Is it a fad that will die soon? No, we think not. Coworking spaces are going to define the future of offices in the times to come. They’re already mushrooming across the country and Bengaluru is seeing a surge in numbers across the city. These spaces work best for independent professionals and startups and are soon turning to be a hub for those who want their chic workspace to network, collaborate, communciate and connect while building a community in an efficient and sustainable manner. Here are some of Bengaluru’s popular and most creative coworking spaces.
BY NAMITA GUPTA
What’s unique: Social offers a collaborative shared workspace to registered individuals, by the day, across 5 cities in India. With creatively energizing spaces and signature food and drink, Social has pioneered the cafe–meets–co working space concept in India, by blending #work & #play in the right proportions. It’s a departure from the daily routine, a space for creative individuals to bootstrap and bounce ideas off each other. It is about moving on from traditional workspaces with cubicles to newer, interesting spaces which serve multiple purposes. From a boardroom with a bar attached to an event space which promotes progressive art and culture — Social’s coworking space caters to artists, freelancers and entrepreneurs like none other.
A space apart: Unlike other co-working spaces, Social doesn’t charge a deposit / rental fee of any sort for individuals to register. The subscription fee of INR 5000 per month is entirely redeemable against food and beverages, and gives access to the workspace at any outlet pan India (across 5 cities)! From wall-to-wall high speed WiFi to office stationery, members get the benefits of a workspace (with a bar attached to it) without any hidden charges.
One step up over others: Social’s co-working space members are eligible for a host of benefits — free entry to all the gigs, skill development events steered by member needs, invites to Impresario events and parties, leveraging Social’s media presence to highlight member initiatives, being a part of go-getters in town to help #connect and #collaborate, the list goes on. It’s a #culture, a lifestyle and not just another co-working space. From an exclusive health menu to a Deep House Yoga session to Creative Workouts by Dentsu Webchutney to member mixers by TiE – the range of activities are wide, in line with the millennial crowd of the country.
Current trends: Over the last 4 years, Social’s approach to co-working has redefined the industry — traditional spaces have started to align themselves more creatively and alternatively, their involvement in #culture has increased multifold via private night clubs, food festivals, film screenings, gigs etc and audiences are more prone to pursuing side stream initiatives, not just by being an entrepreneur but also by being an artist / freelancer / consultant.
Top startups that work out of here: Krypton Media started by Sumukh Mehta is branching out to music related content besides its focus on providing digital media solutions to F&B spaces. CityShor, a lifestyle publication, expands to Tier II cities this year. Webot, an AI driven chat-box to support people with mental health issues, is being used by hundreds of people every day. A service to rent portable chargers is about to take Bangalore by storm. A new payment portal that matches upto transaction capabilities of VISA/Master card is the in making.
