

not been uploaded by the supplier in his GSTR 1 i.e. since they have not been uploaded in the GSTR 1, they are not appearing in the GST portal (i.e. GSTR 2A) of the recipient. Such demands have mostly been made for the Financial Years 2017-18 and 2018-19. During this period, the law originally envisaged such “matching” of input tax credits (i.e. every input tax credit which was to be claimed, had to appear in your GST portal, as a result of correct filing by your supplier). However, since the portal was not able to keep up with the demands of the law, some parts of the legal requirements were “suspended”

years 2017-18 and 2018-19. This is consistent with my views as well. Then, the circular links this “matching” to the requirement of “supplier paying the GST”. We had discussed this in a previous edition where we had mentioned that the GST law requires that unless the supplier pays the GST, the recipient cannot claim it. In my view, the concept of “matching” i.e. supplier uploading an invoice has nothing to do with supplier paying GST thereon i.e. a supplier may upload an invoice yet not pay the GST thereon and vice versa. Be that as it may, the circular provides a way out for all the notices of “mismatch”. It states that that an officer should verify

a. The circular says that the certificate can state that taxes have been paid via GSTR 3B. What if the supplier had paid the said taxes via means other than GSTR 3B i.e. Form DRC 03 especially during finalisation of his annual returns?

b. Is it practical to go back to each supplier who supplied goods or service 4 to 5 years ago, ask him to provide a certificate (either selfcertificate or CA certificate)?

Where the difference in GST is no material, this route may prove to be more cumbersome than simply paying the GST liability. Although the circular is not perfect, it will surely provide relief to many taxpayers.

By Norbert D’Souza

HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR FITNESS NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Many of us like to set New Year's resolutions, and often vow to start exercising more or become healthier. However, on average, 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by the second week of February and fitness resolutions in particular can be challenging to keep up. So, how can you maintain your fitness goals when the urge to stay in bed rather than jog to the gym on a cold January morning is just so strong?

I have been in the fitness industry for last 22 years, and I see the same thing at the start of every year.

"Every January it's the same thing with many jumping on the whole 'new year, new me' bandwagon. They are often on a quest to find a healthier body shape, lose weight and have more energy. Perhaps they just want to start exercising for their overall health and fitness. Although this New Year motivation is admirable, you might be setting yourself up for failure before you've even started.

"This kind of thinking starts you off on a bad note. No one needs a 'new them'. Often when you set out to find a new you, you lose the current” you” that work. What you've been doing up to now works for you. It may not have you in the shape you want to be in, but it works right now and it is keeping you alive. You should build on that slowly and steadily, rather than aspiring to create a whole new version of yourself overnight."

WHY DO PEOPLE GIVE UP THEIR NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS?

Research shows that it takes approximately 66 days to form a new habit, so as hard as they are to start, they can be even harder to keep.

"It's no wonder people have often

given up their New Year's resolutions by the end of January. A New Year's resolution starts with such hope and promise, which is gone within a few weeks. People's New year's resolutions often aren't specific enough. For example, 'exercise more' and 'get fit' are very general goals. Therefore, there is little way to monitor your progress and it's unlikely you'll keep up that motivation throughout the year. It's easier to drop out of something if you don't have specific targets. But, when you have goals that aren't so vague and you can actually work towards them, it's harder to walk away. Also, when starting a new year with big health and fitness goals, it can be disappointing when you don't see the results you hoped for. For example, if you set out to lose a certain amount of weight and begin with high expectations, it can cause you to throw in the towel when changes aren't immediate, causing you to wonder whether it's worth it.

HOW CAN YOU MAINTAIN YOUR FITNESS RESOLUTIONS?

The importance of setting realistic goals that take into account your current lifestyle. When you do that, your New Year resolutions become more about adding value to your life, rather than taking you away from the things you need to do day-to-day. For example, deciding you are going to work out every day if you have three children probably isn't doable. Likewise, if you work late shifts but aim to get up at 6 am for a morning run, it's unlikely to be sustainable. You also shouldn't be trying to go from zero to 100 as soon as January hits. If you have never really exercised, that's OK. It's

much more important for you to start off slowly rather than diving in at the deep end. Not only to maintain your New Year resolutions, but because you can cause more damage to your health if you push yourself too hard. A New Year's resolution is a New Year's resolution for a reason - it's about implementing small changes and seeing an improvement over the course of the year, not changing drastically overnight.

