Tag Archives: Indian Muslims of Goa

Legacy of Goa: Seahath Canning’s Journey from Local Market to Global Supplier

January 28, 2025Business & EconomyAkif Mohammed, Anees Mohammad - Director - Seahath Canning Company, Anis Mohammed - Director - Seahath Canning Company, Asif Mohammed, Indian Muslims, Indian Muslims in Seafood Canning Business, Indian Muslims in the Seafood Canning Business, Indian Muslims of Goa, Mohammed Ismail, Mohammed Ismail - Founder - Seahath Canning Company, Muslims of Goa, Muslims of Goa in the Seafood Business, Muslims of India, Muslims of India - Positive News, Oceans Secret, Positive News of Indian Muslims, Positive News of Muslims of Goa, Positive News of Muslims of India, Positive Stories of Indian Muslims, Positive Stories of Muslims of India, Seahath Canning Companympositiveone@gmail.com

Margao, GOA :

Founded in 1988 by Mohammed Ismail, Seahath Canning Company has evolved from a small family-run business into a major player in the global canned seafood industry. Managed by four generations of the Ismail family, the company’s remarkable journey from manual to mechanized processing reflects both its growth and resilience.

The company, which started with a focus on the North East Indian market, has expanded its reach, now supplying canned seafood to Angola, Libya, Turkmenistan, Dubai, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi, Djibouti, Somalia, Togo, Congo, Uganda, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ghana, the Indian Navy, Assam Rivalry and the Indian Army.

Seahath Canning, based in Goa’s Margao Industrial Estate, began its operations in an environment where it faced stiff competition from other companies serving similar markets in India, Thailand, and Myanmar.

The turning point came in 2006, when Seahath received its first major export order from Dubai, African countries, requesting 100 containers of canned sardines. To handle such volumes, Ismail’s sons—Asif, Anis, and Akif—began exploring automation, visiting factories in Indonesia, and integrating high-speed production machinery into their operations. The company’s production line shifted from manual to automated systems, ensuring efficiency and quality.

This investment in technology proved invaluable as Seahath continued to grow, securing more UN contracts and diversifying its client base.

In 2009, Seahath also began supplying the Indian Army with canned seafood, including tuna and mackerel, solidifying its position as a trusted supplier of high-quality seafood. Locally, the company launched its “Oceans Secret” brand in 2008, which catered to the general public, marking a significant step in moving beyond the North East Indian market.

Today, Seahath Canning has expanded to export canned seafood across the Globe – Has a Manufacturing Hub in Goa (India) a distribution Hub in the Middle East, and Africa, and Exporting to 17 countries.

Distribution Hubs – Lome (Togo), Dubai, Saudi, Ghana

Exports – Angola, Libya, Turkmenistan, Dubai, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi, Djibouti, Somalia, Togo, Congo, Uganda, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ghana across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond, including Angola, Ghana, and Zimbabwe.

The company’s commitment to quality is evident in its stringent processes, which involve constant laboratory testing and quality control checks from procurement to packaging.

Seahath’s facilities also boast state-of-the-art machinery sourced from Thailand, China, and Europe, enabling them to manufacture 50,000 cans per day.

Ismail credits the company’s success to a balanced approach of reinvesting profits into the business, maintaining quality, and supporting social causes.

In line with these values, Seahath has provided jobs for over 500 laborers and operates without relying on bank loans. Ismail’s philosophy of social welfare, alongside business growth, has helped foster a thriving enterprise.

Seahath’s future looks bright as the canned food industry in India, particularly in urban markets, continues to grow. With a focus on convenience and quality, the company is now experimenting with ready-to-eat food options, including seafood and chicken, to meet evolving consumer demands.

