Goan Tycoon September Issue 2022

Volume

2

Navigating the business and startup landscape in Goa

MR. D.S PRASHANT

CEO, FiIRE, Fatorda

Igniting The ‘FiiRE’ In Aspiring Entrepreneurs

JACI HEALTHCARE

A private healthcare firm founded in 2021 by Jacinta Shabong and Nitesh Chandra.

suprajit raikar

the wedding entourage

A wedding planning firm based in Panjim

‘Hit the Bull's Eye'

A guest article on target marketing by marketing guru Rohini Gonsalves

CREATIVE ARTS BY SHREESHA

A home-based enteprise which provides graphic designing services

Editorial

Dear readers,

Welcome to the September 2022 issue of our emagazine ‘Goan Tycoon’. On our cover, we have Mr. D.S. Prashant, CEO of FiiRE, a Startup Incubator based at Fatorda. Our inside carries a story on JACI Care Hospitals, Raika, an organic bee-keeping enterprise run by Suprajit Raikar in Benaulim, and most importantly Shreesha Kakode, a differently-abled woman from Cuncolim who runs Creative Arts By Shreesha, a home-based enterprise which provides graphic design services.

Goa is still in the throes of the monsoon season, or so it seems, as the rains don't seem to be abating. But that has not posed a damper to the tourist influx or the beach parties along the coastal belts. Also, the World Goa Day and World Konkani Day celebrations are in full swing around the world with Goan food, Goan music, and ‘amchi mai bhas’ (our mother tongue) Konkani is proudly displayed. Not only abroad but here in Goa too, our locals are coming together to promote our culture in various ways, some via ‘festam’ (festivals) that focus on Goa’s

rich heritage and biodiversity. The ‘Matienchem Fest’ or festival of the soil to be held in November in Pilerne, North Goa, will focus on the value and importance of our Goan soil and its uses. The fest promises to promote Goa’s state musical instrument the ‘Ghumot,’ a percussion instrument made of the red mud that Goa is famous for. Not only is the art of making the Ghumot dying, but also the art of playing it.

On a more serious note, Goa is making huge strides in empowering the differently abled. Several financial schemes, allowances, special schools, rehabilitation programmes, aids, etc. are being initiated in the state. Recently, a news article in the Times of India caught my eye. The article read “Soon, visually-impaired students may be able to answer exams unassisted.” Focussed computer training for the visually impaired has begun at the National Association for the Blind at St. Cruz, Goa in partnership with Bookshare ( a library for people with disabilities). This initiative aims to enable the students to answer their exams without a scribe (an assistant writer). This will help the examiners to assess the real knowledge of the student. The students will be provided with their own braille laptops, earphones, and screen readers. Thus enabling them to stand on their own feet.

We hope you enjoy reading this month's edition of our e-magazine. Do share it with your friends all across the world. If you would like to be featured in our e-magazine, get in touch with us at mail@itsgoa.com

Until next month, cheers!

Jessyl Fernandez Editor

ItsGoa Media Group

Address: Nordic Intent HQ - Floor 3, PDA Colony, Porvorim, Goa 403521

Website: itsgoa.com

Index

01 Mr. D.S Prashant

02 Creative ArtS by Shreesha

03 JACI Healthcare

04 Suprajit P. Raikar

05 IHCL Empanelled on Tourism Board for Goa

06 The Wedding Entourage

07 Article on marketing by Rohini Gonsalves

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.

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Igniting The ‘Fiire’ In Aspiring Entrepreneurs

In a brief conversation with ItsGoa, Mr. DS Prashant, the CEO of FiIRE, a business incubator based at Fatorda, shares in-depth details about the incubator, the services it provides, start-ups it has successfully nurtured, and lots more…

Article by: Cassandra Carvalho

Images Courtesy: FiiRE

Mr. D S Prashant, CEO, FiiRE, Fatorda

Forum for Innovation, Incubation, Research and Entrepreneurship (FiiRE) is a technology business incubator based at the Don Bosco College of Engineering campus in Fatorda. It was established in 2018 with the support of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, under a scheme known as NIDHI - National Initiative for Harnessing and Developing Innovation. It aims to provide support to emerging start-ups in Goa and across India and assist them in gaining a foothold in the world of business.

In a brief conversation with ItsGoa, Mr. DS Prashant, the CEO of FiiRE, shared more details about the incubator, the services it provides, start-ups it has successfully nurtured, and lots more…

Excerpts

Mr. D. S. Prashant - An Introduction: “I have done my post-graduation in agricultural sciences. After completing my studies, I started working at Glaxo India Limited. After a year, I returned to Goa and started working in entrepreneurship development. From 2000 to 2012, I helped promote 2500+ micro-enterprises in Goa. In 2012, I began promoting start-ups in the state after getting trained in a short program on Technology commercialisation at the University of Texas. I have promoted more than 100+ startups so far, and have helped in raising funds for 30+ start-ups in Goa. I am currently pursuing my PhD in management from Goa University.”

FiiRE - What it offers:

1.Incubation: This includes providing mentorship, professional advice from industry experts, assistance in registering a startup, and a structured incubation process to help aspiring entrepreneurs build and develop their start-ups.

2.Accelerator Programme in Tourism Tech: This programme helps startups to get connected with the tourism ecosystem in the state (tourism industry, government departments, and other stakeholders). It aims to take the start-up that has a viable product to a scalable position. The two focus areas of this programme are providing startups with access to the tourism market and product validation.

