Who work together, thrive

Gurnaaz Kaur

Chandigarh is a hub for all that is classy and fashionable. A luxury brand in cars, clothes or an uptown cafe, you are sure to find one in this city. This is not to say that it only tops in all things luxury and expensive; it actually houses everything that is trending or making a positive noise. 

One of the concepts that is new and thriving in tricity is co-working spaces. A movement that started in San Francisco soon marched towards the start-up friendly cities in India. Initially, it saw a demand in some metro cities such as Delhi, Bangaluru and Mumbai, but this space-sharing drive has found its feet in tricity as well. 

Co-working is a cost-effective, hassle-free proposition for those coming up with start-ups, IT professionals, independent workers, freelancers, creative professionals, etc. So, it turns out, these professionals work in the same place together but not for the same company. This communicative, no-barrier office culture seems to have many takers. There are over 10 such co-working spaces in Chandigarh and some in Panchkula and Mohali.

Youthful energy 

One of these is SpaceJam in Sector 34. It’s a complete floor dedicated to co-working with an ambience that is lively and decor that is colourful and youth-oriented. Started by Amitoz Pal Singh (27), this place has an arrangement for 25 offices. “I got this idea from San Francisco, since I operated from a co-working there. I started it because I felt Chandigarh was lacking the start-up ecosystem. Many people from this city have performed quite well in Mumbai and Bengaluru because such cities have the ecosystem to support their ideas. So, I thought why not nurture something similar here as well,” Amitoz says. 

Among the facilities are meeting room, cafeteria, internet, electricity and housekeeping. 

Getting social 

Another such space is found at Social cafe and bar. Among the pioneers in co-working space in India, Social has a fixed monthly membership of Rs 5,000 that can be redeemed as food and beverages over the month. “We want to promote start-ups and individual working and we provide a space and environment for anyone who really needs space to work. There is an application one has to fill to be eligible and it is scrutinised to make sure the facilities are utilised by those who otherwise cannot afford all this on their own,” says Pragun Vashisht, marketing manager at Social. 

Among the initial co-working space set-ups is Workcave Cooworking. This was started by Vidhur Bansal, who went through a struggle to find an economical place to run his start-up. “We have occupancy for 40 people and by far, ours is the cheapest in tricity. Our minimum membership is 3,000 and maximum goes up to 5,000. There is no fixed seat for anyone. Just come and take the place you like,” Vidhur explains.

Out of the box 

In Mohali, Start Up In A Box was started by Ekant Aggarwal to promote entrepreneurship. This place currently houses 40 entrepreneurs. There are cabins and cubicles. The cabins have seating for two, four, 10 people. It goes up to 19 and the cost varies accordingly. While a freelance desk would cost 4,000, a cabin for 19 will go up to 70,000. “There are some people who have been using our facility for over a year now,” Ekant tells.

While most of these co-working spaces promote start-ups of individuals who cannot afford to rent and manage an office, there are also those who let out offices to big corporate. 

The main focus of such spaces is to promote greater productivity and provide creative, comfy atmosphere and camaraderie. The core shared values are community, openness, collaboration, accessibility and sustainability.

All the basics such as furniture, electricity, internet, mailing, printing, scanning and pantry services are taken care of by these co-working spaces. These places also organise weekly and fortnightly events and interactions to help their members find investors, understand the know-how of various businesses, learn about taxes and much more. There are also fun sessions and those to keep your mind and body healthy. 

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