‘Indians weren’t respected’: Aman Gupta on Goa in the 2000s vs today
Aman Gupta reminisces about Goa's party scene, recalling forest parties with mostly foreigners and few Indians in the early 2000s.
Aman Gupta, the millionaire co-founder of boAt Lifestyle, spoke about Goa’s changing party scenes in a recent podcast. The 43-year-old entrepreneur remembered the time he and his friends partied in the forests of Goa with foreigners. Gupta revealed that there were hardly any Indians at these parties, and certain parts of Goa welcomed only foreigners.
This, he said, is in stark contrast with the situation today, as Indian tourists are welcomed happily in Goa.
On Goa of the 2000s
Aman Gupta remembered the early 2000s, when he and his friends would visit Goa and party in the forests of the state. At that time, Anjuna beach was populated by Israeli tourists.
“At Anjuna beach, only Israelis were given a place. I remember, this was a Goa where Indians did not get a place to stay as Israelis used to lead that place. All these Goan people actually did not respect Indians that much,” Gupta remembered.
He contrasted that with the situation today, where Indian tourists are welcomed warmly by Goans. “If you see today, Indians can pay more than anybody else. So India has evolved and Indian tourists are also welcomed now.”
Aman Gupta on Goa parties
Before he became the millionaire co-founder of boAt, Aman Gupta was a regular youngster who liked to party in Goa with his friends. He recalled on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast that there used to be forest parties in Goa that were frequented mostly by foreigners.
“These parties, they were such parties that we didn’t know the venue. We would take our scooter and ask our foreigner friends, ‘Aaj party kahan hai? (Where is the party tonight?).’”
“In 2000, Bamboo Forest was very popular in Goa,” Gupta recalled. “This time, when we used to go to Goa, there were no Indians. We were the only Indians there [at Bamboo forest parties],” said the co-founder of boAt.
