Shantanu Naidu recently announced the launch of Jaipur Bookies.
Shantanu Naidu, the manager and confidant of Ratan Tata, has embarked on a fresh chapter of his life after the billionaire-philanthropist’s death. Mr Naidu is now expanding his passion project, Bookies, which is aimed at rekindling the joy of reading among people.
The project, which began in Mumbai, has already made its mark in Pune and Bengaluru and is now set to debut in Jaipur. Mr Naidu recently announced the launch of Jaipur Bookies, inviting book enthusiasts in the city to join the reading event on December 8. On LinkedIn, Mr Naidu expressed his excitement, saying, “Jaipur, it’s time. We will see you on Sunday the 8th at Jaipur Bookies. Sign up for the launch below. SO EXCITED!!!!” A sign-up form was shared for those wishing to participate.
Mr Naidu wishes to expand Bookies to more cities, with Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Surat next on his list. Last month, he hosted a gathering in Bengaluru.
During one of the Bookies sessions, Mr Naidu remarked on the significance of reading in today’s fast-paced world: “Bookies have always been to bring back reading. It seems that reading is very central to the human experience. And it’s just gone back into the background.” He contrasted this with the modern attention span, adding, “We used to watch three-minute Reels. We can’t even do 1:30-minutes (of video) anymore.”
The young entrepreneur’s dedication to the project reflects the mentorship and values he received from Ratan Tata. The late industrialist’s will underscored their unique friendship, with Mr Tata naming Mr Naidu as a recipient and supporting his start-up venture, Goodfellows, by relinquishing his stake in it and clearing Mr Naidu’s education loans, according to The Times of India.
After Mr Tata’s death, Mr Naidu shared a tribute, saying, “The hole that this friendship has now left with me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to fill. Grief is the price to pay for love. Goodbye, my dear lighthouse.” He accompanied the note with a photograph of the two.