FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2024
VIKANT SAHAY
With COVID-19 spreading world over, the dynamics in the job market has also changed rapidly. Similar to migrant labourers returning to their respective home States, many techies who were working in other states have come back to Goa. The question is how are they now planning to contribute to the State? Goa could be in a position to set in motion a process of ‘brain-gain’, by engaging skilled Goan techies and professionals who had to migrate for professional reasons outside Goa but have now returned home because of the pandemic and are looking to stay back.
Mark Rocha, project manager and content curator at Creometric, a digital marketing agency, shared that strangely he met a woman who was going to be his wife in Bangalore. Prior to returning to Goa, he worked with Convergys (now Concentrix) in Bangalore as a Universal Trainer for AT&T. “What is so strange about it? She is Goan. What are the odds of two Goan people meeting in Bangalore right? Anyway, as much as we loved Bangalore and having had really good, well paying jobs, in IT, we decided to come back to Goa and stay here because city life was no longer appealing to us. We missed Goa, our homes, our families. Also, we had a few ideas on things that we wanted to start doing. I also wanted to get back into entertainment as a Master of Ceremony and a musician.”
He added that the entertainment part of it had to pause due to health issues. So now that he is back to tech, but this time he is working with a start-up. “It is exciting because I get to explore my other talents as a writer and creative thinker. Plus as a company we are doing really well, and I see myself as a part of that success and contributing towards it. I am not one to plan too far ahead in the future but I would like to live my life a quarter of a mile at a time. So for now, I see myself growing with the company I am with, and using my spare time to indulge in my other hobbies like music, entertainment and most importantly, spending time with my family and the few friends I have,” said Rocha.
Nitish Raikar, COO, Nordic Intent, a startup accelerator and incubator said that he is from Goa and had ventured beyond its shores as the opportunities as he was looking for in the field of technology which was not available at that time, in Goa. Raikar’s career spans over two decades during which he has been employed at Infosys, IBM, Mindtree and most recently at iPrimed Education Solutions before heading back to Goa and joining Nordic Intent.
“Much has changed since then. I came back because I wanted to return to my State and found an excellent opportunity here with Nordic Intent. Today, businesses have gone digital. The pandemic increased the pace of this digital transformation. That is exactly where we come in. We help businesses to transform themselves through the bouquet of digital services we offer,” said Raikar.
Aaron Fernandez is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Nine Stack, an application development firm which builds cloud-based apps and offers technology-based solutions. “We initially set up the company in Mumbai years ago and soon after moved to Goa because we felt the trust factor and dependability was higher here in Goa. Since then we have not looked back. Over 95% of our over 130 employees are Goan. Many have moved back home and taken up employment with us. At our organisation, work culture is of immense importance. We have built a work culture which encourages professionalism, creativity and fun. We are constantly on the lookout for skilled talent. The pandemic has forced many to return home and seek employment here in Goa or opt to work remotely from here,” said Aaron Fernandez.
Vesley Carrasco, co-founder of Fat Hamster Studio, an animation, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality firm believes that the pandemic is adding to the trend of Goans wanting to return home, if there are options available. The mushrooming of the new tech outfits in the State is a good sign as it will attract Goan techies who had to migrate for professional reasons but can now return home?
“Besides fresh talent from Goa, there are experienced professionals working in other parts of India and even abroad who want to return home to Goa and work here. We encourage talent to return and set up base here. With COVID-19, people want to return home more than ever before. The use of technology has allowed people to work remotely from any region. A large number of skilled professionals are looking to relocate back to Goa and work from here or set up entrepreneurial ventures of their own, which is great for the industry as a whole,” said Carrasco.
He went on to add that the pandemic has also triggered an upswing for the technology industry and offer a variety of career opportunities to Goan tech professionals. Artists, engineers, coders, illustrators, animators, project managers, 3D artists, graphic designers and a host of other professions will constantly be in demand in the future, given the integration of technology in all spheres of business.
Judah Fernandez, co founder, Kodework believes that post-pandemic, the resource scene has opened up completely. Suddenly Goans do not have to leave this beautiful State for the sake of employment. “Now if someone wants to work with big corporate, they can do so from the comfort of their homes right here in Goa. Or they can move back to Goa and join Goan companies here. Goans love their State and would prefer working from here. We were forced to leave due to a lack of employment opportunities. Now that has changed as they can work remotely or take up employment right here in Goa. In our company too we are looking to engage smart talent who has returned to the State and is looking to work from here,” said Fernandez.
