We need to reimagine India’s libraries.

Every time I land in a new area, I have this little experiment I run. I open Google (sometimes even ChatGPT) and type “libraries near me.” And what do I get?

Study halls. Exam prep centers. If I’m lucky, maybe a bookstore stacked with pop-culture bestsellers. Nothing wrong with that, but the world is much bigger, you know.

And the worst part? Over time, these “bestsellers” can actually dull your taste in books. And in ideas.

Now cut to Singapore. Do the same search, and suddenly you’ve got 2–3 proper libraries within 5 km. Not study halls. Not bookstores. Actual libraries.

And the difference is insane.

These places are not just buildings with books and chairs. They’re community centers.

My personal inspiration is The National Library Singapore at Victoria Street. Multi-floor madness.

A proper library, yes, but also: maker spaces, startup zones, coworking pods, cultural theaters.

Every time I’ve gone there, I haven’t been able to finish exploring. Either they’re adding something new or I just get stuck in one corner, overwhelmed in the best possible way.

The fun part is that they’ve got silent reading zones right next to debate rooms and maker labs.

People are not just reading quietly – they’re building projects, doing research, hacking on startups, or just hanging out to trade ideas. One visit is enough to charge you for weeks.

So yes, infrastructure is an obvious issue in India. But that’s not the whole story. The bigger problem is cultural. Our relationship with reading itself. Thanks to our education system, a lot of people literally feel fear when they see a book. For them, books equal trauma. Libraries equal exam prep. And that needs to change.

Because a library is not just shelves filled with books. It can actually be an experience. An ecosystem for ideas.

So here’s what we’re doing. Starting something called Project Curiocity.

The idea is simple:

Step one → identify all existing libraries in India (public and private), map them, visit them, figure out what’s working and what’s broken.

Step two → run pilots in borrowed spaces even if it’s just someone giving up their office Sundays.

Step three → grow this into a coalition. People, public institutions,private players, experience designers, urban planners, librarians, whoever wants in.

This is not going to happen top-down. It’s going to start with the few who care. Like all culture shifts do.

We’re starting this in Pune. But of course, would love to collaborate with people ready to drive this in other parts of India.

If this idea sparks something in you – if you’re a reader, a builder, a dreamer, someone with space to offer, or simply want to figure out how you can contribute to the project, reach out to us on the link given below. Let’s make libraries cool again.

PS: Picture is from the House of Wisdom library in Baghdad, probably some 500 years ago.

Reach out to us at: http://wa.me/917559493768