Cosme Matias Menezes, a well known social figure and leading industrialist in the pharmaceutical business left for his heavenly abode on Wednesday. He was 72 years old.  

Born in Goa on April 5, 1941, Cosme Menezes, the eldest son of the late Pascoal Jose Menezes who was a leading pioneer of the Indian pharma industry, learnt early in life from his father that belief in the word ‘winning’ would take him far. 

Even as he pursued his formal education in economics and business management, Cosme joined his father in the family business in 1960.

Menezes’ vision and foresight took the family business, known at the time as Cosme Matias Menezes group to greater heights. Cosme was instrumental in ushering in reforms and innovations in the Menezes’ group’s business which also put the pharma industry in Goa on a growth path. He was also the ex-Chairman Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and Goa Pharmaceutical & Manufacturers Association (GPMA).

His business acumen, enthusiasm and perseverance helped shape the Cosme Group of Companies.

The firm Cosme Farma Laboratories was established in 1969 and restructured in 1994 to facilitate higher growth under his leadership. Menezes added many new feathers to his cap. Apart from the factory, CFL Pharmaceuticals Limited at Ponda, he was instrumental in expanding the business with two manufacturing units Cosme Pharma Limited, Bicholim, and Cosme Remedies Limited, Porvorim. These units also cater to contract manufacturing to other multinationals.

Cosme Farma Laboratories Limited quickly expanded under his leadership with multiple sales and marketing divisions throughout the country. The divisions specialized in pharma segments for orthopedics, paediatrics, gynaecology and dermatology, among others.

Menezes was instrumental in introducing many innovative products with foreign collaboration for the first time in the Indian market.

Under his leadership, the group took a big leap by entering into the export market and has well established its pharmaceutical business in South East Asia and African countries. Menezes was passionate about agriculture and wanted to create a greener environment. He started the first research-based state of the art, one of its kind bio-fertilizer manufacturing unit known as Cosme Bio-Tech Limited at Bicholim in 2006 in technical collaboration with TERI, and Science and Technology department, Government of India. Cosme Bio-Tech and its products are widely accepted and beneficial to the Indian farming community and also accepted in international markets.

His absence will be a great loss to the pharma industry and he will always be remembered for his great contribution and achievements. His youngest sister Catherine Pinto remembers her brother fondly. “Cosme Mathias was loving, kind, concerned and always willing to help family, friends and even strangers. He always made time for his family and was able to cater to each one of them in a very personal way. He was hard working and industrious and hence was able to bring up the company’s image. Cosme was the eldest brother and most resembled our father and founder of the Menezes group, PJ Menezes. He was conscientious too about his Christian duties.” 

Wilfred Dias, Senior Manager Operations and Business Development who worked with Menezes for fifteen years had this to say of him, "While working with Mr Cosme Menezes for many years, what struck me most was his calm composure, focus and motivation. He was a good judge of people and always believed in delegating work. His supportive nature brought out the best results. He believed in winning but more importantly he believed in God." 

Matias’ son Andre said, “My father believed in hard work, dedication and perseverance. He believed your "luck" was directly proportional to the effort you put in the task. These values were taught to him by his father and he passed these on to us,” added Andre Menezes.