Shantanu Naidu’s ‘Bookies’ Initiative In Pune Gains Popularity With Hilarious Conversations With Book Lovers
Shantanu Naidu’s ‘Bookies’ Initiative In Pune Gains Popularity With Hilarious Conversations With Book Lovers
Renuka Suryavanshi
Shantanu Naidu, the trusted assistant of Ratan Tata, recently launched his innovative reading initiative, ‘Bookies,’ in Pune. The project, which encourages people to read silently in public spaces, aims to combat the distractions of mobile phones and reignite the reading habit among individuals. Initially started in Mumbai, ‘Bookies’ has now expanded to Pune, Bengaluru, and soon Jaipur, with plans to reach cities like Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Delhi, and Surat.
The initiative has quickly gained attention, with a viral video showcasing humorous and engaging conversations with book lovers. In his address at a Bookies session, Naidu highlighted the importance of reading in an era where short attention spans and mobile distractions dominate. He emphasized that reading is a way to re-engage one’s imagination and creativity, which often gets lost due to the constant interruptions of technology.
Naidu believes that participating in community reading sessions will help people form a reading habit more effectively than reading alone. “Anything you do as a sense of community has a much larger push,” he said.
Through this project, Naidu aims to make reading a central part of people’s daily lives once again, offering an opportunity for individuals to disconnect from their phones and reconnect with books.
