GOING BEYOND SUN AND SAND
GOA VOWS TO IMPROVE EASE OF BUSINESS, REVIVE MINING AND FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT THAT IS ALSO ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY
Goa is among the most scenic of Indian states, has a long coastline and stands next only to Kerala in terms of literacy, but its potential, including in what it has been wellknown for—tourism—hasn’t been fully tapped yet. For an all-round development of the state, it needs to revive mining activities, one of its biggest industries, as well as sharpen its focus on tourism by entering niche areas such as education, environment and medical tourism. These were some of the ideas that emerged at the India Today Group’s State of the State Conclave held in Panaji on October 19.
Giving his introductory remarks at the conclave, Raj Chengappa, Group Editorial Director (Publishing), India Today Group, said that Goa has an edge in a number of sectors including tourism but the challenge is how to sustain and enhance that potential.
Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant, the chief guest at the conclave, said that the state will fight all issues related to the stalled mining sector politically and legally and will try to come up with a solution by December. Goa’s economy, for the most part, depended on mining, and a series of issues related to unauthorised mining and environmental concerns
“We will fight all issues related to the stalled mining sector politically and legally and will try to come up with a solution by December” PRAMOD SAWANT
Chief Minister, Goa
resulted in the Supreme Court’s ban on mining in March last year.
Sawant said that even as the state is trying to resolve issues related to mining, it is simultaneously working on policies to boost other sectors, including information technology, tourism and pharmaceuticals. In tourism, the focus will be on medical and environmental tourism. In IT, the state is striving to create 10,000 jobs. Concurrently, work on infrastructure projects, including the four-laning of highways, is being taken up with great enthusiasm.
The conclave also coincided with the first-ever Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit that the state government organised to showcase its potential and bring more investment into the state. “The government will give approval to businesses in 30 days,” said Sawant, who took on the post of chief minister in March this year. Sawant, along with India Today Group Chairman and Editor-in-chief Aroon Purie, also handed out the awards for the best talukas in the state.
Shripad Naik, Union minister of state (independent charge) for defence and AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy), who inaugurated the conclave earlier in the day, said that his ministry is working on ways to improve medical tourism and taking cues from Kerala, yet another state which is high on the tourism map.
The State of the State Conclave where india today conducts in-depth analysis of improvement in grassroots level indicators, including education, electricity connections and bank deposits, also saw an array of speakers from various disciplines talk about the state’s potential as well as the various challenges it faces.
In his keynote address, Niranjan Hiranandani, the vice-chairman and managing director of Hiranandani Group, said that Goa, despite being blessed with a huge coastline and high literacy, has not been able to fully capitalise on these. “It is important to create a perception that development in the state is not at loggerheads with its unique environment,” he said, citing the example of Dubai, which has been turned into an international tourist hub despite having several challenges. He added that Goa should tap into its full tourism potential by having large conference facilities, larger hotels and even cruise liners similar to those being developed in Mumbai.
Talking in macro-economic terms, Hiranandani said that the government needs to ensure that individuals and corporates benefitted from the liquidity in the banking system and that GST is reduced by 20 per cent to kickstart the economy. He also spoke about the benefits of promoting rental housing and needy sectors such as textiles. “Remember, the autobahn (a network of highways) in Germany developed as an answer to the Great Depression,” he said.
Hiranandani also participated in a panel discussion with other speakers like Manoj M. Caculo, chairman, Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industries; Sandeep Asolkar, chairman of SFC
Environmental Technologies; and Ashok Chowgule, chairman of the Chowgule Group. Caculo believes that it is unfair to compare Goa with Dubai because there were a host of laws that clipped the state’s wings, such as the coastal regulation law. “Goa needs to think about private participation in the power and water sectors,’’ he said.
Another panel discussion that dealt with the things Goa needed to do to emerge as a hub for knowledge-based industries, education and entertainment, had speakers like Shakti Sinha, director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library; Varun Sahni, vice-chancellor of the Goa University; Dr Radhika S. Nayak, principal, S.S. Dempo College of Commerce and Economics; and Ashish Kulkarni, chairman of FICCI for animation and gaming. Sinha said that the role model for Goa should be countries like Indonesia. “One should keep in mind that the land area in Goa is very limited,” he added. Nayak suggested that Goa should focus on three areas of tourism—medical, environmental and educational. Stressing on the status of education in Goa, Sahni said, “The public funding for education in Goa is good. Now is the time to scale up, diversify and create synergies.” ■
“It is important to create a perception that development in the state is not at loggerheads with its unique environment” NIRANJAN HIRANANDANI
Vice-chairman and MD, Hiranandani Group “The government is working on ways to improve medical tourism in Goa, taking cues from Kerala” SHRIPAD NAIK
Union minister of state for defence and AYUSH