3.Facilitating Prototyping: We have an onsite prototyping centre which can be used by startups and innovators who want to build a product or a model. Our prototyping centre has facilities for electronic printed circuit boards for building electronic prototypes. It also has 3D printers and CNC machines to build and design different kinds of

4.Investment and funding:

“We offer the following funding schemes for startups:

a. A one-year fellowship for aspiring entrepreneurs who have just graduated in engineering under the NIDHI EIR program

b. Grants of up to Rs. 10 lakhs for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build prototypes under the NIDHI PRAYAS program

c. Funding through the Startup India seed fund for the startups who want to scale up their product, go to the market, and establish their product.

We also organise investor meets where startups get a chance to interact with investors and seek funding for their startups.”

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Forum for Innovation, Incubation, Research and Entreperneurship at the DBCE campus in Fatorda.

Prototyping Lab at FiiRE

Few Eminent People Who are Mentors At FiiRE:

“We have many well-known entrepreneurs and business persons on our mentoring team at FiiRE. Two individuals on our Board of Mentors, who are actively involved in mentoring startups at FiiRE are Mr. Anil Joshi, founder of Unicorn India Ventures who was instrumental in setting up Mumbai Angels and Mr. Robert Lobo, who has served as President of The Raymond Group.”

The Advantages Of Running A Startup With The Help Of A Business Incubator:

“We observe that successful startups in India have taken off and have become unicorns without the support of an incubator. However, the advantage of running a startup with the assistance of an incubator is that while building on a business idea, from Day 1, you are challenged by people who have basic fundamental knowledge about business and domain about business and domain expertise. By receiving guidance from them, one can understand the potential of the idea thus reducing the chances of failure. Start-ups who avail of the services of a startup incubator will be able to develop their idea in a much shorter period too and will be able to pivot themselves into a viable business spending fewer resources. The first idea on which the entrepreneur starts his startup is not the one he will eventually end up with. Numerous changes occur along the way, which takes a lot of time if one runs their startup without the help of a supporting ecosystem. Incubators are in a position to help create the right ecosystem for the startup. Secondly, when operating the startup from an incubator, one gets easy access to the people who matter including experts, mentors, and investors who can help and guide in pivoting the startup in a much shorter period and reach the product market fit. Thirdly, when building a prototype, the initial funding and other kinds of support for the startup are usually provided by a business incubator. One can also get access to information regarding various benefits and incentives available for start-ups from an incubator. The ecosystem will be able to help by being part of an incubator.”

Costs Of The Various Incubation Packages Offered

At FiiRE:

“The following packages are offered at FiiRE to individuals wishing to establish a startup:

We offer a free consultancy service for one month. Anyone, who has an idea for a startup, can discuss the idea with us and we provide the necessary guidance required to develop the idea into a startup.

“If they want to avail of the services of the incubator, there are two ways:

1.Virtual Incubation: This package costs Rs.1000 per month. Aspiring entrepreneurs opting for this package will be provided with mentoring and guidance and support for developing their startup via various processes established by FiiRE.

Physical Incubation: This package costs Rs. 4000 per month. Start-up founders opting for this package are provided with facilities like physical office space, highspeed internet, air-conditioned rooms, access to meeting rooms, access to prototyping labs etc., along with mentoring and guidance from industry experts.”

Applying For The Services Provided At FiiRE And The Eligibility Criteria:

“There are no fixed eligibility criteria for those who wish to avail of the services offered at FiiRE. Anyone who has an idea and wants to pursue a career in entrepreneurship and establish a startup can apply. They can apply for our services, either online via our website or can connect with a member of the team at FiiRE over a phone call who will be happy to assist.”

Air-conditioned conference room at FiiRE

Co-working space at FiIRE

FiiRE goes to schools and colleges to make students aware of the various services provided: “FiiRE is doing this in a small way but it is the Goa State Innovation Council, which is part of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Goa, that goes to every school and college in Goa to make students aware of the various opportunities and facilities available at various start-up incubators in the state. We rely on them to explain to students about the assistance and support which FiiRE can offer to those who aspire to establish a startup.”

“Normally parents discourage their children from venturing into entrepreneurship due to fears that the startup may fail and their child may have to incur losses” - Mr. D. S. Prashant comments: “When someone starts an enterprise, he becomes more responsible. He begins to understand the way the business world functions. He gets exposure at a very early age regarding how to manage things and can exhibit his leadership qualities. If a parent thinks that their child should work in a 9-5 job, it is fine, because entrepreneurship is not meant for everyone. However, if a parent thinks ‘why not my child start a small business, wherein the losses are not so huge,’ then there are a lot of methods today where one can try to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams and ideas with minimal financial losses. The worst outcome would be that the company will fold up, and it will not work.”

“Once you fold up a failed startup company and go to apply for a job, you are more appreciated by your employers because of your experience as a start-up founder, which they find invaluable. We, at FiiRE, get a lot of inquiries from companies, saying that if you know anyone who has failed in their attempt at building a startup, kindly refer them to us so that we can hire them. This is because founders who have failed in their entrepreneurial journey have more knowledge and experience regarding running a company and implementing ideas as compared to a person who has never experienced it. If parents want their children to explore the maximum talent they have, they should also allow them to explore entrepreneurship or at least taste it at some point in time in their career.``

According to Mr. Prashant, the major reasons many startups fail are:

“Running a startup is not an easy journey. Startups are bound to fail because they operate on very

innovative models and technologies which try to disrupt certain existing methodologies in the business ecosystem. Sometimes, high-end technologies or disruptive technologies may not work, either because it is way ahead of their time, consumers may not need the product, or the startup founders may not be able to build a commercially viable product which satisfies the needs of the consumer. There may be multiple reasons for a startup to fail.”

