| - By Ravi Goel, Neha International, Ethiopia |
A Chartered Accountant by profession, Ravi Goel is an eminent person in floriculture sector, specially in Japan, where he is known for his qualities and commitment among the leading importers. Goel has traveled worldwide to build a marketing network to back the smooth operation of floriculture sector.
He has proved his skills admirably for growth of this sector. Currently, he is a successful Indian floriculturist entrepreneur working for Neha International in Ethiopia.
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Being an Indian, he naturally wants to see India as a leading player in the floriculture sector. But the country today, despite its tremendous potential, is struggling somewhat, and its share in the world floriculture trade is meagre. What can Goel do for India? Can an enterprising person like Goel change the fate of floriculture sector in this country? He shared his views on this and other subjects in a chat with 'Floriculture Today'.
In particular, he talked about the present scenario of Indian floriculture.
Goel: About myself
I was working for Vikram Greentech (I) Ltd from 1994 till the start of 2007. While working there, I got an excellent exposure in the industry. In 2007, I joined Neha International Limited. It has three farms in Ethiopia at a high altitude of 2400 - 2600 meters and the company is growing very high quality T-Hybrid roses.
At Neha, my main job is traveling and I help build the company's marketing network and co-ordinate with farms for the smooth operation. We have an excellent team working at farms, and have developed very good relations with our buyers in Europe (Holland, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and UK) and in Japan.
About Indians in African Farms
Indian Professionals are a close-knit community in the African Flower Industry. They have proved their mettle in the world of International floriculture through their excellent performance in all fields, including growing, international marketing and entrepreneurship.
NRIs as professionals
It is undeniable that Indian professionals are doing exceedingly well for the development of the floriculture industry. They are found in all the segments of the sector. Indians have formed a close circle and share their knowledge and experience with colleagues and try to sort out others' difficulties for better results. Most of the farm managers in Africa are from India and they are doing a marvelous job in their respective fields.
Sharing cooperation & knowledge by NRIs
NRIs share the technical information they have on production, logistics and marketing. They have regular meetings and discuss the problems being faced by them. They organize weekly or monthly meetings of all technical staff and share their information with an open heart.
How to sustain production and quality in India
To sustain the production and quality in India, it is important to organize weekly or monthly meetings of manager as well as technical staff to know about the new developments in the floriculture sector. This is not enough.
Floriculture experts in India should discuss frequently on specific issues such as selection of varieties, availability of right fertilizers and chemicals, logistics, identification of right growing areas and combined marketing efforts.
What do you want to be called - a marketing expert, floriculturist, or a successful management expert ?
On the growing side, I do not have much experience. As I have mentioned, I travel to several countries to build the marketing network and co-ordinate with farms for smooth function. Therefore marketing & operation (including implementation of the project) is my field. |
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