Third year student of Zantye College, Bicholim “ YugaVengurlekar is optimistic that she is going to make her childhood dream cometrue “ the dream to fly in the blue sky with the help of a balloon. Stamped byI-Create India and signed by the GCCI her dream is now framed in a trophy thatYuga proudly displays before she elaborates on her prize winning project.
Incubating her dream to fly and let others fly with her,Yuga Vengurlekar spells out her company profile. “I am going to start a hot airballoon service in Goa for tourists,” she shares, announcing the name of herprospective company ‘Sky Rides’. ‘Who wants to fly’ is the question Sky Rideswould put forth to its enthusiastic clients and after offering them a joy ridein the hot air balloon we would wish them ‘Happy Riding,’ she says.
Bu,t is there a clientele in Goa which would take up thisadventurous ride? Yuga and her project partner Sonia Shirgaonkar happily nod apositive yes. “In fact there is already a hot air balloon service operating inRajasthan and Goa would be the second state,” Yuga informs. Putting across theidea, supported with financials, creativity, feasibility and prospectivesuccess were the key areas where Yuga had to work with Sonia. The importedballoon costs Rs 10 lakh while the total cost of her project would be around Rs52 lakh as it includes four parachutes, paramedical team and also a boat onstandby, in the sea, in case of an accident.
The balloon would carry four persons at a time, along withone expert who would take care of the direction and speed. The burner withpropane gas would be fitted to the ring of the balloon and the total weightthat it could carry is 250 kg. One ride for a person would cost Rs 2,000. Therewould be a licence required to operate the service. Yuga plans to avail of abank loan and is aiming to pocket profits from the second month of operation.
“Without my mentors, faculty and parents I would not havereached the final level of I-Create India competition,” admits Yuga. “TheI-Create competition was a big achievement. It got tremendous response in Goa.It created ripples in the budding entrepreneurs and boosted their morale. Ifnot full time, most would go at least for part time business ventures,”expresses Rajendra Kumbharjuvekar who along with Rajesh Amonkar impartedtraining to Yuga.
