Goan Tycoon - August 2022 Issue

Tycoon Goan

Navigating the business and startup landscape in Goa

ROHINI GONSALVES

Lending a helping hand to the elderly through Sevarat

brunch bites

The Perfect Choice For All Your Daily Meal Needs!

PUTTUL’S CrAFT

Your Go-to Place For All Things Handcrafted!

coconut pudding films

Documenting Beautiful Memories

Forest Spice Gin

Bags 2 Silver Medals at the Spiritz Selection Awards 2022

brizz medical

Buying Medicines Made Easy!

koshaa

Your one-stop shop for all things organic and natural

Editorial

Hi Friends,

Welcome to the August edition of our magazine ‘Goan Tycoon’.

This month is highly significant as we have two important events happening this month.

Firstly, on the 15th of this month, we celebrate 75 years of India's independence. This year’s celebrations have been dubbed as ‘Azaadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ by the Government of India. Over the past 75 years, we, as Indians, have come a long way and have achieved incredible feats in various fields such as science, business, sports, arts and lots more. Today, India is one of the most powerful emerging economies in the world. Recently, our Indian sportspersons made the country proud by bagging medals in various disciplines at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham, England.

The other significant day for us Goans is World Goa Day, which will be celebrated on the 20th of August by Goans all over the world. World Goa Day was founded in commemoration of Goa’s official language - Konkani being included in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution and recognised as one of the official languages

of India by the Indian Parliament on the 20th of August 1992. Goans around the world celebrate this day through various cultural events and programmes showcasing Goan culture, food, music, costumes and above all its languageKonkani. It is a day intended to celebrate Goan identity and ‘Goenkarponn.’ This wonderful initiative, which was first conceptualised in the year 2000, has spread across the world, thanks to the efforts of organisations like Goa Sudharop, the initiators, and individuals like Renee Barretto and Marius Fernandes, who have left no stone unturned in popularising this event all across the globe.

The month of August brings with it significant weather changes affecting health in general. To ward off this ‘evil,’ on the 1st of August, Goans traditionally begin the day by ingesting a combination of Palm Jaggery and grated Coconut (known for their curative and immunity boosting properties) hoping that the month will bring good health all around. This combination of jaggery and coconut are consumed in various ways throughout the month, especially on the 15th, when Catholics celebrate the feast of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven by making Patoleos, a flavourful steamed rice pancake, folded in turmeric leaves with a stuffing of Goan black palm jaggery and freshly grated coconut.

Two book releases this month bring Goa on the global map. One by Clarice Vaz, noted syringe artist and social figure in Saligao, called ‘Romalina : Goodbye Africa, Adeus Portugal, Namaste Goa!’ and the other titled ‘Fonseca’ about yesteryear Goan artist Angelo Da Fonseca (1902 - 1967), by Jesuit priest Delio Mendonca. Both worth a read. Goa is celebrating the artist's 120th birth anniversary this year. Dont forget to follow the World Goa Day activities on social media, with Usha Uthup performing live on YouTube and Goa’s traditional Bonderam (Flag Festival) at Divar on the 20th of August, 2022. Viva Goa!

Jessyl Fernandez Editor

01 Koshaa

02 Brunch Bites

03 Coconut Pudding Films

04 Rohini Gonsalves

05 Brizz Medical

06 Forest Spice Gin Brings Home the Spiritz Award

07 Puttul’s Craft

Introduction

Goa, the tiniest state on the western coast of India, boasts golden pristine beaches, palmfringed avenues, flavourful food, delicious Portuguese-influenced sweets, and warm, hospitable people. Also known as the Ibiza of India for its partying. A tropical paradise of flora and fauna, from the very famous 'almi' (mushrooms) endemic to its forests, that grow only on the red mud anthills, to the solar prawns that are fished immediately after the monsoons, Goa is unique. Tourists are also attracted to Goa for its cultural heritage - from the famous old Portuguese churches like Se Cathedral in Old Goa, the 16th Century Safa Masjid in Ponda and Shree Mangesha Temple in Mardol, the legendary Arvalem or Pandava Caves where the Pandavas of the Mahabharat fame lived, to its two unique festivals - Carnival and Shigmo. Goa plays host to many festivals - the International Film Festival of India that promotes cinema, the Serendipity Art Festival, Sunburn Music Festival, The Grape Escapade to name a few. To showcase this varied heritage of culture, art, tradition, food, and people, in 2015 ItsGoa was born. The main aim was to make it the premier portal for all things Goa. We were able to showcase Goa like never before. Soon our blog-based website transcended

the virtual space, with the ItsGoa magazine – a sought-after resource for visitors to Goa from countries like Norway, Germany, UK, USA, UAE, etc. The Covid Pandemic in 2020 brought everything to a standstill and printing of the magazine was put on hold. Now that life is almost back to normal in Goa, and to maintain the covid norms, we have decided to launch our very own ItsGoa magazine online.

