Costa & Co. Pvt. Ltd.

Costa’s was founded by Bernardo Francisco da Costa, a multi–faceted personality, who was nothing less than a genius of his times. Bernardo was a member of the Portuguese India parliament, author of books on agriculture and founder of one of the first newspapers in Goa. In 1885, he established Fabrica de Conservas Costa & Co., the first canning company in Goa. It packed fruits & spices for export to Portugal. Dr. Ivo da Costa Azaredo was born to Beatriz & Francisco Xavier da Costa Azaredo and completed his medical studies in Goa Medical College, Goa and later in Lisbon in Portugal. He specialized as a lung surgeon in Pulido Valente, Lisbon, when he was recalled to don the mantle of the family business in 1960. All he intended was to take a 2 year break to put the business of Costa’s on track and then return to Portugal to continue practice. However, fate decided otherwise and he never returned to Portugal. When Dr. Costa took over the reins, Costa’s had an uphill task and having faced the challenges he revived Costa’s. His flagship was the manufacturing of canned fish and meat and later cold meats. In 1990, Dr. Ivo Costa handed over the charge of Costa’s to his son Roque Francisco Ivo da Costa Azaredo, fondly called, ‘Bebe’. Under his guidance and direction the company and the Costa’s group consolidated its traditional business and ventured into new areas of business, notably; real estate, construction, Goan sweets, hand painted tiles, imports of ceramics, glassware, wines, other food items, etc. He opened Velha Goa Galeria in Panjim in April 2004, a unique store for Azulejos, ceramic items, glassware, etc and later Costa’s own retail outlet Loja Costas in Panjim in August 2008, which is a food store to showcase and promote products of the company and its associate concern.