11 Apr 2021 | 05:53am IST
Goa’s pandemic draw: A WFH hotspot
There was a trend of people shifting to Goa to work from villas or flats for their companies in other parts of the country. Now with the second wave,
is this trend still on and have the people who came in just after the first lockdown still around?
Ajit John
Technology today has made life
easier
in ways not imaginable earlier. From buying anything online to shifting
residences across states one has to only visit groups on platforms like
Facebook to realise how easy it is to achieve this. Various groups like Homes
for a while Goa, Goa Rental and Offbeat Goa stays are active with people
posting information about villas and apartments available all over the state.
These groups also provide an avenue for those interested in shifting to Goa to
write about their requirements. This is certainly changing the game. It is
making it easier for those with an apartment to connect with those interested
in staying on rent. The surge in the virus across states has increased activity
on these groups. Mid level and senior executives seem keen to shift to Goa and
work here. Are brokers now out of the way and has the movement of people to Goa
now plateaued.
Everyone’s looking at
furnished studios , 1BHK or 2BHKs mainly.in Assagao Anjuna, Arpora and Siolim
with hi speed wifi as an absolute must. And there are so.e high emd leases who
want villas with pools. And there’s something for everyone. One person’s second
home is now another person’s work from home space.
Joan Crasto resident
of Mumbai now living in Goa in Tivim said she was enquiries from people in
metros who were interested in shifting to Goa for a couple of months. She said
“We usually give it for a month or two usually to people from Mumbai or
Bengaluru or other cities. Sometimes it could be couple who want to work from
Goa. We are getting a lot of enquiries. It’s really bad in Mumbai and people
want to shift here for the clean air, the absence of pollution and the sense of
freedom one experiences in Goa. They all insist on a good wifi connection which
is mandatory because of the demands of work.”
Another major player
in this business of providing accommodation to visitor to Goa who agreed to
speak on the condition his name was not mentioned said business was good. He
said “There are a lot of people working from apartments in Goa for corporates
across the country. They prefer to work in Goa because of the freedom they
experience in Goa. There are executives across industries and most of them are
mid level and senior executives. Yes, the numbers have decreased as compared to
six months ago. They would like to live near the coast but it could be anywhere
which can guarantee them a very good wifi connection. People look to stay for
six months or longer. They are usually in the 25 to 40 year category of either
sex. Never had anyone over fifty asking for accommodation”. He said there were
also families shifting and looking for villas which were another segment of the
market.
Rohan Shah a program
manager from Andheri West in Mumbai shifted to a one bedroom house in Vagator
two and a half months ago. He said “In Mumbai it is tight, I wanted some space
basically I needed to get away. I decided to move here. I stay alone, it is
nice here. Its great work life balance. I don’t know for how long I intend to
stay here but I am sure it will be for a couple of months or even longer
depending on the evolving situation. The wifi is great and it is fully
furnished. I am happy here personally I don’t want to go back. It is so
peaceful. ”
Another happy resident
of Goa is Sharmistha Bhadra a senior executive of insurance major based in
Mumbai. She shifted to Goa last year and has felt comfortable. She said she
intended to stay put and did not intend to return to Mumbai this year. She said
“My organization is very trusting and we have systems and it feels nice to live
here and work and enjoy life.”
Karan Sethi a
entrepreneur in the travel media space moved last year to Goa and does not intend
to return to Mumbai. He said “I can do my job out of any place and is there a
better place than Goa. Right now I am staying in Anjuna and planning on
shifting to Panjim. The lock down was the motivation for me to shift here. It
is better here without a doubt. I have strong contacts in the industry and I
can get it done sitting in Goa”.
The virus has
certainly affected life and has also opened new avenues in different
industries. This trend of people shifting to Goa looks like it will persist for
some time.