A little about our Magazine

Think of Goa! Think ItsGoa! Our magazine is known for its business listings of basically anything and everything found in Goa. We also produce uniquely written articles in regard to Goa. Some of these folk tales you quite literally will not find anywhere else on the net. These rich in content stories are passed down from generation to generation in the villages of golden Goa. We also provide up-to-date news and information on travel, food, and events that are taking place in this beautiful State of Goa. The content on ItsGoa is written by people who are passionate about calling this tiny state their home. The ItsGoa magazine is a single point of reference for news, lifestyle, and culture in Goa.

Koshaa is an organic and earth-friendly store located in Porvorim. Having begun its operations as Bliss Foods in November 2019, Koshaa specialises in healthy and environment-friendly products. The products they offer include organic food grains, cold pressed oils, desi ghee, natural cleansers, personal care products, etc. The food grains sold at Koshaa are procured from farmers who engage in organic farming.

This unique concept store is the brainchild of Mr. Siddesh Valvaikar. Siddesh, who holds an MBA degree from Goa University, has been in the field of sales and marketing for many years. Through the course of his career, he has worked for various multinational companies including Coca-Cola, and has assisted them in marketing their products and boosting their sales. His years of experience in this sector has aided him in getting strong insights into market and consumer behaviour.

The Idea Behind Koshaa

The idea of starting a store dealing in organic products first crossed Siddesh’s mind when he heard that one of his friends in his early 30s was diabetic, suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and advised to follow a rigorous diet for three months.

This news shocked Siddesh. It prompted him to start learning more about GERD and diabetes from medical practitioners and the internet. The more he researched about the disease, the more clear it became to him that people are fall sick because of sedentary lifestyles and consumption of edibles filled with harmful pesticides and preservatives. Siddesh then started looking out for healthy food options but could find very few.

On speaking to like-minded people, he realised that they too were facing the same problem. It was then that he decided to fill this void in the market. He started meeting farmers who practiced organic farming and began sourcing marketable organic produce from them to supply to end consumers.

Public Response

The response from consumers to the products offered by Koshaa was amazing. Their first-time customers liked the products they offered. They started off by buying a few products on a trial basis.

they came back to try out the other products on offer at the store. A2 ghee, organic grains, unpolished dals, khapli wheat rava (semolina), shevai, and natural eco-friendly cleaners are fast-moving products at Koshaa.

Just like many other enterprises, the operations of Koshaa too were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. They stopped their operations for a while and started supplying stocks as and when conditions became feasible.

Due to the pandemic, many people started becoming more health-conscious, and there was always a constant demand from consumers to have a physical store where they could experience and buy products from Koshaa. Hence, the time seemed right to set up a physical store. And finally, on 5th June 2022, Koshaa opened its first retail outlet at Porvorim.

Challenges Faced

Finding organically farmed and eco-friendly products is a big challenge for Siddesh. For the past 2 years, he has been meeting and connecting with many farmers and environmentally-sustainable brands to source the best products for his customers. Once he finds products that meet certain standards and criteria, he searches for ways to procure and transport the products to his store.

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

Siddesh Valvaikar, Founder, Koshaa

often, products are procured from small farmers and small start-ups. Nonetheless, he has been expanding the product categories at Koshaa to provide a wider range of products to his customers. Collaboration with enterprises and individuals in the organic and eco-friendly category remains his area of focus.

Final Words

Siddesh requests people to do their part in reducing plastic waste. He informs that Koshaa provides steel utensils free of charge for use at small functions and events. All one has to do is collect the utensils from the Koshaa store, use them at their event, wash them after use, and return them to the store.

He says that consumers need to educate themselves about the food they consume and the household products that they use. He says that people need to ask themselves questions like “How is our food cultivated?, What are the ingredients in the products we use?, What are the effects of the products we use on our health and the environment?, etc.” He says that people must work together towards creating eco-conscious consumers so that we will be able to save our environment and our planet from further degradation and destruction.

