Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral
The Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI), in association with the Kashinath Damodar Naik Memorial Trust, has announced the recipients of the prestigious ‘Kashinath Damodar Naik – Pride of Goa Awards 2025’. The awards continue a joint initiative aimed at recognising distinguished Goans whose dedication, leadership and excellence have significantly contributed to business, industry and society in Goa and beyond.
For 2025, the Kashinath Damodar Naik – Pride of Goa – Lifetime Achievement Award will be conferred upon Ms. Anju Timblo, Managing Director and CEO of Fomento Resorts and Hotels Pvt. Ltd., in recognition of her outstanding leadership and transformative contribution to Goa’s hospitality sector. A distinguished academic, Ms. Timblo topped India in the Higher Secondary Arts Examination, secured first rank in Economics at Lady Shri Ram College, and graduated in Law from Government Law College, Bombay, earning two Gold Medals. She began her professional journey as a law lecturer in Goa before moving into leadership roles in social and community initiatives, including serving as President of the All India Women’s Conference, Goa Branch.
Since 1993, Ms. Timblo has led Fomento Resorts and Hotels Pvt. Ltd. as Managing Director and CEO, spearheading the iconic Taj Cidade de Goa – Heritage and the Taj Cidade de Goa – Horizon, together forming Goa’s largest luxury hospitality complex with over 500 rooms. Under her leadership, Araqila, a luxury resort in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, was recently commissioned, pioneering tourism development in the region. Deeply committed to education and cultural preservation, she is also the founder and president of the Fomento Education and Charitable Societies, which include the Goa College of Hospitality & Culinary Education and Dona Leonor Memorial High School.
The Kashinath Damodar Naik – Pride of Goa – Entrepreneur Award for 2025 will be presented to Mr. Sachin Lawande, President and CEO of Visteon Corporation, Michigan. A native of Taleigao, Mr. Lawande is being honoured for his exemplary achievements as a global business leader and for bringing international recognition to Goa through his pioneering work in automotive technology. Since assuming leadership of Visteon in 2015, he has guided the Fortune 500 company to the forefront of cockpit electronics and automotive digitisation, driving innovation in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies while securing record levels of global business.
An alumnus of Auxilium Convent, Caranzalem, Mr. Lawande rose from a middle-class Goan upbringing to global corporate leadership. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunications from Bombay University and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. With over two decades of experience in embedded systems and software, he holds four communications software patents and also serves on the Board of Cognex Corporation.
The Kashinath Damodar Naik Memorial Trust was established to honour the legacy of the late Kashinath Damodar Naik, a respected Margao-based businessman, historian and philanthropist. Through these awards, the Trust and GCCI aim to highlight achievers who have built successful enterprises, contributed to economic development and brought pride to the State of Goa.
The formal award ceremony will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2025, at 5.00 pm at Gomant Vidya Niketan, Margao, and is open to the public.
