The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar along with Governor, Mridula Sinha released the book A Century Driven by Values. While releasing the book, Parrikar said “Innovation has always been the hallmark of the Group ever since its mining days. Excellence in education has been a focus area of the company which led to Chowgule College being awarded autonomy making it Goa’s first autonomous college.” Governor Sinha said: “I am happy to see the four generations come together to celebrate 100 years of the Chowgule Group. It’s the family values imbibed by the elders which has translated into the creation of this big family.” Chairman and managing director Chowgule Group, Vijay Chowgule said: “The company was started by my grandfather from humble beginnings and has grown to what it is today. I have been fortunate to work closely with the many architects of Goa’s industrial growth. The journey over 100 years has had good and hard times and we are delighted to cross the 100 mark. Post liberation we played our part in the industrialisation of the state. We grew our business and sought success across industries. Our businesses were built from scratch but we stayed on top of things using technology, innovation and good business practices.” The Chowgule Group has an illustrious history. When Dattajirao Nathaji Chowgule founded his trading company, D N Chowgule and Sons, Goa was still under Portuguese rule and the World War I was raging in Europe. It was in the shadow of this tumultuous era that Vishwasrao D Chowgule, formerly employed as a tele-clerk at the Vasco port, joined the family business. Vishwasrao’s firm grasp of market requirements and sharp business acumen transformed this humble trading company into a flourishing business empire over the years. His first major contribution towards this transformation was to understand the market requirements in Goa and the needs of European markets as well, thanks to his stint at the port, where he kept a close watch on goods which came to Goa and went out of the state. He moved swiftly, by expanding into the import-export business to fill in the gaps in the demand and supply chain.