For more information on Koshaa and the various products they offer, visit www.koshaa.in

You can also reach out to them via WhatsApp on +919922721500

Eco-friendly household wares on display at Koshaa

Chemical-free cleaning products for sale at Koshaa

Various organic food grains offered at Koshaa

Brunch Bites Private Limited is a food catering and delivery start-up based in Goa and Pune. It commenced operations on 13th July 2017. It is a platform for food delivery to individuals, schools, corporates, and industrial catering and operates in 3 verticals:

1. Industrial Catering: It provides catering services to industrial units with a focus on hygiene, homeliness, and healthy food, combined with the use of technology for a better customer experience.

2. Direct to Consumer platform: Customers can order their daily, weekly, or monthly breakfast, lunch, or dinner from Brunch Bites. They also offer customized meal/snack boxes for events and occasions for individuals as well as corporate clients.

3. Home Chefs: It serves as a platform for home chefs and provides them with opportunities to boost their income. It assists them with various matters related to running a home-based food business such as getting necessary permissions and licenses, curation of their menus, etc.

The firm currently delivers around 2000+ meals a day, serving individual customers as well as through bulk deliveries for customers in industrial units.

The Founders of Brunch Bites

At the helm of affairs of Brunch Bites is Mr. Pritam Onsker. Pritam holds a Master’s degree in Business Studies from Pune University. He has also completed a programme in Management Development from the prestigious Indian Institute of Management –Ahmedabad.

He has worked in the corporate sector for more than 21+ years, with stints at big firms like Crompton Greaves, Hughes Telecom, Reliance Communications and Airtel. His last 11 years in the corporate world were spent working at TATA Communications.

He jumped into the world of entrepreneurship in December 2016 when he launched his first start-up TailorSmart (tailorsmart.in) in Pune. The venture is an e-tailoring platform, where people can get all types of clothes designed and stitched according to their chosen style and size, right at their doorstep.

The start-up has a presence in 7 cities in India. It is due to open its first overseas franchise in Malaysia very soon. The huge success of TailorSmart motivated Pritam to set up his second venture Brunch Bites (brunchbites.in) in 2017.

Pritam considers himself fortunate to have worked in challenging markets like India and the SAARC Region, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East region and the Africa region, in challenging positions like Head of Marketing, Head of Corporate Strategy for emerging markets in Singapore, and Head of Business in Africa. His exposure on both sides of the table makes an interesting combination.

He is also ardent lover of innovation and technology and heads the Founder Institute-Goa, a business incubator, which is graduating 6 startups in its first cohort. He also leads the Innovation and Start-Up Panel at CII-Goa and is also a member on the panel of CII-Western Region.

Pritam is assisted in the day-to-day running of Brunch Bites by Amruta Onsker. Amruta holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management from IES, Mumbai. She is an accomplished HR professional who has worked for brands like Poddar, TeamLease etc.

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

The Journey Of Brunch Bites

Pritam says that when he looked at the tiffin boxes of some school going students, he saw that they had only items like cheese and bread or butter and bread, with one fruit like a banana or an apple. “This was neither healthy nor nutritious”, he says. “Plus, preparing these tiffins took up a lot of time which parents could use to spend with their kids. So, we decided to change this and made tiffins which were colourful, healthy and hygienic. We introduced sliders with beetroot pattie or ragi halwa. This is how our journey began”, he says.

Brunch Bites’ tiffin program got off to a great start when it was first launched in 2017. “We used to do more than 250+ tiffins in a day, just in the Porvorim and Panjim area alone, when we just started off”, says Pritam.

However, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 hit the operations of Brunch Bites very badly. Since schools had closed down, there was a very low demand for tiffin services. Due to this, Brunch Bites shifted their target client base to industries and began to provide tiffin services for workers in industrial units.

This was also the time when they got to serve many COVID patients who were admitted in different health centres, and whose families were facing an issue of arranging home-cooked meals for their loved ones. “This is when Brunch Bites stepped in to deliver meals and gained lots of blessings from its customers”, says Pritam. “It also inspired me to quit my job and take up the running of Brunch Bites full-time”, he adds.

Currently, Brunch Bites provides its services in the whole of Panjim and surrounding areas like Dona Paula, Bambolim, Ribandar, Porvorim, Pilerne, and Mapusa. They also serve the entire North Goa coastal belt and the Verna Industrial Estate as well.

Challenges Faced

Pritam says that one of the major challenges he faces while running his enterprise is manpower. “Be it delivery partners or sales people, getting the right set of people is a difficult task for us”, he says.

