Turnover may double by 2010: Shrinivas Dempo

Q: So what's that something that's you always knew that you would sort of do or did you ever consider maybe not coming, joining the family business?

Dempo: I was always resigned to the fact; coming from a conservative family, coming from a family where I was the only male child I was right from childhood resigned to the fact even when I was going to the US to study, it was told to me that you have to come back.

Q: Was that a kind of a formal initiation into the group or were you thrown in?     

Dempo: There was a formal training program and I have spent enough time in all departments. 

Q: You wanted to do things your own way, you wanted to bring in your own managerial or administrative style how did you change things within the group?

Dempo: The biggest challenge I faced I believe that I did with some success, was trying to change the focus of management from being largely family-oriented, is trying to get it professional. So I felt that if I continue putting enough attention to my name, I would lose focus into other businesses. So that's the time I took a decision that yes, we need to professionalize the balances of the businesses and we had started it with public arms.

We had Goa Carbon - there we have a professional management team right from the level of the managing director to below. I'm happy to see that those businesses have their own growth plan they are growing steadily.

Q: Something that you have met with phenomenal success is of course, the football initiative and Dempo's gone great guns and you have won the NFL Federation Cup. I know from 1960's the group is sort of been involved in patronizing football in that sense but for you, personally, did it start as early as college and school?

Dempo: It did start in school because that was the time I used to attend matches very regularly and I used to find more time than now to really be with the players, go with my family members watch and that's really how the family created a lot of goodwill in Goa. What we are doing now, is we are realizing the potential football has from not only the football perspective, but from a corporate stand perspective.

Q: So you are looking at corporatising the sport?

Dempo: Absolutely, I think there is enough tremendous potential in that and that's why we are investing fair amount of money now because earlier, that was not the case.

Q: I believe about million dollars a year?

Dempo: We have spent about million dollars this year and I don't think that budget is going to go any less.

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