“However, the underlying factor here is that once an entrepreneur builds a startup and fails, the next time he tries to build his startup, he will have all the knowledge and insight regarding how to go about building the startup. The learning experience that he gains after failing in his first attempt helps him in building a more successful company in the future.”

“If you look at the Goan startup ecosystem, we have a dearth of innovative ideas. This is because innovators haven't been exposed to the startup ecosystem at an early age and haven't failed multiple times.”

“There are no shortcuts to building a successful startup. They are bound to fail. And we want them to fail fast and without incurring much loss so that in their second attempt, they are in a position to build a

a startup which is more powerful, robust and scalable.”

A Few Successful Startups Nurtured

By

FiiRE:

“A few successful startups which have been nurtured at FiiRE include Custom Elements, an e-commerce platform dealing in bike riding gears and accessories, La Fabrica, a biodegradable packaging and consultancy firm, CogniCue, a data analytics firm, and FunMinds Learning, an ed-tech start-up that uses gamified learning to teach the ability of coding to students aged from 10 to 16 years.” “We also have a startup named Awayddings, which assists people in arranging a wedding venue at ideal destinations in India. This startup has made it to the next round of Shark Tank India.”

Mr. Prashant’s thoughts on what the Government of Goa is doing to promote Goa as a startup hub:

“Government has come out with a clear roadmap. The startup policy has spelt out the support offered and the vision to make Goa into a startup destination. Focusing on creating infrastructure to enable startup activities with schemes like Fibre-to-Home which aims to provide highspeed internet access to every household in the state is an enabler. Creating the right talent pool to cater to the requirements of specialised IT startups and companies is another important focus area. The government is also looking at availing the services of start-ups to provide

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solutions to challenges thus becoming a client for startups. The holistic approach will make a difference in the days to come .”

Events Held At FiiRE:

“We have investor meets with established investors every quarter, where startups get an opportunity to interact with investors and seek funding for their startups.”

“We also conduct an annual programme on women's entrepreneurship called 'Business Diva' in association with the Women’s Wing of the Goa Chamber Of Commerce And Industry (GCCI).”

“We conducted a high-profile programme “The Goa Tourism Accelerator Programme” in September 2021. It was the first of its kind in the country. It focussed on promoting tourism startups from across the country. We received applications from 25 cities. based in 7 countries across the world.”

Plans And Initiatives Of FiiRE:

“We want to get deeper into tourism technology and assist more tourism-related startups as we see an opportunity to leverage the strengths of startups for the tourism ecosystem and also the support which Goa can offer to the tourism startups. We will need support from technology startups to help Goa become a top-notch tourism destination. We are exploring ways by which we can make Goa a worldclass tourism destination with the help of startups.”

Mr. D. S. Prashant’s message to aspiring entrepreneurs in Goa:

“I would like to say that it is quite easy today to establish a startup. Also, don't think that you have to be successful with your start-up at every step. Make your first attempt at building a startup; even if you fail, you are still a winner as you have managed to learn a lot from that failure. Experiment and take it forward. ”

DS Prashant (center) with Fr. Kinley D’Cruz, Director, FiIRE (right), and Dr. Neena Panandikar (left), Principal, Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda

Shreesha Kakode, who hails from the beautiful village of Cuncolim, runs a small home-based enterprise called “Creative ArtS By Shreesha''. The enterprise was started by Shreesha in 2020 as a hobby to satisfy her passion for creating new and unique designs. She created these designs using her own ideas as well as ideas inspired from designs on the internet. Her business is small and she does all her designing at her residence in Cuncolim.

The items which she does designing for include invitation cards for all types of functions, business cards, advertisement pamphlets, ‘Thank You’ cards, prescriptions, advertisement banners, receipts, logos, keychains, travel tags, greeting cards, and book labels. She also does the designing of name banners, photo editing with effects, digital decorations, and lots more.

All of these items can be customized with a variety of backgrounds and themes. "I design all of the above items in digital format and provide delivery of all orders to all my clients in Goa and also across India by email", says Shreesha. "I also provide print copies of some of my items to my clients", she adds.

How Did It All Start?

Shreesha reveals that she is a differently abled person. “I am physically handicapped. I can walk everywhere, but only with the support of someone”, she says. “Despite all these hardships, I completed my schooling and also my B.A in economics and political science with a first class. All of this was possible for me only because of the constant support of my loving parents, my sister, all my dear friends, and all my teachers, she adds.

During the lockdown, when she had a lot of free time, Shreesha started designing birthday greeting cards for her friends and family members and began sharing them on WhatsApp and other social media platforms. “All my friends and family members loved all my designs. They all appreciated me; my parents, my sister Sneha and all my friends encouraged me to turn my hobby of this ‘art’ into a ‘creative’ business of designing. In this way, I turned my hobby of art into a business and named it “Creative Arts by Shreesha”.

he is no more with us”, she says. “I know that my pappa will be very proud of me”, she adds.