He considers himself to be lucky to get all-round support from various quarters while setting up Brunch Bites. He is grateful to the Startup Promotion Cell –Government of Goa for all the support they provided to him while setting up his venture. He mentions that Brunch Bites is one of the very few start-ups which have received seed funding from the Government of Goa.

Amruta Onsker, Co-Founder, Brunch Bites

Thali Box Non-Veg Combo

He is also grateful to his IT team, his web developer Fabcoders led by Remmie Azavedo, his suppliers in Goa, and most importantly his customers, who have all helped in making Brunch Bites a huge success.

The USP of Brunch Bites

When asked as to what makes Brunch Bites stand out from other food catering companies in Goa, Pritam explained that most food delivery companies forget about the hygiene, homeliness, and healthiness of the food they provide to their customers. “We, on the other hand, focus a lot on these 3 aspects of the food we provide”, he says. “We make sure that each of our food partners are carefully chosen and that they follow all our SOPs all the time. We have our supervisors who do all the double-checks on the same. We also help in creating jobs for those at the bottom of the work pyramid. We help our partners, who usually get business only during weekends, to get business even during weekdays”, he adds.

Future Plans

Recently, Brunch Bites started operations in Pune where they have introduced cuisines like Parsi, South Indian, etc. in their menu. They are planning to start operations in Bengaluru and Chennai very soon. In a bid to make it easier for customers to place orders for food, they will be rolling out their revamped website, their iOS app and their chatbot on WhatsApp very soon. Their Android app is already functional and is available for download on the Google Play Store.

Final Words

Pritam says that aspiring entrepreneurs in Goa should stay focused on creating a culture of adding value, not just to their customers, but also to their peers, their competition, their suppliers, and last but not the least, to themselves. He says that Goa and Food, both have a great potential, and if we remain focused on creating value for our customers, we will always make it big.

For more information on Brunch Bites, visit: Website: www.brunchbites.in

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brunchbites

Instagram: www.instagram.com/brunchbites.in

Demo on the strict hygiene standards followed by the staff at Brunch Bites while packing food

Coconut Pudding Films was started in 2018 by Saish Bodke and Ashoo Dhond. They provide cinematography and photography services for all kinds of events. Commercial projects, ad films, and promotional videos are their forte. They also undertake photography and videography projects for local as well as destination weddings in Goa, Mumbai, Rajasthan, Delhi, and other states in India. They also provide their services for engagement ceremonies, pre-wedding functions, and corporate films.

around 15 wedding film projects. An interesting fact is that their first-ever client hired them for their wedding by having a look at one of their ad films.

Coming from the same background, Saish and Ashoo share numerous similarities along with the will to deliver top-notch quality projects. Ashoo, hailing from Panaji, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from Don Bosco College, Panaji.

After completing his course, he moved to Mumbai to pursue a Diploma course in Filmmaking. There, he got the opportunity to work on documentaries, ad films, and other independent film projects. Saish completed his graduation from Goa College of Art, specializing in Applied Art. He then did a Diploma course in Filmmaking in Mumbai, post which he freelanced for wedding films and other commercial projects in Goa.

While being successful at producing a number of ad films in Goa and Mumbai, Saish and Ashoo

After doing 2-3 wedding films for clients from their close peer group, they thought of venturing into the business full-time, owing to the growth in the wedding industry and a lot of incredible work in weddings. As time passed, people were open to trying something different from the usual wedding bandwagon. This behaviour of ‘open to experiment’ made the transition smoother and the magic of Coconut Pudding Films was introduced to the world.

As they explain the quirky name of their brand, Saish and Ashoo cite the example of a wedding. There’s so much happening at a wedding; the bridal couple is experiencing so many precious moments for the first time in their life. They’re having a ball of a time and when it all ends, they lounge on a couch and reminisce all those memories through pictures that make them rejoice. The experience feels just like having dessert at the end of a meal. The taste leaves one satisfied at that moment. Coconut Pudding is like that dessert that one savours after a heavy meal. Hence the name ‘Coconut Pudding Films’.

Website: www.itsgoa.com

I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

Saish Bodke Ashoo Dhond

festival. Couples would want their wedding to be the best, and Saish and Ashoo at Coconut Pudding Films hold this aspiration close to their hearts. Right from the outfits to the décor, they don’t compromise even the slightest bit on the quality and professionalism of their work while capturing these once-in-a-lifetime moments.

