Lifestyle, StartUps

Work from Anywhere: Bangalore Edition

The pandemic fueled lockdown meant a big change for office goers as work from home became the mandate. Two years into the changed world we live in, the meaning of office in terms of location has also changed. Starting with work from home, the concept today is work from anywhere. Bindu Gopal Rao explores some newer spaces that are becoming popular in Bangalore and be rest assured all of them have COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Do keep your vaccination certificate handy.

Work from a Museum

At the Indian Music Experience Museum by Brigade, there is a new concept called ‘Work From Museum.’ Manasi Prasad, Museum Director, Indian Music Experience Museum by Brigade, says, “We believe the space is ideally suited for an inspiring and creative work environment, because it is part of a beautiful and aesthetically designed museum, with greenery and calmness all around. The spaces where people can work from are the open-air cafe (it has a roof but is open on the sides) and cubicles in the Learning Centre if people need an indoor space. People can take a break to walk around the sound garden or wander through the exhibit galleries, listen to music, view the artworks and musical instruments on display, and recharge their batteries for more productive work. It is ideal for creative people like graphic designers, artists, writers, bloggers, techies and other professionals.” A day pass costs Rs. 250 for 10 am – 6 pm and includes a working space, a table (this may be shared as cafe tables are big), charging point, access to Wifi internet, museum ticket, and free parking. Food and beverage, printer, and stationery are extra.

Work from a Club

BLVD Club, India’s first private luxury club, makes for a perfect workstation space where one can host meetings, send emails, or make calls. The club has powerful WiFi, seating, and well-equipped conference rooms. A leisurely 20-minute drive from the Bangalore International Airport Road, the club is located inside the sprawling Embassy Boulevard campus, combining exclusivity and sophisticated luxury. Kamakhya Singh, General Manager, BLVD Club says, “BLVD Club has two meeting rooms/Boardrooms (with 8 pax each) equipped with super-fast WiFi and full time IT support. The boardroom opens to a beautiful Koi pond. At Level 1, members can also use the Spirit lounge area along with the boardroom on a chargeable basis. The cost for a boardroom (with 8 pax) is Rs. 4000 for half-day and Rs. 7000 including refreshments. Similarly, for the Boardroom (with 16 pax), the fee is Rs. 8000 for half-day and Rs. 14000 including refreshments wherein taxes will be additional to the overall cost.” BLVD Club brings together the world on your plate with its in-house restaurant ‘Core’ that serves an all-day dining menu with international cuisine.

Work from Restaurant

SOCIAL Works is the pan-India iconic all-day cafe and bar chain SOCIAL’s collaborative shared co-working space, designed to take the creative community offline. SOCIAL Works is an ideal place to connect and collaborate with like-minded creators and professionals across fields and is also the most chilled-out workspace where a member can choose between a cup of coffee or a pint of beer. In Bangalore, SOCIAL Works is present at 4 SOCIAL outposts – Church Street SOCIAL, Indiranagar SOCIAL, Koramangala SOCIAL and Sarjapur SOCIAL. Ranveer Sabhani, Business Head – South, Impresario Handmade Restaurants says, “SOCIAL Works offers full cover membership which means the member gets free food and drinks worth the membership package and effectively making it a zero-rental workspace. It is the most affordable workspace with a day’s pass starting at only Rs 300 (inclusive of taxes). A week’s pass costs Rs. 1200 and a month’s pass will cost Rs 4500 (inclusive of taxes). Members get access to high-speed unlimited free WiFi and free SOCIAL food and drinks worth the package price. The member also gets access to 24 SOCIAL Works across Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune, Chandigarh, Chennai and Indore. SOCIAL Works is operational every weekday {Monday – Friday}, between 11.00 am and 6.00 pm.”