Public Response

When Shreesha first thought of starting her business, she designed her e-business card with her business’ contact details and asked her family, friends, and other acquaintances to share her card on social media. She then opened a page for her business on Facebook and Instagram and from there it all started. Her friends, well wishers, and family started to share the contact details of her business and it reached many people in different places far and wide.” Hundreds of people, from Goa and other parts of India liked my creative designs”, says Shreesha. “They began to contact me and gave me orders to design various items. People who liked my designs gave me and my page a fabulous response”, she adds.

Her Future Plans

All of this was possible because of my sweet family, especially my pappa whom I miss so much today as

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Shreesha plans To Make her enterprise “Creative ArtS By Shreesha'' more and more popular in the years to come. She is thankful for her family, friends and well-wishers who helped her promote her business all over the world through various social media platforms.

Her Message To Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Shreesha says that all aspiring entrepreneurs must believe in the saying “ where there is a will, there is a way”. To succeed in anything, you need to work hard, follow your conviction, and have willpower, support and hope. If you possess all these things, then any impossible thing turns into a reality leaving all the imperfections behind.

Anyone wishing to place orders for the design of business cards, greeting cards and other similar items may get in touch with Shreesha to place their orders.

Her contact details are as follows:

WhatsApp: (+91)-9823694433

Email: shreeshaa12k@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/shreesha.kakode

JACI Healthcare Private Limited is a private healthcare firm founded in 2021 by Jacinta Shabong and Nitesh Chandra.

Image:

Article by: Steve Antao

Image Credit: JACI Care

Jacinta Shanbhog, Co-Founder, JACI Care

JACI Healthcare Private Limited is a private healthcare firm founded in 2021 by Jacinta Shabong and Nitesh Chandra. The company operates out of Goa, Delhi and Bangalore. JACI Hospitals and JACI Care are the key initiatives of JACI Healthcare Private Limited.

Jacinta is a former banker who worked for The Citibank Group. She also worked in leadership positions in Heckyl (a trading data analytics technology company) and Shaze (a lifestyle and fashion retail Brand). She also set up a senior-fitness startup called ‘Oomba’ in Mumbai, before moving to Goa. She holds an MBA degree from FMS, Delhi.

Nitesh is also an ex-banker who worked at Citibank. Apart from this, he has also led teams in startups such as Citrus Pay (acquired by PayU) and TempoGO (Vehicular IoT startup based out of Goa). He was also one of the founders of Sassy Studios (OYO for salons) and Inteple Education (Skill development for kids). He has done his MBA from IIT-Kharagpur.

In a brief chat with ItsGoa, Jacinta Shanbhog, CoFounder of JACI Healthcare shared insights into the idea behind JACI Care, the various services provided by the company, the various other initiatives they are into and a lot more…

Give us a brief overview about JACI Hospitals and JACI Care.

Under JACI Hospitals, India's top surgeons come to your town. You no longer need to travel to Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai or any other big city for your treatment as JACI Hospitals bring India's top surgeons to a hospital near you. We help serve families in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities for all their presurgery consultations, 2nd opinions on critical health conditions and surgery needs. We are staffed with a strong pool of India's top doctors.

On the other hand, JACI Care addresses post-surgery or post-hospital condition care and rehabilitation needs with medical supervision and at-home recovery services.

What was the idea that you had in mind while starting JACI Care?

Once a loved one leaves the hospital post-surgery or post the medical treatment, it is challenging, complex

and difficult to maintain or offer a standard efficiency in medical treatment and care. Therefore, the idea was to provide top class post-hospital medical treatment and care accessible, easily available and at the right time to address the medical attention that families and their loved ones need the most.

Tell us in detail about the various services provided by JACI Care. JACI Care offers post-surgery medical and healthcare programs tailored to the needs of the patient. This includes follow-up advice and prescriptions by the surgeon in a consistent and complete manner. It also facilitates medical and home care equipment as well as caregiving personnel for dedicated attention during the period of recovery.

What was the response from the public like when JACI Care just started off?

We launched JACI Hospitals and JACI Care soon after to the public. We had families appreciating the noble initiative. Many have provided encouraging feedback saying that it is a much-needed service. We were also approached by families, especially those,

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Nitesh Chandra, Co-Founder, JACI Healthcare

whose parents are living alone developing medical conditions for whom we have successfully been providing our guidance, recommendations and services at the right time.

What are the major challenges that you face while running JACI Care?

The post-hospitalization phase is as important as the time spent during hospital care. There is a huge need for awareness about omissions in post hospitalisation care (what we miss out doing vis-a-vis already knowing what to do) that can bridge the gaps in the recovery process at home. Therefore, the scope of making expert information available is always a constant endeavour. There is also scope of raising the bar in discovering welltrained caregiver personnel for external assistance. Another is to identify a one point family caregiver for the patient to be on top of the recovery process and finally reduce the burden of caregiving on the family caregiver at home.

Kindly elaborate on this crowd sourcing initiative for seniors, which you have started in Goa. We realized from each of our own personal experiences of caregiving that having access to information, to medical and home-care equipment providers including caregiving professionals at the right time was key in arranging for the comfort and care for the loved one at home. Though the challenge of finding that information, researching and most importantly getting hold of the equipment when most needed, is huge. To bridge the gap that exists between such demand and supply, to make resources readily available was one goal. The key differentiator was to maximise the use of an equipment for which one family may no longer have the need of, to pass that on to somebody else whose need for that equipment is current. Therefore, we decided to start a crowdsourcing platform of such useful materials, where people with such kind of equipment could buy-sell or rent-hire, donate or give away the equipment within the community.