When one delivers top-notch work to one client, maintaining the quality of the deliverables throughout becomes a challenge, especially when one has back-to-back weddings. Hence, Saish and Ashoo meet the client numerous times before the wedding, to understand them in a better way so that they can make the wedding film as personal to them as possible.

Along with being blessed with understanding clients up till now, Saish and Ashoo’s family, friends, and partners were and have been supportive throughout, especially in understanding and being okay with the fact that the nature of their jobs cause them to work during certain occasions and festivities.

Most often, they’ve had repeat customers or the same families hosting different functions due to the rapport they’ve built through the process of knowing them or being part of their D-Day!

support Coconut Pudding Films has received to date. They plan on scaling up their work in the wedding industry, but as they do, they want to continue to maintain the relationships they have built with their clients. Keeping the quality of their work high and meeting the expectations of their clients was, is, and will always be their top priority. As they say, “pictures are a mixture of raw, real, and rare feelings of one’s best moments, screaming emotions and touching people's souls”. So whatever the occasion might be, Coconut Pudding Films is all what one needs!

Website:

Wedding photography work done by Coconut Pudding Films

Photoshoot done by Coconut Pudding Films

rohini gonsalves

Lending a helping hand to the elderly through ‘Sevarat’

Article by: Cassandra Carvalho

Images Courtesy: Sevarat

Image: Rohini Gonsalves, Founder, Sevarat, being awarded the first prize at the Business Diva 2022 contest

Sevarat, meaning ‘being in service’, is a dedicated senior care service provider offering timely, reliable, and professional services to meet every single need of the elderly in their own homes. It was founded by Ms. Rohini Gonsalves in October 2015.

Rohini is a postgraduate in marketing, sales management, and sales promotion. She spent 13 years in Mumbai, working in the telecom industry and was heading national operations from 2008 to 2013, after which she came to Goa. When she started looking out for home care-givers for her mother who fell ill in 2013, she really struggled with the helplessness of not being able to find any reliable service provider.

Rohini’s firsthand experience of the heart-breaking dearth of professional service providers to care for the elderly in Goa inspired her to do something about it. Her quest was to find the best way to cater to the increasing demand for senior healthcare. After immense observation, inquiry, research, and surveys, she finally concluded that the elderly and their families needed someone to care for them with compassion and dignity. This very need for service providers to care for the elderly gave birth to Sevarat.

Sevarat is the only service provider in Goa which focuses exclusively on geriatric care. Most senior care service providers in Goa are still getting their bearings together, in terms of bringing about a professional approach. Most importantly, Sevarat moved from the traditional transactional model introduced by nursing bureaus and brought in a relationship-based model, wherein they have an annual subscription and a lifetime of association with clients.

It was the trust Mrs. Machado, a client from Taleigao put in Sevarat on 7th January 2016, that gave Rohini the confidence that there were a lot of takers for what Sevarat had to offer. It was challenging in the beginning as they didn’t have an office and no references to rely on, so customers had apprehensions about letting staff into their homes. However, their existing customers kept referring them to others, thus helping them to grow. Without having a precedent to follow, Sevarat had to set its own benchmarks and keep growing from there.

Given the fact that Rohini is a first-generation entrepreneur, with neither healthcare nor workforce management as her area of expertise, she had to scale quite a few mountains to get her act right.

In order to put seniors on the world map, Sevarat is organizing a Guinness World Record attempt on the 21st of August, where hundreds of seniors will be dancing together in one place at the same time. The idea behind this initiative called ‘Time of Your Life’, is to give senior citizens a time of their lives. Postretirement, most people get resigned to a very debilitating version of their earlier lives. Thus, by organising the dance, not only will the seniors have a ball of a time, but will also have the chance to set a new Guinness World Record. Creating history and leaving a legacy of accomplishments is extraordinary for any human being. Sevarat believes that our elderly deserve to be remembered with pride.

The more services Sevarat creates, its potential to do more increases. They wish to launch more services appropriate to the needs of seniors’. They aim to grow geographically and more importantly, they want to be a brand to be reckoned with in the area of home care for the elderly in Goa.

They are in the process of registering the Sevarat Foundation, which is a non-profit subsidiary of Sevarat Healthcare and Nursing Pvt. Ltd. They intend to cater to the needs of those who need other kinds of assistance and also to care for those who have no one to care for them.