Work from a ResortOlde Bangalore Resort has a workcation package of three days, a week, and five days for a couple and single occupancy. It is inclusive of breakfast (Indian and Continental) and unlimited free Wi-Fi. Shravan Nayar, Director, Olde Bangalore Resort says, “You will be in the heart of nature, waking up to the sounds of birds and fresh coffee. The food is homely and satisfying. With plenty of greenery all around, the space lets you unwind amidst the serenity of nature while letting you stay updated with your work and other commitments.” The resort is located 15 minutes before the airport, behind the ITC factory and has luxe tent-style cottages for your stay along with top-notch facilities, including high-speed Wi-Fi to enable seamless working. The workcation package costs Rs. 4500 for single occupancy and Rs. 5250 for double occupancy per night, if you book for three nights. Rates per day can reduce based on the duration and there is unlimited free Wi-Fi included in the package. A special menu will be offered with the food package or you could get a 25% discount on all a-la-carte food orders and a 30% discount on all beverage orders including alcohol. To rejuvenate, you can also check out treatments from Itoozhi, their Ayurvedic partner, at subsidised prices.

March 17, 2022

CINTA & Pantai Pura Founder Rupika Harshwardhan P

For Rupika Harshwardhan P, design has never been merely aesthetics; it is emotional architecture. A graduate of Srishti School of Art and Design, with further studies in art history at Chitrakala Parishad, her education trained her to see spaces as layered narratives shaped by material, form, and feeling. An early internship at Elle Decor India proved pivotal. It offered her an insider’s view of the design industry and crystallised a quiet but firm decision: she would not simply participate in design, she would build something of her own. Drawn instinctively to craft traditions and handmade objects, Rupika’s understanding of “home” is rooted in belonging. For her, furniture is not functional; it is memory made tangible. Brands Built on Meaning Rupika is the Founder and Creative Director of CINTA and Pantai Pura. CINTA, meaning “love,” is a children’s home décor brand centred on imagination and family bonds. Pantai Pura, “Sacred Beach,” explores natural harmony and mindful living. “I didn’t create these brands just to sell furniture,” she explains. “I wanted to change how we see materials and craftsmanship.” Her work bridges tradition and modernity, connecting artisan communities with contemporary homes. Particularly through CINTA, she reflects on how a child’s first furniture piece can become part of their emotional blueprint. Reimagining Rattan At the core of her practice is rattan, a material she champions for its agility, durability, and quiet elegance. Challenging misconceptions that it is dated or interchangeable with bamboo, Rupika reinterprets rattan through a contemporary lens while honouring traditional craft. Her approach rests on three pillars: craftsmanship, co-creation, and community. Designs are developed collaboratively with artisans, resulting in bespoke pieces that respond to real homes rather than fleeting trends. “Design is a conversation, not a monologue,” she says. From Online Beginnings to Experiential Spaces Both brands began online, where one

StartUps

Sujata & Taniya Biswas: Redefining the Everyday Indian Sari

A homegrown Indian fashion brand redefining the sari as an everyday, breathable, and expressive garment. Combining Sujata’s structured, systems-driven approach with Taniya’s creative vision, they work closely with artisan communities across India to create clothing rooted in comfort, honesty, and human connection. Their journey blends entrepreneurship with sisterhood, building a brand that values trust, craftsmanship, and mindful fashion. Taniya, you left a stable career with the Tata group and IBM after IIM Lucknow, and Sujata, you pivoted from IIFT Delhi and corporate life. What was the exact moment when both of you realised that the corporate path wasn’t enough and that Suta was waiting to happen? Taniya: It wasn’t a rebellion. It was recognition. I had done everything “right”: engineering, IIM, a Consulting role that looked perfect on paper. But somewhere between late-night presentations and early morning meetings, I realised I was living life from the neck up. My hands missed fabric. My heart missed stories. I kept returning mentally to memories of wet saris drying on clotheslines, of Maa moving through the house with her pallu tucked in. One evening, over chai, I said it aloud to Sujata: I don’t think this is it. The moment I spoke it, Suta was born. Sujata: For me, it came as the discomfort of becoming someone I wasn’t. The corporate world had given me growth, but it had also hardened me. I remember thinking: If success requires me to lose softness, I don’t want it. My PhD was an attempt to find meaning, but even that felt academic, distant. What we really wanted was to build something with our hands, our intuition, and our values. Suta didn’t arrive as planned. It arrived as relief. From travelling through remote weaving clusters in Meghalaya, Varanasi, MP, and Odisha to working directly with artisan families,

