Harshvardhan Bhatkuly, Publisher-Editor, Business Goa, shares his thoughts at the 13th Edition of the Awards
In deep veneration to my Kuldevtas, Shree Mahalakshmi and Shree Damodar, I stand before you to welcome you to the 13th edition of the Business Goa Awards for Corporate Excellence 2025.
Yes, this is our 13th edition. It has been 14 years since we began this journey. It has also been a remarkable 16-year journey for Business Goa, the magazine. What started without a long-term strategy has today achieved phenomenal success – because we stayed true to our mission: to be the ‘Voice of Business in Goa’.
The spark behind the Business Goa magazine came from a question often asked –what business is there in Goa? And even if it existed, many believed it was limited to a few players.
Very few realized that Goa had a strong MSME and industrial culture beyond tourism and, at that time, mining. But Business Goa has consistently upheld its founding principle: to represent and amplify Goa’s business voice.
So far, we have published 190 issues, marching steadily towards 200. Through the Awards, we have honoured over 300 individuals – including tonight’s recipients.
What stand out are stories of resilience, inspiration, leadership, stories that make Goa vibrant, despite the image often associated with it. Goan entrepreneurs must work twice as hard to earn trust outside the state, and that perception was the pain point we aimed to change when launching Business Goa.
Goa has always had to outperform its pitch to beat the perception bias. Goan entrepreneurs have to work that much harder to be taken seriously. And today, look around – this room is full of inspiration. We have leading industrialists, young tech founders, startup leaders, changemakers – people shaping Goa’s economic landscape. Over the years, the Business Goa Awards has stood as proof that Goa has a thriving, robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.
However lately, I haven’t seen encouraging figures for MSMEs in Goa, despite visionary statements from both our Prime Minister and Chief Minister. The intent is strong, but last-mile execution still needs focus. Through our articles and deep-dive stories, we try to highlight where these gaps lie, and how they might be filled.
Tonight, I extend a warm welcome to all. I also have many people to thank, because this event wouldn’t be possible without them.
Thank you to Manoj Chacko of Fly91, our title sponsor, and his co-founder Chenna Reddy, who is with us tonight. My gratitude to Shekhar Sardesai of Kineco; a homegrown name with national and international recognition.
We are grateful for the support of the Alcon Victor Group, Varun and Vinay Albuquerque who have always backed us. Thanks to Deepak Bandekar of Big Banner Entertainment and Media LLP, Kumar Siddarth of CITIHOMES; and Vijay Thomas of Tangentia − an international face of Goa with thriving businesses in Canada, the US, Dubai, and Goa, powered by a local team delivering to global clients. Caeser Fernandes of Wooden Homes has backed us, too. My friend Raghu Shetiye of DNA-Goa and Bondy, has been a pillar of support for all our initiatives.
Thanks to AdCity, our outdoor advertising partners. And a special mention for the brilliant creative artist Sushant Tari of TPT Productions Pvt Ltd, whose team has put this stunning set together in just a few hours. From 2014 to 2019, Sushant was the creative force behind the visual identity of Business Goa Awards and we are thrilled to have his creative touch back!
Thanks also to Paul John, Bondy, and the team at this beautiful venue, Novotel. And to our print media partner, Herald; and Radio Indigo 91.9 FM, our radio partner.
Today, we also have someone I have long admired – a management guru, philosopher, and mentor: Walter Vieira, the keynote speaker.
Business Goa Awards have consistently upped the benchmark with every passing year. It is a reflection on how Goa’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is shaping − spectacularly in full steam ahead.