Having served customers in almost every nook and corner of Goa, right from Pernem in the North to Paroda in the South, the staff at Sevarat are professionally qualified, well trained, and groomed. They have been sensitized to address the needs of the elderly, especially those who suffer from mental illnesses, to give them an empowering and dignified perspective of life.

Rohini says that keeping the elderly happy and healthy is not only the responsibility of their children. The extended family, neighbours, friends, and the community as a whole need to take the initiative to be there for the elderly and make their twilight years an enjoyable experience rather than making it feel like a period of limitation and control.

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

Also, people need to let go of the paranoia that some untoward incident/accident may take place the minute one takes an elderly person out. Keeping elderly people confined to their homes denies them the opportunity to engage in social interaction and other fun activities.

After registering as a member by purchasing an annual membership, a person can avail of any or all the services offered by Sevarat, whenever required, through the course of the year. One pays for only the services which one avails of. While the fees are collected in advance, they are refundable if unused subject to a 24-hour notice. One can log on to www.sevarat.in to register a new member and manage/book services online. Sevarat is also available on WhatsApp 24x7 on +91-8329857965.

Services Provided By Sevarat

Some of the services provided by Sevarat include:

Emergency Assistance - While the best number to call in case of an emergency in India is 112, the Sevarat 24x7 number +91 8329857965 is also available for any emergencies involving elderly people.

Outdoor Assistance - For elders who wish to go out but require a companion for assistance, a Sevarat assistant will help them run errands, visit hospitals and family, do shopping, complete paperwork, and purchases, etc. Sevarat can also provide transportation with a hired vehicle for a small additional fee.

Diagnostics - A technician will come to the residence of the person and collect samples. If the elderly person must be taken for a test, an assistant will accompany them. The patient can also be provided with a hired vehicle for transportation.

Home Care - This includes non-medical assistance, i.e. to move around, have meals, bathe, and use a washroom. In these circumstances, services of a male or female caretaker, for either the day or the night, can be provided. A resident caretaker can also be provided. In the event the family finds it difficult to provide food for the caretaker, Sevarat can provide them their meals too.

Sevarat’s caretakers have undergone para-medical training and can monitor vitals, administer insulin and oral medication, dress wounds, etc. apart from personal hygiene, basic exercises, and mobilisation.

Website: www.itsgoa.com I Instagram: @_itsgoa I Facebook: Itsgoa

World Senior Citizens Day 2018 celebration organised by Sevarat

administering injectable medication, monitoring/ observing vitals, administering other medical procedures, in addition to the tasks performed by a normal caretaker, a qualified nurse is appointed to provide specialized assistance and deliver hospitallike monitoring at home. Home nursing is available in day, night, or resident options. Sevarat can provide meals for home nurses as well.

Physiotherapy - The elderly invariably need various types of physiotherapy treatments. Once the schedule and frequency of the physiotherapy are agreed upon, a physiotherapist from Sevarat will visit the patient’s residence and provide them with the required treatment.

Counselling - Most senior citizens require a listening ear - the need to be heard. They have challenges accepting their physical, mental, and emotional conditions. They need psychological support to adapt to their reducing abilities. Some need a confidante while others need a professional. Both are catered to by a professionally trained counsellor.

Medicines and Surgical supplies - Prescription medicines, diapers, and other supplies are home delivered. One can get into a subscription for medicines and can have the medicines delivered on a weekly/monthly basis.

home delivered through the Sevarat delivery partners.

Handyman Services - Taking care of the house can be daunting for the elders, especially with limited options of professional service providers. Sevarat is tied up with vendors for Housekeeping, Pest Control, House Maintenance, Plumbing, Electrical, and Electronic Repairs and Maintenance.

Sevarat Vahan - Transporatation service via a

wheelchair-enabled vehicle

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

Brizz medical

Buying medicines made easy!

Article by: Steve Antao

Images Courtesy: Brizz Medical

Image: Isha Kher, Founder, Brizz Medical

Brizz Medical Pvt. Ltd. is a Panjim-based Goan startup registered with Startup India and Startup Goa. The company was founded by Isha Sunil Kher in March 2019 when she was pursuing her final year of B.Pharm from Goa College of Pharmacy. The service was initiated in January 2020 with the motto to ‘never say no to a patient who needs medicines’.

Brizz tries to relieve the physical and mental stress that goes into the purchase of medicines like navigating through traffic, visiting multiple stores to find medicines, waiting in long queues, finding a decent parking spot, and going through the trouble of practicing social distancing in pharmacies.

