Overwhelmed by the chaos

Expat zone

Intrigued and impressed by the number of opportunities in Bengaluru, entrepreneur David Back, from Denver, Colorado, didn’t think twice before moving here to start his company ‘Zoomcar’ in Indiranagar.

David started ‘Zoomcar’, a rental company that acts as an alternative to private car ownerships, two-wheelers, metros and other vehicles, with his college friend Greg Moran.
Though he came here in 2011 when he launched the company, he had visited Bengaluru before. So when he came here to settle down, he realised that the City had grown a lot over the years. “It had grown enormously in terms of size, opportunities and population. A lot of buildings were coming up and the people had become all the more tech-savvy. The traffic was crazy and the restaurants had become better but more expensive,” he recalls.
He says that Bengaluru was the best place to launch their company since the people here are well-travelled. However, when he first came here, he was quite overwhelmed by the City’s noise and chaos.

   “But there is so much energy and activity here. Something is always going on.” He adds that the cities in America aren’t booming as much.   

Describing the traffic as “crazy”, he is happy that he only has to walk to his office as he lives in Indiranagar. “It is a huge luxury,” he laughs. Owning a company can be stressful and he hardly gets time to socialise but when he does, he likes going to different restaurants and cafes in Indiranagar.

   ‘The Black Rabbit’ and ‘Biere Club’ are two of his favourite places and Indiranagar is his favourite area as he feels it’s centrally located and well-developed.

Though he initially found it difficult to adjust to the diverse customs of the different communities here, he soon got used to them. He thinks the people here are warm and share a great sense of bonding though they may be from different communities. “I share a great relationship with a lot of people here now — both on a professional and personal level.” 

David has travelled across the country and has a few favourite cities. Apart from Bengaluru, he loves Kerala and feels that it is dotted with pretty plantations and coffee estates. He also likes Mumbai for its growing business opportunities and Delhi for its rich architectural heritage and legacy. He enjoys the many festivals that are celebrated here and was quite scared during his first Diwali.

 “The crackers were flying out everywhere. In the US, people don’t light crackers and bombs near you if you are walking on the road or just driving by.” He says that he likes to celebrate Onam too because it is centred around the concept of being thankful and is quite similar to a Jewish festival that he celebrates. When asked about Bollywood, he shakes his head and laughs, “I just don’t get it. I don’t get the sense of humour probably because the jokes are cultural.”

He has also tasted a number of cuisines and loves the delicacies that India has to offer. His favourites include ‘appam’ and beef curry. “My fiance is from Kerala and her grandmother is a brilliant cook,” he says. 

He finds the weddings here extremely extravagant and is now gearing up for his own wedding, which he says will be a “great Catholic wedding with a lot of Indian elements”.  
David hopes to launch ‘Zoomcar’ in other cities and wants the company to grow further in the City.

“Right now, India is in a period of reform and growth and Bengaluru is rapidly changing. The City has played a major role in providing a number of opportunities to people. Understanding the diversity of India is extremely important because of the extraordinary potential the country has,” he sums up.