As Seahath Canning continues to expand, it remains committed to responsible fishing practices, sustainable seafood sourcing, and food safety certifications like ISO 22000:2008 and HACCP.

source: http://www.thehindustangazette.com / The Hindustan Gazette / Home> News> Motivational Story / by The Hindustan Gazette / January 09th, 2025

Beleaguered tanpura makers get some support from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations

December 6, 2022Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & EconomyA R Rahman, Altaf Mullah, AR Rahman, Goa Muslims, Goan Muslims, Indian Muslims in Classical Stringed Instruments, Indian Muslims of Goa, Indian Muslims Positive Story, Muslims Manufacturers of Tanpura, Muslims Manufacturing Classical Stringed Instruments, Muslims of Goa, Positive News of Indian Muslims, Positive News of Muslims of Goa, Positive News on Muslims of Mirag - Goa, Positive Stories of Indian Muslims, Positive Stories of Muslims of Goa, Tanpura Makers of India, Yusuf Mullah, Zakir Hussainmpositiveone@gmail.com

Miraj, GOA :

Traditional makers of classical Indian string instruments worry about the extinction of their art, with little interest among the younger generation, and most of their clientele now based abroad.

Tanpura artist Altaf Mullah, classical vocalist Rahul Deshpande and Yusuf Mullah (Altaf’s father and Tanpura maker to Bhimsen Joshi). | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

For generations, Altaf Mullah and his family, residents of Miraj in Goa, have been in the business of tuning the strings and twisting the pegs of Indian string instruments such as the tanpura, surbahar, rudra veena and vichitra veena. They are currently headed for a tour of the United States and the United Kingdom, to hold workshops on how best to keep these instruments tuned, for their clients abroad, a number that now oustrips their domestic market.

On the face of it, it seems as though Mr. Mullah and his family have negotiated the ravages of modernity on traditional businesses quite well, by shifting their client base abroad. But the story is quite different. In fact, the workshop is being sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) after a distress email from Mr. Mullah, who feared the extinction of this art of making and maintaining string instruments.

“We are the fifth generation making these string instruments. We were given Rajashray (royal patronage) in 1862, but the way things were going, this art would not survive beyond this generation. We make upto ₹500 per day, the younger generation is not that attracted to it,” says Mr. Mullah. His father, Yusuf Mullah, is a much-feted string instrument maker, with Hindustani music maestro Bhimsen Joshi having been a faithful patron.

After having knocked on many doors, Mr. Mullah wrote to ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe about the systemic and immediate problems faced by his tribe of string instrument makers. “For 1.3 billion people, and countless afficianados abroad, there are only 220 karigars (artisans), mostly concentrated in Goa or Kolkata,” he said.

Mr. Sahasrabuddhe’s response was immediate, and one of the first things he did was to set up a meeting between Mr. Mullah and the Postmaster General of India, in New Delhi. “Our immediate issue was that the parcels of instruments that we used to send abroad [which is the bulk of the business] were through speed post. The department of posts changed it from weighted charges to volumetric post, that raised our costs by three times the amount. We were really struggling,” said Mr. Mullah. The Postmaster General agreed to make an exception for the parcelling of string instruments and some relief was gained.

“Our major problems, however, remained. Our worst period was of course between 1990-2000 with the rising popularity of electronic instruments. Fortunately, acoustic sound made a quick comeback, and our business went up again, but not enough to attract the next generation,” he said.

Mr. Sahasrabuddhe told The Hindu that preserving the tradition of making and maintaining Indian string instruments was important as they were “the tangible and intangible heritage of India, and Indian musical tradition.” In fact, there is now talk of standardising a curriculum via the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for this purpose, to create a base of instrument makers, and prevent the skill from dying.

The Mullahs’ client list, ranging from composer A.R. Rahman to India’s nightingale, the late Lata Mangeshkar, to Bhimsen Joshi and tabla maestro Zakir Hussain — reads like the who’s who of Indian music.

Tanpura artist Altaf Mullah with Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Indian string instruments, especially the tanpura, have been historically referenced through much of Indian history. In his devotional song, “O Sadho”, the poet-saint Kabir draws a parallel between the human body and the tanpura. “ Yaha tan thaata Tambure kaa, paanch tatwa ka banaa hai Tambura, khaenchta taar marodata khoonti, Nikalta raag hajure ka, O Sadho” (O seekers, this body is a splendid tanpura, made of five elements, strung together with nine resonances. Tighten the strings, twist the pegs and it sings the song of the Lord).

As the irreplaceable accompaniment to the sound track of India, the tanpura, struggling for breath, was hoping to “get a ventilator soon”, said Mr. Mullah.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India / by Nistula Hebbar / December 04th, 2022