Presently the Managing Director of Brizz, Isha has been residing in Goa since 1997. She once was caught in a situation where she was in urgent need of some medicines. Quite annoyed with the unavailability of the medicines, she hopped from one pharmacy to the next, one parking lot to another, through the traffic, heavy rains, and long queues. It was like a treasure hunt without clues, but with no luck. At that point, the whimsical kid in her really wished for a magical genie to help her out and tell her where to go.

Isha realized that a lot of people experience such kind of a problem, and that buying medicines is in fact quite a hassle. Troubled patients have to go through the physical and mental stress of parking, traffic, long queues, etc., only with the uncertainty of finding their medicines. As a pharmacy student, these issues bothered her a lot.

Isha kept pondering on ways to solve all these issues. When she finally came up with a solution, it was still a very big step to take for the young 22-year-old. However, with the support and backing of her parents, she decided to take the leap, and Brizz was born in 2019. When she was ready to launch Brizz’s mobile app to the public, Covid swept in like a storm.

While Brizz helped deliver medicines to people easily, that was only one part of the problem Isha wanted to solve. As a pharmacist herself, she understood the plight of local pharmacies. With rising digitalization, there has been an increasing trend to order medicines through apps.

However, this development could bring over 1 million local brick-and-mortar pharmacy stores on the brink of closure, and threaten over 20-30 million people with job loss. The goal behind Brizz is to help local pharmacies survive and thrive in a digitalized environment.

The response of the customers was really great when Brizz had just started off, as it was the only app delivering medicines efficiently from local pharmacies all over Goa amidst the pandemic. Isha feels very happy that she started Brizz, because it was only through Brizz that she was able to help hundreds of people get their medicines with ease. She was able to deliver medicines to people living in remote areas like the island of Chorao, as they couldn't come to the city during the lockdown. People from all over India and abroad ordered medicines through the Brizz app for their elderly parents and family members in Goa during the curfews and lockdowns imposed during the initial phases of the pandemic.

Brizz delivers medicines in almost all places in Goa. They promise same-day delivery in the big cities and next-day delivery in other parts of the state.

The biggest roadblock for Brizz has been to find ways to reach out and advertise its services to customers. During the 1st wave of the pandemic, they couldn’t advertise at all and relied solely on

Post Covid, Brizz has expanded the range of products that they deliver. They now deliver anything related to healthcare, including allopathic, ayurvedic and homeopathic medicines, veterinary medicines, and surgical products, ranging from wheelchairs to beds. If the medicine is not available in local stores, they coordinate with other sources and ensure delivery to the patient on the same day.

Brizz has not yet taken shape completely. It continues to evolve with time and experience. Isha and her team intend to finalize their modus operandi so that the module is reliable and replicable all over India. However, the core purpose behind the venture continues to be helping needy patients and local pharmacies connect with each other as quickly as possible. ‘Vocal for Local’ is their way forward.

To place an order for medicines from Brizz Medical,

Call /Whatsapp on: 7746077960 or

Visit: www.brizz.in

Goan Brand ‘Forest Spice Gin’ brings home the Spiritz Award

Forest Spice Gin, manufactured by Goa’s The Tonia Group won it big at the prestigious Spiritz Selection Awards 2022 securing two Silver medals - One was for Liquid Tasting/Quality while the other for its Packaging.

The Spiritz Selection celebrates brands for their exemplary quality and excellence in packaging and is recognised as one of the most coveted ratings of alcoholic beverages brands through the blind tasting process. This is the first of its kind in India.

“The brand Forest Spice Gin was in a very tough competition against some of the top brands of the world. This is a moment of achievement and a matter of honour for the Tonia Group and the State of Goa,” says Mario Sequeira, M.D. - The Tonia Group (Liquor Division). “This isn’t just another Gin or yet another variant. Through Forest Spice, we have endeavoured to bring back the original Dutch Gin experience to restore and honour the Gin history, diversity and global reach of this exceptional Genever-type golden straw-coloured Gin. The original recipe dates back almost 100 years to the Holland of old.“

Forest Spice also marks the entry of a new era at the Tonia Group as the Company augments its green initiative in an effort to preserve the natural beauty and reserves that have been depleted over time. The product has received a very enthusiastic response within days of its launch and this award reinforces our efforts toward creating a culture that appreciates and embraces greener practices.

The winning brands were judged by eminent internationally renowned jury panels through a series of blind tastings and evaluation of their packaging (separate panel for each category) covering approximately 450 participating brands with each of the nominated brands being evaluated through strictly defined parameters. The awards ceremony was an exciting affair with notable names and leading brands from across the alcobev industry in attendance.