StartUps

Blood, Bond & Business: The Real Equations behind Family-Driven Startups

February is the month of relationships, and at Hashtag, we’re celebrating the bonds that shape not just personal lives, but powerful businesses. This special edition explores entrepreneurs who share more than a company; they share roots. From siblings turning into strategic partnerships to spouses balancing love and leadership, we dive into the real dynamics behind relationship-driven ventures. This month, discover how strong relationships can become a business’s most valuable asset. Vijayaraghavan Venugopal is the Co-founder at Fast&Up and has been instrumental in building the brand in India. He has over 26 years of business experience in diverse fields, which includes pharmaceuticals, Healthcare and Information Technology. He has been responsible for business development in multiple geographies, including the Triad (USA, Europe and Japan). He has worked with TekFriday, Dr Reddy’s, Lupin and Emcure in different senior management roles. He was Lupin’s country head in China for three years between 2007 and 2010. He is a mechanical engineer and an MBA in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi. He is one of the fastest amateur marathoners in the country, having run in sub-3-hour marathons 12 times in major cities throughout the world, including Paris, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, London, Tokyo and New York, all while leading the growth of India’s fastest-growing nutrition brand, Fast&Up. He also has the distinction of being the first Indian to do all six world marathon majors under 3 hours, and is the winner of the recently held Tata Mumbai Marathon in his age group. Varun Khanna is the CEO of Fullife Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., a company he started at the age of 23 with the sole purpose to focus on healthy living. A relentless passion to do something innovative for the millennial need for an active life drove him to launch India’s first effervescent

StartUps

Top 6 Startups Of 2025: The New Architects of India’s Future

From sustainable farming to EV mobility, discover six Indian startups shaping a cleaner, smarter, and more connected tomorrow. Every generation finds its dreamers, the ones who don’t just talk about change, but build it. In 2025, India’s startup scene feels less like a rush for valuation and more like a movement with a purpose. These founders aren’t chasing unicorn tags; they are chasing impact. They are solving what truly matters. This is the India that rolls up its sleeves and says ‘Let’s make it ourselves.’ Dhanush Kumar writes about the Top 6 Startups of 2025, born from soil, steel, and software, each shaping tomorrow with courage and conscience. 1.Handpickd: Fresh from Farm to Table When freshness becomes a luxury, Handpickd restores it to the everyday plate. This Bengaluru-based agritech startup has built a direct bridge between local farmers and urban consumers ensuring every tomato, mango, and millet travels fewer miles and earns farmers more smiles. Using tech-driven logistics and transparent sourcing, Handpickd doesn’t just deliver produce; it delivers trust. In an era of overprocessed everything, this is simplicity redefined clean food, honest pricing, and a system where farmers finally get their due.It’s not a brand. It’s a return to our roots literally. 2.Bambrew: Building a Plastic-free Future At a time when the planet gasps under plastic, Bambrew breathes innovation. The Bengaluru-based packaging pioneer crafts biodegradable, compostable alternatives made from bamboo, sugarcane, and cornstarch materials that love the earth back. Their vision isn’t just green, it’s bold. Bambrew’s eco-packaging now wraps products for top FMCG and e-commerce giants, proving sustainability doesn’t have to look boring or cost a fortune.This isn’t rebellion it’s reinvention. A reminder that small choices, multiplied by millions, can rewrite the story of our planet. 3.Eeki Foods: Vertical Farming for a Greener Tomorrow In the deserts of Rajasthan, where