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Jacinta, engaging in a group discussion with senior citizens

What are your future plans for JACI Care in Goa?

The plan is to go by what the demand is from families and the elderly within the household. Taking into consideration the lifestyle, caregiving culture and most importantly the medical need conditions from the corners of Goa. Therefore the goal is to reach to all nook and corners of Goa so as to not leave any family from top-class medical inclusion and care. There will be synergies and partnerships, collaborations with top service-providers in Goa and outside, to help expand the reach of medical care and attention to all of Goa.

Finally, any message or words of advice that you would like to share with our readers? Our message is that we are here to make post-hospitalisation care accessible and affordable for everyone who needs it. So, if you have any post hospitalisation needs - for equipment or for personnel to care for your loved ones or even just seeking expert medical advice about rehabilitation, we are here for you.

Jacinta conducting a medical awareness camp

Suprajit P. Raikar

A software engineer turned beekeeper from Benaulim

Article by: Cassandra Carvalho

Images Courtesy: M/s Raika & Co.

Image: Suprajit Raikar, a beekeeper and founder of M/s Raika & Co.

social entrepreneur

Suprajit P. Raikar, a software engineer turned beekeeper and trainer from Benaulim. He has received certification and training in beekeeping from the Central Bee Research and Training Institute, Pune. From pursuing a masters degree in Computer Applications, Mr. Raikar is now a member of the Confederation of Apiculture Industry and is affiliated to APIMONDIA (International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations).

His company, M/s Raika & Co., was founded in the year 2014. It is a social enterprise that promotes beekeeping and organic farming inorder to increase agricultural productivity and provides market access to enhance income and improve livelihoods of marginal farmers in Goa.

Honey bees help in increasing farm yield by 20-80%. In order to create awareness and understand the role of honeybees in the ecosystem, Mr. Raiker has set up a Honey Bee Nursery and Beekeeping Training Center in Benaulim. Here, he regularly conducts a honeybee awareness program for children above 5 years, held every Saturday, free of charge.

Beekeeping enthusiasts, farmers and children regularly visit his apiary inorder to understand Beekeeping Techniques. His enterprise sells honeybee hives, wherein bee hives are purchased by farmers and installed in their respective farms.

He has also established a Raika Honey Outlet in Benaulim, which is Goa's first apiculture shop. The shop sells locally produced raw organic honey, freshly harvested honeycombs, honeybee colonies, bee boxes, along with beekeeping tools and equipment.

They also sell organic lifestyle products such as beeswax and beeswax-based products like body balm, beeswax lip balm, beeswax birthday candles and beeswax foodwrap, an alternative to plastic cling film.

Mr. Raiker has more than 100 farmers associated with Raika Honey and 10% from the business' profit goes to various charity projects across Goa.

Mr. Raiker's wife, Mrs. Deepika looks after the accounting and finance aspects of the business. She

also handles the beeswax product segments, right from making raw beeswax till the final products, like beeswax lip balm.

Mr. Raiker calls for protection of honeybees, as bees are part of the ecosystem on which mankind depends upon for survival. If bees become extinct, the human species too will see its demise. Humanity must work collectively to protect honey bees fromk becoming extint.

Suprajit holding a honeycomb with bees.

ihcl empanelled on tourism board for goa

Mr. Vincent Ramos, Senior

In a continued effort to achieve industry benchmark standards for quality tourism in Goa, Mr. Vincent Ramos, Senior Vice President – Goa of the Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) is empanelled as member of the Empowered Committees for the Goa Tourism Board, an apex body for planning, policy making, strategizing and overseeing the implementation of various tourism programs and initiatives in the state. In his new role, Mr. Ramos will contribute towards the various Land and Infrastructure development programs and initiatives in Goa.

Spearheading the largest hospitality operator in the state, Mr. Ramos brings with him exceptional leadership skills and a multitude of management experience from within the tourism industry. Hailing from the beautiful island of Chorão in Goa and being son of the soil, he has been actively involved with the local state authorities to enhance tourism in Goa as Mentor for the Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) Committee – Tourism vertical and as an Executive Member of the Managing Committee of Travel & Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) as well as the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Goa.

Speaking on the appointment, Mr. Ramos said, “Goa has immense potential to position itself as the world’s best travel destination. With a combined and unified effort of all the partners and stakeholders in the industry, I am certain that Goa can achieve exemplary standards in tourism. It is an honour to be in service of the state and we look forward to empowering the State Government with all the required support and achieving our common goal of repositioning Goa as a world-class leader in tourism.”

Since inception, IHCL has always been synonymous with Goa, having inclusion and business responsibility embedded in its DNA. Thus, constantly striving for the local communities to share in the benefits of its presence with maximized local employment and generating new avenues for business opportunities with a collaborative approach towards helping

with a collaborative approach towards helping improve the quality of life and giving back to the community. IHCL comprises of a group of brands and businesses that offer a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and remarkable service including Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta, Ginger, amã Stays & Trails, Qmin and TajSATS.

With a footprint of 21 unique destinations in the state and over 1500 rooms across the length and breadth of the state, IHCL continues to define the changing landscape of tourism in Goa as the largest hospitality operator and leader in the tourism sector.

