Goa B-school launches maiden culinary incubation programme for 'foodpreneurs' amid COVID rage

The COVID-19 pandemic has plagued Goa's economical and business landscape to the point where its restaurants and other such establishments have perhaps faced the sharpest blows. However, banking on a smart blue ocean strategy, the state's premier business school, the Goa Institute of Management has launched its first-ever culinary incubation programme in a bid to circumvent the several norms of lockdown and its repercussions. Targeted at food bloggers and photographers, the GIM aims to float 'foodpreneurs' despite the vigorous tides of a raging pandemic, to enhance their craft.

India's first-ever kitchen & culinary incubation programme is at GIM

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The Goa Institute of Management (GIM) Atal Incubation Centre tied up with the Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts last month to create India's maiden culinary and kitchen incubation programme. This offers edge infrastructure and dedicated support to culinary startups and upcoming entrepreneurs of the food industry, including related bloggers and photographers, as well.

According to Rajesh Joshi, Chief Executive Officer of GIM's incubation centre, the programme will provide its candidates with a widened access to mentors and domain experts along with market and customer support." The access to a mentor and domain experts will enable them to move up a notch and convert this hobby into a profession. We will provide access to market and customer support to these professionals", he added.

Scope of culinary business development

The founder of the Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts, Parixit Pai Fondekar, believes that while the pandemic has razed the food and beverage industry from mainstream marketing, it has also presented an opportunity to food bloggers to break new ground. With businesses going online, food bloggers and even photographers can branch out to focus on other aspects of their work.

They can step into the foray of affiliate marketing, PR, sponsored posts, contests and giveaways or e-commerce of merchandise to stay in business. "Food collaborations, virtual tips and kitchen hacks, recipes are other ways they are generating content even while quarantined or in lockdown," Fondekar said.

This programme will be a major asset to the stakeholders of the F&B industry, who need to learn and adapt to the norms of the post-COVID world. The guidance will help the people to tweak and relearn their sales pitch, budgets and approach to adjust and thrive, in the new normal.