“Goa’s Story is about what Goa is Building”

In deep veneration to my Kuladevatas, Shree Mahalakshmi and Shree Damodar, it gives me great pride and privilege to welcome you for the 14th edition of Business Goa Awards for Corporate Excellence; sponsored by KINECO.

What began in 2012 as a modest initiative has today evolved into a credible and respected platform that celebrates enterprise, leadership and impact across Goa.

I would like to welcome  Shekhar Sardesai, principal sponsor of today’s event; Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism and Information  Technology; Our Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker for the evening, Ritu Beri; My very good friend and guest of honour Dr Annurag Batra; Dr. Deviya Rane, Vijay Sardesai, Nanabaab Bandekar, who has been a big pillar of support to the Business Goa Awards over the years; Sadanand Shet Tanavade, Member of Parliament; Baba Dempo and all of you lovely people in the audience.

When we started Business Goa, the magazine in 2009, it was a simple and clear brief that we wanted to be the ‘Voice of Business in Goa’. It was quite an audacious statement coming from us back then, but then we realised that Goa’s business stories had to be told.

Goa’s business stories, not just success stories but stories of resilience, stories of trials and tribulations had to come out in a very different way, or the people wouldn’t believe that there is a business ecosystem in Goa. 17 years ago we decided to launch Goa’s only business magazine which today is Goa’s No.1 magazine.

In 2012, the first edition of Business Goa Awards came about and Dr. Annurag Batra was our first keynote speaker and 14 years back he commented that in 10 years, this is going to be an event property that Goa is going to be proud of.I hope that we have stood good by at least some of those standards.

Over the past 14 years we have honoured and recognised 365 awardees, people who have made change and people who have created impact in business, entrepreneurship and social life of Goa.

These awards are not just about recognition, they are about documenting Goa’s entrepreneurial journey.They are about catching the spirit of the state that is quietly but steadily evolving.

Goa is no longer the preserve of only mining and tourism but it is doing extremely well in new industry, start-ups and the knowledge economy.

We have been there for the past 17 years to chronicle all this and I am very proud of this achievement. This evening we celebrate individuals and organisations across four broad categories: Hospitality, Excellence Awards, Best Companies and the Top Honours of the evening.

Together this entire mix, this spectrum of Goa’s enterpreneurial ecosystem, is what we have been tracking and what we have been writing about and in some way I have been also emulating them.

I have been impressed by them, their journey has been a very strong influence in terms of being inspirational as well as making us and the entire state take notice.

We are honoured that we have none other than Ritu Beri here today with us, an international brand name whose journey exemplifies how creativity when combined with discipline and vision can build a truly global brand. Her presence here today adds special dimensions to this celebration. Dr. Annurag Batra, as I mentioned, was our first keynote speaker. Owner of Business World magazine. He is also the founder and CEO of exchange4media which tracks media news and content. With such big names in the house, it is very important for us that Goa’s image as a place to do business with gets wide recognition, wide acceptance and people talk about Goa and the story of Business Goa!Today’s Awardees represent a very wide range of activities, businesses, excellence seekers and they represent more than achievement; they represent perseverance. Behind every success story is a journey that includes setbacks, risks and moments of doubt and yet what defines leadership is the ability to continue, adapt and build.

On a personal note, Business Goa has published its 200th issue in February. At the launch of the magazine I was told that you will at the most hit 3 issues, so that is quite an achievement. Not just for me but for the entire ecosystem as such.

Building and sustaining a platform like Business Goa has of course been challenging; It has had its own risks and rewards. There have been moments of uncertainty – like Covid was a huge uncertain block, but we managed to pass without missing a single issue.

What has been a constant guiding light is that we wanted to be the ‘Voice of Business in Goa’ and we haven’t wavered from that goal, not for a minute, never!

To the entrepreneurs and business leaders present here today, I would like to say, the environment around us may change, cycles may rise and fall, but the fundamentals remain strong.

We have to build value, not just valuation. We have to focus on substance, not just scale and most importantly we have to think long term because we have to create a legacy.

As we look ahead, Business Goa will continue to grow as an institution. Our aim is to make it the Oscars of business in Goa, We want Goa to be an entrepreneurial hub and destination, as a start-up hub to be recognised across Asia and across the world.

I would like to place my thanks to all the sponsors, partners, jury members, and the entire team behind putting up this event. I would like to congratulate all the awardees. Your journey inspires us, not just your success; but the trials and tribulations that you have endured and surpassed.

I will leave this podium with a thought, Goa’s story is no longer about where you party and where you chill, it is about what Goa is building, what Goa is creating and what we can contribute to make Goa great.

Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy the evening