OTHER TIPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR FITNESS RESOLUTIONS

SET SMALL TARGETS - for example, you could aim to run 5k by the end of January or even March, then gradually increase that distance each month.

BUDDY UP - exercising with a friend or loved one can make you less likely to give up as quickly. You can motivate each other.

REWARD YOURSELF - resolutions shouldn't be all about constantly pushing yourself or taking things out of your life that you enjoy in the name of fitness.

SCHEDULE IN REST DAYS - you may feel motivated to head to the gym daily at the start of the year, but it isn't good for your body to be without rest. Not only can pushing yourself too hard lead to failure in your resolutions, but it can lead to burnout or other physical injuries.

DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UPfitness resolutions are a marathon, not a sprint (sometimes literally). If you decide to stay in bed one morning instead of going to Gym, there's nothing wrong with that. Being harsh on yourself, especially if you're someone with little history of exercising, won't aid you in the long run. You have to be kind and understanding with yourself. Be your own cheerleader!

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS - you might do this with a written chart, or a fitness app. Seeing how far you've come already.

SET GOALS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU - if you are emotionally connected to your goals, you can be emotionally connected to the outcomes. It can create a greater feeling of pride and achievement.

Regular exercise strengthens your heart and lungs and it can strengthen bones, slowing down the process of osteoporosis. It can help you move easily by keeping your joints, tendons and ligaments more flexible. Can help you lose weight when combined with good eating habits or maintain ideal weight by burning excess calories and promote sense of well being.

ROOT CANAL TREATMENT-SHOULD YOU JUST EXTRACT INSTEAD?

as your natural tooth. What if A root canal is not possible and I have to extract my tooth?

By Dr. Schuyler Pereira

Smilecraft is one of the top rated dental clinic’s in Goa. Dr Schuyler

Pereira completed his dental studies from the renowned New York University in USA. He maintains state of the art dental practices at Goa and Bangalore. At Smilecraft a holistic treatment approach is taken when it comes to dental health. We offer a wide range of dental services ranging from teeth cleaning to cosmetic dentistry and implant. We indeed craft smiles that will last you miles!

Quite often when an infection reaches the inner portion of the tooth it results in toothache. Add this time a simple filling would not help and you would require a root canal treatment. So what exactly is a root canal treatment and is it really necessary? Wouldn't it be better to extract tooth instead?

What is a root canal treatment?

Root canal treatment is done when infection reaches the inner portion of the tooth thereby leading to pain. At this stage a simple filling would not work as the damage is irreversible. What happens during a root canal treatment?

During a root canal your dentist would remove the infected portion of your tooth and fill it up with a special material. This involves cleaning it with special instruments and solutions. After this is completed your dentist may do a permanent filling followed by a crown if required. How long does a root canal procedure take?

Depending upon the extent of infection a root canal procedure could take anywhere between a single setting to multiple settings if the tooth is very badly infected.

Is getting a root canal done painful?

No your dentist will give you a local anesthetic injection before

the procedure to ensure that you are comfortable during the entire procedure. How do I know if I need a root canal?

Usually the most common sign that you require a root canal is pain. Sometimes however this might not be the case and the tooth could be completely asymptomatic which is why your regular dental check ups are very important so that your dentist can detect any potential problems and address them early.

I am afraid of the dentist wouldn't it be better to just extract the tooth instead? No whenever possible it is always advisable to save a natural tooth rather than extracting it. Nothing is as good

In such cases the extraction of the natural tooth is required, it is very important that you replace it with a prosthetic option later. What happens if I do not replace my missing natural tooth?

Your natural teeth are held into position in the jaw with the help of the Adjacent teeth. If a missing tooth is not replaced ,all the other teeth will start moving into its position thereby causing issues such as food lodgment and affecting the entire bite.This can lead to un even tooth wear and can even cause issues such as headaches if left unchecked for a long time. Also this can weaken your adjacent teeth leading to early tooth loss. What are the options to replace a missing natural tooth?

There are various options to replace a missing natural tooth such as a fixed bridge, dental implants, or removable denture. Amongst all, dental implant is the closest replacement to the missing natural tooth however, that being said there is nothing which can compensate your natural tooth which is why it is very important to maintain your natural teeth.