Panaji: Goa must focus on its social infrastructure while trying to attract investors, said industrialist Sunil Kant Munjal, chairman of Hero Group, on Thursday.
Speaking as the keynote speaker at Vibrant Goa Global Business Summit that commenced at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Bambolim, Munjal said investors do not just look at the market.
“They also want to know the culture of the place, the living environment and the ambitions that drive the local people.”
Goa has the soft infrastructure. It actually has a unique offering in that sense,” said Munjal, who helped the Hero Group grow from bicycles to the world’s largest two-wheeler maker.
Munjal said that his Group operates across various states in India and globally. “There are some places where we have expanded that are uniquely beneficial to work in,” he said, indicating that Goa belongs in that unique bracket.
Munjal pointed out that Goa has become a magnet for creative talent, including musicians and story writers. “Some of the best restaurants of India are in Goa. You find amazing gelato makers here. There is actually a lot more to the state than travel and tourism. It is truly not just the physical infrastructure of the state that is appealing but also its social infrastructure,” he said.
The senior business leader urged the Goa government to “not grow industry at any cost. Grow it sensibly”.
Hero Group has been holding the Serendipity Arts Festival in the state for 10 years now. “In the world, over 3-4% of the GDP is based on culture. Crafts of a state have an enormous potential for livelihood and become a thriving economy. Goa needs this economy,” he said.
Munjal appreciated the state government’s goal to make Goa net-zero. “It is a wonderful plan, but like all plans, they are only as good as their execution. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should put in a senior team to implement the net-zero proposal,” he said.
In Munjal’s assessment, Goa’s local businesses comprise distributors, dealers and supply-chain providers, among others. “While inviting new industry, it is also important to seriously protect the present business ecosystem,” he said.
Munjal spoke in the presence of Goan industrialists, including Dempo Group chairman Shrinivas Dempo and Alcon Enterprises founder Anil Counto, alongside MSME entrepreneurs and a packed audience.