The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) brings together a group of brands that offer a fusion of warm Indian hospitality and world-class service. These include Taj – India’s Strongest Hospitality Brand as per Brand Finance 2021, SeleQtions, a named collection of hotels, Vivanta, sophisticated upscale hotels, and Ginger, which is revolutionising the lean luxe segment. Incorporated by the founder of the Tata Group, Jamsetji Tata, the Company opened its first hotel - The Taj Mahal Palace, in Bombay in 1903. IHCL has a portfolio of 236 hotels including 60 under development globally across 4 continents, 11 countries and in over 100 locations.

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Vice-President, IHCL-Goa region empanelled as member of the Empowered Committees for the Goa Tourism Board.

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"The Wedding Entourage" is a wedding planning company based in Panjim. It was founded in 2019 by Priyanka Shetty and Myron Fernandes. The firm provides well-styled wedding decor tailored to suit every budget. They work with wedding clients to provide all the wedding decor of your choosing or in some cases to supplement wedding decorations that you may already have and want to incorporate. They have been in this business of organizing weddings with great planning and execution for quite some time now. They have many years of experience in this field and have planned weddings in many cities. They have an in-house decor team but also work with decorators of choosen by their clients. They plan not only weddings, but also all types of corporate and promotional events.

Services Offered Venue selection Catering

Photography/ Videography Styling and Grooming Decoration

DJ and Entertainment

Guests Transfers

Hospitality and Guests Support Invitations Wedding Cake Band and Baraat

For more information about ‘The Wedding Entourage’, contact Myron Fernandes on:

Mobile:+91-8554808019

Priyanka Shetty, CoFounder,

The Wedding Entourage

Myron Fernandes, Co-Founder, The Wedding Entourage

We often hear people use the term 'market' loosely, to mean several things - the economy, the capital market, and sometimes 'potential buyers.’ Let's explore what the market stands for in a business.

Firstly, the correct term to use is ‘Target Market’ and not just ‘market’. What is the Target Market for any prospective or existing business?

As I see it, the target market is a group of persons or parties who are likely to use the product/service being sold by you for a certain price. Now one must accept the fact that there is always a buyer available somewhere. People buy a dozen pens for 20 Rupees on one hand and pay several tens of thousands for 1 pen on the other extreme, with innumerable options at various prices in between. So there is no dearth of buyers. So, you need to identify the target market you aim to serve to get it right.

The key to the success of a business is to find an adequate number of buyers to make the business profitable. The defining and identification of the Target Market needs to be done before the launch of that business, product/service. Defining the 'who will buy' the product/service is like a sieve. Your business exists in an open society therefore anyone may inquire about it. Segmentation is a strategy of elimination rather than attraction. You may want to pick the correct demographic, socio-economic strata, tastes and preferences, buying behaviour etc.

Once it is clear to the minutest detail of who your buyer is, the next step is to structure the business processes so meticulously, that it eliminates the ones that are not your target market. Factors like design and pricing are the most prominent factors that influence the target market. The people who appreciate a bright colour package are distinct from some others who are repulsed by gaudy colours. They may prefer the pastels more. Design is a powerful tool of distinction.

The price is the most efficient way of choosing the target market. The same product may be made available to different economic bands by pricing the product differently. A business can use pricing to attract either the masses or any subset of it. We several businesses serving distinct segments at the same time but fail to observe it as an act of segmentation.

A restaurant has an AC section and a non-AC section serving the same food to two distinct buyer segments. Car manufacturers use the same engine in a sedan and a hatchback. Consumables like toothpaste, shampoo etc serve in bottles and in sachets to cater to separate economic subsets. The ketchup manufacturers sell to homes in bottles and restaurants in sachets. In the service industry, a laundry may offer door pick-up for hotels or bigger customers. Jewellery stores have a more sophisticated lounge for diamond buyers. Banks have a relationship manager assigned to premium customers.

Once a business has clearly defined its segment, then the next step is to ensure that what they offer meets the needs of the buyers and they are left with a delightful experience. The product or service, the buying experience, the after-sales service and the customer relationship management should be befitting that segment.

The final step is to communicate with that segment in such a way that they buy and buy more. The mode, tone, content and channel of the communication largely depend on who one wishes to connect. Some businesses use personalized communication when they are serving a niche market. But it's not doable in the case of a mass market product which may need advertising in general media to communicate a similar message

Thus, a business which has a clearly defined Target Market Segment is certainly able to conquer the Product, Price, Place and Promotion which are generally considered the four cornerstones of a good marketing plan. A solid marketing strategy will undoubtedly direct the efforts of a business to more profits and sustained growth.

About the Author:

The author, Rohini Gonsalves, is a marketing consultant and also the founder of Sevarat, a Panjim-based start-up which provides geriatric care services to elderly patients. She is a gold medallist in marketing and sales promotion from Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan and has more than 15 years of experience in the field of marketing, Anyone wishing to avail of her services may contact her on:

Mobile: +91 8329 857965

Email: rohini@sevarat.com

Website: www.sevarat.com

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Goan student designers enthrall audiences at the JD Design Awards 2022

The awards were part of the Graduation Day ceremony of JD Institute of Fashion Technology, Goa

Students of the JD Institute of Fashion Technology and JD School of Design, Goa enthralled the audiences at the “JD Design Awards 2022” night which was held to showcase their best creations at the Panjim Gymkhana on Thursday night.

