TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Due to Goa’s strategic position and history, Portugal can be a gateway for Goa and India into Africa and also in South America, especially Brazil. This perspective was shared by the Portuguese and Goa businessmen at the signing of partnership between consultancy firm from Portugal and India.
As far as Africa is concerned, the Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa is an international organization formed by Portuguese speaking countries and represents 250 million people including fast growing countries like Angola and Mozambique, a fact admitted by industrialist and GCCI chief Nana Bandekar at the conference to launch the partnership between two consultancy companies – Mundiservicos – Portuguese management service company from Portugal and Mangal Advisory services, a management consulting firm from India.
“Portugal is located strategically to allow trade with Africa and Brazil,” Nana Bandekar said during his presentation while the consul general of Portugal in Goa Antonio Costa pointing out to the just concluded Lusofonia games stressed that Portuguese speaking countries are connected not only by sports but a wide variety of activities.
Portugal provides an option of a market to at least 250 million people in addition to being a doorway to the European Union and also offers advantageous investment opportunity, logistics and infrastructure.
According to Bandekar, as of now, business in the European Union was mostly with Germany, while the best and still untapped business opportunities in the second tier countries.
However local businessmen, like Atul pai Kane, chief of local CII unit stressed that it was important for proper diligence to be conducted into every part of the proposed joint venture, much beyond the legal aspects.
It is important to understand the partners he said, adding that it was important to have a win-win situation where what is win-win situation is clearly, defined.
Shekhar Sardessai of Goa Small Industries Assocaiton also stressed on due diligence noting that at times the partners bring similar strengths to the table, one of the causes of conflicts.
According to the vision document the European economic and financial situation had contributed to decreased incomes of many companies in Europe and with companies coming under substantial pressure due to intense manufacturing costs, lowered market demand and financial instability, new opportunities for proactive businesses was evident and present.lso there were emerging market in South America and Africa and this partnership was to help companies from these countries to have access to each other.
