BUSINESS TRAVEL SPECIAL

Bloemendaal, founder and owner of Ministry of New. The trend has taken off in such a big way that in February this year, ’s first edition of CU Asia, the annual co-working conference, was held in Goa. Now, for under 10,000 a month, entrepreneurs can grab a spot at one of the 21 offices of US-based WeWork (wework.com) or Holland- based Space’s (spacesworks.com) six locations in India’s major cities. You can also choose from homegrown chains such as 91 Springboard (91springboard.com), Cowrks (cowrks.com) and Awfis (awfis.com). Just sign up online and pick the ideal setup for yourself and your team. Hot desks, meeting rooms, private cabins, virtual offices (an address for your business to direct your phone calls and post)—you can simply order off the menu. A membership at any of these chains means you have access to its branches in other cities as well. However, many entrepreneurs are looking for a professional environment that is unlike a corporate office and even more laid-back than a co-working chain. Shah, for example, feels much more at home at the stand-alone Ministry of New, with its high, exposed ceilings, turquoise walls, colourful TRAVEL S SP ES E N C furniture and a swing set in the I I S A U L community room. Other similarly small

B

B setups with just a few outposts include

U

S

L

I ’s (thegridspace.io),

N A The Grid

I

E

C

S

E

S

P

T S

R (hiveworkspaces.com) in L The Hive A E

V Chennai and Bengaluru, The Worklab (theworklab.in) in and ’s CO-CREATIVE Dextrus (dextrus.in). These look and Co-working spaces are shaking up India’s business scene, feel nothing like the grey-carpeted says Raj Aditya Chaudhuri. Photographs by Rahulnath cubicles that corporate India has traditionally operated out of. ohan Shah was looking for Increasingly, entrepreneurs like All these options offer bright, cheery a temporary office for his Shah, and even his clients, are opting décor and the promise of unlimited two-person operation when for co-working spaces. As small coffee. But it is the extras where each he first walked intoMinistry businesses have boomed, a whole differentiates itself. Spaces has a ofS New (ministryofnew.in), a co- industry has developed to house custom app that unlocks its global working space in a heritage building them. The formula is simple—a spot network of members. At WeWork, in Mumbai’s Fort area. Two years equipped with high-speed wi-fi, you have access to gyms, terrace later, his ad agency, Siriti, employs 11 printers and conference facilities, workstations and weekly events people, but still works out of the same ready to move into and typically such as football matches and Lunch office alongside many other small at a fraction of the cost of renting and Learn sessions. “Over a meal, enterprises. “We fell in love with the a traditional office. And these are a member who is a subject matter place. And while we’ve been here, we springing up in metros as well as expert takes a group of peers through have met interesting professionals, smaller cities. “As many as 80 percent Above: the an informative talk on different aspects some of whom have become key of all co-working spaces in India interiors of of their field,” says Zia Sen, WeWork’s business partners for us,” he says. opened only last year,” says Marlies Ministry of New senior community manager.

96 Condé Nast Traveller Apr-May 2019 BUSINESS TRAVEL SPECIAL

These spaces, in turn, are changing Above from right: and Gurugram’s The Quorum pieces from the Kiran Nadar Museum how corporate India does business. the pool at Soho (thequorum.club). While they have of Art. Meanwhile, The Indus Club House Mumbai; “While India has always been a libraries, workstations, sound-proof boasts a golf swing simulator so you a workstation at country of joint families, this kind of meeting rooms and reciprocal can hit the ‘green’ while talking shop. Ministry of New collaboration with people from the relationships with similar clubs With a super-selective vetting business community was lacking,” Sen around the world, it is the ‘play’ side process, a spot at these clubs is highly explains. The open, inclusive design of of things where these spaces shine. coveted. Soho House Mumbai, for these offices is meant to encourage “Each House is designed to be a home example, only accepts new members collaboration. At WeWork, community away from home for the creative once a quarter. Under-27s pay a joining managers help members find the community,” says Joe Eva, general fee from 10,300 and annual fee from branch where they can thrive. So, if manager of Soho House Mumbai. “We 56,000, while the rest pay 30,900 you are a Bengaluru-based coder for have created a way of living designed and 1,13,000 respectively. start-ups and enjoy a game of football, around what our members want These urban clubs also boast an they will help you decide which of the through the day—gym in the morning, impressive calendar of programmes. nine WeWorks in the city best suit a working breakfast, space to get The Quorum, for one, organises movie you. Increasingly, even established things done, attend a talk or a seminar, screenings followed by discussions businesses with their own offices are have drinks and dinner with friends with critically acclaimed directors such buying up memberships to these and watch a movie later. Professionals as Rajat Nayyar and Abhishek Verma spots. This has given entrepreneurs today, especially in creative fields, are and musical performances by the likes a chance to interact with traditional rejecting the 9—5 norm. They want to of Vishal Dadlani and jazz and Bossa companies, and vice versa. merge their personal and work lives.” Nova singer Sofia Hoffman. It has also The rise of shared offices has also This is why only about 40 percent of hosted discussions with politicians, blurred the lines between work and The A’s 40,000sq ft area is dedicated journalists and foreign policy experts play—when these new moguls aren’t to work, says CEO Romil Ratra. The like Shashi Tharoor, Sagarika Ghose, tapping away at their desks, they are rest of it is bistros, bars and well- Rajdeep Sardesai and Navtej Sarna. networking at events or entertaining appointed common areas for guests to Members also have access to yoga potential clients and partners. And mingle. Soho House Mumbai enforces workshops, museum pop-ups and this is the kind of professional that a strict no-cellphone policy and brunches. These events are a big draw members-only urban clubs aim to discourages guests from using their for new members at these clubs. attract. Think Soho House Mumbai laptops after 7pm so they can unwind The more our offices become like (sohohousemumbai.com), The and listen to some live music. The the places we socialise at, the harder A Club (thea.club) and The Indus Quorum features a gallery that exhibits it is to switch off. On the other hand, it Club (theindusclub.com) in Mumbai a rotating collection of contemporary makes work a lot more fun.

98 Condé Nast Traveller Apr-May 2019