The media release issued in the city on Friday stated that the student designers worked under the theme of “Sync” with nature and came up with multiple concepts that spoke of a futuristic world where technology and ecosystem was intertwined with each other.

The student designers experimented with various fabrics, material and strengthened the idea of a healthy and equal living. The following seven student designers won awards in their respective categories. “Natividade” by Denisha Ann Auban Myrabo Fernandes (Best Pret Wear Collection), “Dare to be the Dandelion” by Anamika Ishwar Raj Chauhan (Best Pret Wear Collection), “Raponn” by Britney Pacheco (Best Sustainability Collection), “Nature’s Footprint” by Jezril Martins (Special Jury Award), “Only One Earth” by Hrutika Bhalchandra Salgaonkar (Sustainable Pret wear), “After the after party” by Vipul Vishnu Gaonkar (Best Creative Concept) and “Flourish” by Dionne Joanna Dias (Best Designer Collection)

Speaking on the occasion, Nealesh Dalal, Managing Trustee, JD Educational Trust said, “The Goa edition of JD Design Awards 2022 has been a huge success. The challenge was given to the budding designers to understand where the world is headed and the right path they can adopt for overall growth. JD Institute of Fashion Technology and JD School of Design, Goa with their advanced global curriculum ensures that we produce designers who understand today's world with their imagination.”

The JD institute has a legacy since 1988 and over the years has given the Indian design industry many prominent names. Currently, admissions are open for the undergraduate courses in Fashion and Interior Design and Advanced Diploma courses in both the domains along with Diploma courses in Fashion Design, Interior Design, Fashion Photography and Makeup and Hairstyle Artistry.

The JD Institute of Fashion Technology and JD School of Design, Goa is affiliated to Goa University and Singhania University and to a host of international colleges and associations which include the London College of Fashion, UK, The Indo French Chamber of Commerce and Industry and The Chelsea College of Art and Design, UK among others.

The student designers who won awards in various categories along with members of the management of JD Institute of Fashion Technology

INVEST GOA 2022 ROADSHOW IN MUMBAI

Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry in association with the Government of Goa and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry is organizing ‘Goa Invest 22 Summit’ on 07th October 2022 at Taleigao Community Hall. The objective of the summit is to attract investors to look at Goa as a Lucrative Investment Destination. GCCI aims to bring in green Industries which are not energy intensive and which can provide employment to the local youth. The focus sectors are Logistics, Agro and Marine Food Processing, Startups and RND, Tourism, Education, Entertainment, IT/ITES, Pharma, and Biotech

“With 88% literacy and the highest per capita income, a population fluent in English, Hindi, and Konkani competent technical manpower, and a low cost of living index makes Goa a preferred destination for investors. The State has already improved in EODB rankings and has already earned about 59 reforms to decriminalized 29 State Acts,” he added

To promote Invest Goa 22, a Road Show was organized in World Trade Centre, Mumbai. This Roadshow was led by the Hon’ble Industries Minister, Mr. Mauvin Godinho. The other members included GCCI President, Mr. Ralph de Sousa, GCCI Past President, Mr. Manguirish N Pai Raiker, Director General, Mr. Sanjay Amonkar, Member, Managing Committee, Mr. Ashutosh Kharangate, Mr. Raj Kumar Kamat, and Ms. Pratusha of Investment Promotion Board, Goa. This event was supported by World Trade Centre, Mumbai with their Chairman, Dr. Vijay Kalantri, and Director Ms. Rupa Nayak.

In his keynote address, Mr. Mauvin Godinho spelled out the various reforms carried out by the Government of Goa to bring in fresh Investments. He informed that a single window clearance has been set up in IPB and to complement the same Goa Investment Promotion Policy has been released. Goa has year-round mild weather, and sunny beaches, and is steeped in biodiversity and natural beauty. Here, the quality of life plays an important role for new investors. “Goa has an excellent network of Highways, Sea, Rail, and Air connectivity and a brand new Airport to augment the same.”

The recently released Goa Industrial Growth and Investment Promotion Policy 2022 focuses on emerging sectors like Logistics, Niche Tourism, IT/ITS, Agro and Food Processing, Pharma, and Biotech. Govt emphasises PPP Mode to take up infrastructure projects. Special Incentives are being given to Industries with Investments over 100crores. The government is also proposing Pvt Land Bank for Potential Investors The Tourism Department, the TCP Department, the Goa Pollution Control Board as well as Municipal Administration have already come out with simplified procedures and Ease of doing Business.

GCCI President Mr. Ralph De Sousa and Past President Mr. Manguirish Raiker emphasized the fact that Goa is a Pharma and Light Engineering Manufacturing Hub and more Industries can come in. Goa is strong infrastructurally and the State Govt is keen to promote Industry. Various Incentives have already been declared by the Govt and more are on the anvil.

There was an overwhelming response to the Roadshow with many Foreign Consulates, Trade missions, Industrial Associations, Chambers and Investors attending the same. There was a QnA session and networking after the event during which Mr. Mauvin Godhinho informed that two more Road Shows, Ahmedabad on the 16th of September and New Delhi on the 20th of September, will be held. He expressed confidence that many investors will come to Goa. The Event was compered by Mr. Sanjay Amonkar Director General, GCCI.