The Spiritz Awards 2022 expanded to several categories showcasing the collective excellence of some of the top brands of the alcobev industry.

Founded by Dr Antonio Sequeira, The Tonia Group started its journey in 1970 with the manufacture of Cashew and Coconut fenny. By 1985, the group forayed into Wines & Spirits with the production of quality Indian whisky, brandy rum, gin and quality grape wines. The group is today very well known for its range of San Andre Liqueurs, Villa Vercelli Tequila, Wines and Spirits. ‘Our products have found preference and have made excellent souvenirs for those travelling to Goa. One of the brands, ‘Tonia Pick Coffee’ is remembered even to this day. We are proud of our journey and look forward to sharing the Tonia Experience with many more”.

Puttul's Craft is a handmade gift store which offers a variety of products like handcrafted jewellery, quilling products, Mandala Art products, home decor products, wedding accessories, refurbished old furniture, etc. This unique home based enterprise was started by Mayuri Signapurkar in the year 2016. It was initially based in Margao, but has now shifted operations to Porvorim. All of Mayuri's work is done by custom orders. If extra stock is available, then she displays pictures of her products on social media. Since the past two years, Mayuri has also started making Ganesh Murthi jewellery decor

Mayuri hails from an event management background. After completing her graduation, she pursued a postgraduate programme in event management from NIEM, Pune. After working for a few companies, she founded her own company called Aromma Creative Events in 2014. She worked as a venue volunteer officer in Goa for the FIFA U-17 World Cup and has also organised many corporate events in Goa. She also worked with the Entertainment Society of Goa on a contract basis.

Mayuri never thought she'd start her own business selling handmade items. She loved art and craft since her school days, wherein she used to participate in drawing competitions, mehendi competitions, etc. She observed that quilling was trending in the market. Quilling is a craft by which one makes paper beads, jewellery, cards, miniatures, frames etc. She happened to share it with her best friend and they were excited to make earrings out of paper strips.

However, once they made the earrings, the question arose in their minds, " Now what? What do we do with these earrings?" While pondering over this question, Mayuri wondered, why not sell them? They made many pairs of earrings and sold them at a flea market in Margao, where they managed to sell 60% of their stock of earrings. They also managed to get orders for earrings in specific colour combinations. Soon, Mayuri came to be known for her quilled earrings.

At the beginning, it was Mayuri and her best friend trying to satisfy their passion for making earrings. After a month, her best friend decided to leave the business. Being a physiotherapist, she couldn't make time for the earring business.

Thus, Mayuri was all on her own now. Mayuri does everything by herself - right from designing her products, to carrying her goods in trunks and boxes to flea markets. The client response to her products has always been great. From quilling and mandala art to decoupage and warli art, people get mesmerised looking at her products, especially the dot mandala where one needs to have the precise size of dot formation.

Handcrafted tables made by Mayuri for Happy Soul Lifestlyle store run Bollywood actress Pooja Bedi

Despite her success, people questioned Mayuri about her profit from the business. Few friends even felt that her work wouldn't lead to anything. It would only be a pastime for her. Mayuri’s only answer to these people was that this is not an area which everyone can understand. It is a vast subject, and there are experts in the craft who earn way more than cynics do. One day, Mayuri sees herself as one of those experts. She believes that she doesn't need to prove herself to the people around her. She trusts her own work and is proud of what she is doing. Today, she is a name to be reckoned with in the market and has won many awards for the work she has done. She also holds the position of Vice-Chairperson in the handicrafts category at the Goa GoWomania Trust, a collective of women entrepreneurs in Goa..

Mayuri's plans for the coming years include expansion of her business and looking at scope for collaboration in sales. Mayuri says one should believe in oneself, no matter what people around say, as you do not owe them any explanations. One day, society itself will know when one is a diamond in the crowd.

Puttul's Craft offers home delivery of their products. Customers interested in placing orders for their products can contact Mayuri on 8600804144.

To know more about Puttul’s Crafts and the products they offer, visit:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/puttulscraft

Instagram: www.instagram.com/puttuls_craft

Award for ‘Best Emerging Entrepreneur’ awarded to Mayuri in 2020 by the Goa GoWomania Trust.

Mayuri being presented with her certificate of appointment as the Vice- Chairperson of the handicrafts council of the Goa GoWomania Trust.