'The City is a land of opportunities'

Melting pot

For many like Amit Jain and his family, who are from outside, Bengaluru is the perfect place to be. Amit who was born and brought up in Dimapur, Nagaland, has his roots in Rajasthan while his wife Rini is from Guwahati, Assam.

They live here with their ten-month-old baby, Tanay. Amit, who is the director of Bookntravel India Pvt Ltd, a travel company, says that Bengaluru is a great space for educational and professional growth.

Having moved to Bengaluru a decade back for his BCA degree with Sri Bhagawan Mahaveer Jain College, Amit says that Bengaluru has a different feel, due to its IT culture.
“It was a drastic change.

Things are so different here when compared to the places we are from,” say the couple together. Having completed his high school in a boarding school in Rajasthan, Amit says that it was easier to adapt to a different place. “I think the adjustment process was much easier because of this.”

Amit who has his own business says that “the City is a land of opportunities”. He feels that the IT boom has helped in the City’s growth. “I was a software engineer earlier and had worked for an IT firm before shifting my career,” he says.

 There is a lot of planning that goes into the travel industry, says Amit. “I was interested in these things and that’s how I started my own venture.”

He believes that the City is one of the best places to start a business. Speaking of his field, he says, “A few years back, one would see people swarming around booking centres to get tickets but now, everything is just a click away.”

About his hometown, Amit says that things are very different. “The town would close down quite early. Things did start earlier there, by 7 am, and everything would close by 6 pm.” He adds that people living in cities are different too. “They are exposed to so many cultures, and thus are very open-minded.”

In many places in the North-East, women are expected to sit at home and not work, he says. “The trend is different in cities like Bengaluru. Women work everywhere,” he adds. Rini says that opportunities are much less in Guwahati too. “I feel very independent here. I help Amit with his business and it has been a liberating experience,” she says.

Often travelling on work to places like Delhi, Gurgaon and Mumbai, Amit says that the City has its own charm. “The travel time is huge in cities like Mumbai. Also in Bengaluru, there are people from across the world. Also the professional set-up is better here. Additional facilities like cabs are easier to find here,” says Amit.

Like most cities, Bengaluru is a busy one with “people only having time to relax and catch up with their own stuff during the weekends”, says Amit.

 “We miss social relations here. Back home, since it is a small town, everyone knows you. And when you meet someone on the street or elsewhere, you just stop to chat,” he recollects.

The couple feel they have settled well in Bengaluru. “We feel comfortable here and have not thought of going back. We plan to bring my in-laws here too, so that we won’t miss anyone,” Rini wraps up.