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CII Indian Women Network (IWN) Goa inks MoU with Goa Police

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Indian Women Network (IWN) Goa signed an MoU with Goa Police. The objective is to empower the Women Police Force in Goa, create awareness and address various issues women face in their personal and professional careers. Through this initiative, CII IWN aims to enhance women's capability, core domain, and quality in their workplace. CII IWN will facilitate faculty experts to address and deal with Stress Management, Financial Literacy, Mental Health, etc. to enlighten, guide, and upskill the women workforce.

During the interaction, Mr Jaspal Singh IPS, Director General Goa Police extended support to the

industry in Cyber Crime, substance abuse, and other such topics.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Mr. Jaspal Singh

IPS, Director General of Police, Mr. Omvir Singh Bishnoi, IPS, Inspector General Of Police Ms. Sudiksha S Naik, Police Inspector, Women PS Panaji, Ms. Maria Monserrate, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Women PS, Anti Human Trafficking Unit, Ms. Reshma Shirodkar, Police Inspector, Pink Force, Ms. Sandhya Gupta, Police Inspector Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) Panaji, Ms. Sheetal Pai Kane, Chairperson, CII IWN Goa, Ms. Sonia Kuncalienker, Vice Chairperson, CII IWN Goa and other members of CII IWN Goa Chapter.

Open to all DJ workshop at Arambol by Serendipity Arts Festival 2022

B-side is an initiative by Serendipity Arts centred around independent music and cultural currents stemming from contemporary music practices. The programme strives to spark conversations around music production, DJ-ing, research, performances, educational modules, and collaborative sonic explorations focused on emerging acts around South Asia.

As part of the B-side initiative, Serendipity Arts Festival will have a 10 days DJ mixing workshop in Arambol starting from 12th October till 22nd October, 2022. The workshop will focus on spinning tunes on deck, music mixing on laptop and B-side. The workshop provides DJ-ing enthusiasts a platform to learn the basics from Vir RC from VRIDIAN, an electronic music project based out of New Delhi. Workshop will focus on practical knowledge allowing participants to learn the navigation around turntables, CD players (USB) and even laptops with access to club/event ready gear. Other features include, guest lectures from industry veterans who will talk about domains of performance, venue programming, artist management and importance of programming, artist management and importance of background research about songs, music and file management.

WHO: Serendipity Arts Festival 2022

WHAT: Free DJ Workshop

WHEN: 12 to 22 October 2022

WHERE: Satori Wellness, Arambol, Goa

For more information:

https://serendipityarts.org/foundation_init/dj-mixingworkshop

Edelweiss Private Wealth registers

105% growth in client assets in Goa, Maharashtra region

Client assets of Edelweiss Wealth Management have grown at ~39% cumulative annualized growth rate from INR ~20,000 crores in the fiscal year 2015 to INR ~2 lac crore as of 31st March 2022 Panaji: The Government of India’s special thrust on economic growth and improving the quality of life of people in tier II cities like Panaji is expected to steer the large businesses, promoter families, and entrepreneurs of Goa to create sustainable wealth which will help propel the country’s economy towards the USD 5 trillion dreams.

The government’s focus to transform cities like Panaji, Pune, Nasik, Ahmednagar, Nagpur, Solapur, Kolhapur, etc. into smart cities has facilitated a boost in development projects in Infrastructure and Technology. As a result, an ecosystem has been created for entrepreneurs and business owners to participate in the economic growth and overall development of these cities and states.

Against this backdrop, Edelweiss Private Wealth, the wealth management arm of Edelweiss Wealth Management, which caters to the needs of UHNI, family offices, business owners, corporate treasuries, affluent individuals, and others, has announced that its Pune division (which covers Goa and Maharashtra, ex Mumbai) reported a jump of 105% YOY in its client assets as compared to its clients in rest of India. Its client base also increased by 44% CAGR between 2019 and 2022.

Mr. Alok Saigal, President & Head, Private Wealth, Edelweiss Wealth Management, said, “We are committed to offering world-class solutions to our clients in Goa, empowering them to capitalize on the India growth story. Our innovative product suite, added with the customer experience we provide has ensured us to be one of the key wealth management players in a market which has the potential to grow 15% by 2025 according to Industry estimates.”

“Goa is attracting investments in multiple sectors like infrastructure, technology, and the services sectors

like infrastructure, technology, and the services sector, etc. which are key to support fast-paced growth, and further aid the state's growth,” he added.

Priyanshu Gaurav, Managing Partner & Market Head Pune, Rest of Maharashtra & Goa, Private Wealth, Edelweiss Wealth Management said, "This entire region has a wide array of businesses from Manufacturing, IT, Real Estate, and a flourishing startup ecosystem. We have made a sincere effort to be a helping hand to our clients in creating and preserving wealth by providing bespoke solutions. Our comprehensive platform and high-quality research across the spectrum make us a preferred wealth manager of Family Offices, Business Entrepreneurs, UHNI, and Corporate Treasuries. This has resulted in a growth of 316 times in a span 3 years with current client assets standing at INR ~2100 cr as of March 2022”

The Pune division was launched in 2019, under the leadership of Priyanshu Gaurav. The firm’s commitment to bringing value to the table at every step across services and Investment products has played a significant role in the division’s growth. The Pune team worked closely with business families and UHNI’s in Pune to understand their business / individual financial needs and help them achieve their medium to long-term objectives by extending best-in-class financial products, risk management, and tech-enabled execution platform.

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