Goa’s taxi owners remember late Ratan Tata

Since his passing on 9 October 2024, tributes, memories and anecdotes have filled our newspapers as well as social media recalling chairman emeritus of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata’s contribution to Indian business, his vision as well as his support and encouragement to many a start-up, and many more. Yet, for this writer, the tribute paid by the taxi owners’ association in the village of Benaulim stands out. The Tata Group runs one of India’s finest luxury properties, The Taj Exotica, in this village. The property, built in the 1990s became a major source of employment for the locals of the village and the spill over benefitted the taxi drivers who transport tourists back and forth to this hotel.

It is to their credit that the taxi drivers, nameless faces in the tourist business, perhaps pooled funds to put out an advertisement of remembrance and gratitude in the local O Heraldo newspaper thanking the late Mr Tata for giving the locals job opportunities, and a chance to improve their lives.

Clearly, Tata touched the lives of many ordinary ways. It is a well-known fact around the world that hiring locals for jobs encourages the economy, and in the process creates hundreds of indirect jobs. These may not always be the high-paying jobs but they do sustain local communities, and create job opportunities that sustain families. In addition, these jobs create a sense of loyalty to an employer, and opportunities for locals who cannot otherwise travel for jobs outside their homes or state, and also a sense of fulfilment in locals, many of whom may not be highly educated.

Goa is hugely dependent on tourism for its revenues. About 17 percent of the GSDP comes directly from tourism, and 35 percent of jobs are tourism-related. Most of the better paying tourism jobs are in the hotels but it’s a small pool that may not always fulfil the requirements of the village communities. Media reports suggest that 7 million tourists visited the state in 2022 which is known for its beaches, temples that incorporate elements of Indo-Portuguese influence, and churches, and even restaurants that offer a variety of global cuisines.

Tourism has also brought a host of challenges, and one only has to only open the local newspapers to see the many hotspots where environmental issues and tourism intersect. Of late, villages in North Goa have protested against loud music that is played well into the night, and which is affecting the residents, especially the sick and elderly. Another controversy surrounds the music festival Sundance, the organisers of which are scouting for a new locale in the south Goa where locals here too have protested. In the north, public hearings by government bodies hear villagers who are against the resumption of mining as it will affect water bodies as well as religious heritage.

Goa has one of the highest unemployment rates estimated at in the region of 13 percent, thrice that of the national average. It would definitely benefit many locals if corporates employed locally. As the tourist season starts, many will be making a beeline for what is called the sunshine state. However, the rains are playing spoilsport of sorts with thunder showers that cause traffic jams and some flooding too. It’s grey skies through the day and occasional respite from the hot and muggy mornings.

(The author is a senior journalist based in Goa. Views personal.)