The city of dreams

It is not unusual for people to come and settle down in Bengaluru from different states and countries because of educational and job opportunities. Vikram Oswal and his wife Poonam Jain from Jodhpur, Rajasthan landed in the City for similar reasons — higher education was a priority. Vikram, who is the founder of a food app, ‘Woozoe’, and Poonam, who works as a clinical research analyst with Quintiles, got married five years back and currently reside near Kumara Park. The couple is blessed with baby boy Vir.

“I moved to Bengaluru after my 10th grade to study further, after which I went to Australia. However, I came back to the City in 2009. I started working with TDR Bazaar Infrastructure Pvt Ltd in February 20­10,” says Vikram. He also mentions that Bengaluru is very different from Jodhpur, mostly in terms of its culture. “Jodhpur, being the land of ‘maharajas’, has a rich cult­ure but at the same time it’s very laid back and easy going. In contrast, Bengaluru is more cosmopolitan in terms of its culture, food and people,” he adds.

Vikram always wanted to start something of his own, mostly in the area of technology. And what better place to start than a city which is known as a technology hub. “The City really encouraged me to start my dream project and all I can say is that Bengaluru is the perfect place to kickstart something new. In fact, when I was abroad, I wanted to move back to India and Bengaluru was the only place I considered.”

On what he misses the most about his hometown, he says, “It’s the food, the Jodhpuri culture and the beautiful blue city.” On what he likes about Bengaluru, Vikram adds, “The things I like the most about Bengaluru is the culture of knowing people. I always tell people that Bengaluru has a small town culture within itself, though it’s a big city. Apart from which the startup culture is something I admire.”

He doesn’t forget to mention the weather. Describing the food culture back home, Poonam says, “Marwari food comes from Rajasthan. We love our food and it is
evident from the preparation of dishes to the way it’s served. Be it ‘dal bati churma’, ‘badam ka halwa’ or ‘pyaaz ki kachori’, it’s like a feast everyday.”

The couple, being foodies, say that they are always trying to explore new cuisines, and they are never out of must-try places here. Some of their favourite eating joints are ‘Rim Naam’ at ‘The Oberoi’, ‘Toscano’, ‘Shiro’ and the food streets around the City. Apart from these places, they also relish the South Indian cuisines and have a few favourites there too. “We are big fans of South Indian food and love to have ‘benne ma­sala dosa’ at CTR, Andhra meals at ‘Nagarjuna’ and ‘dosas’ at Siddappa Hotel. We also like the food that is served in South Indian weddings. It’s usually simple and tasty,” says Poonam.

On weekends, the couple usually spends time together or they meet up with friends. An adventurous duo, they have travelled to many places abroad and consider Spain as one of their favourite destinations. However, when it comes to visiting a nearby place as a weekend getaway, they prefer Goa.   All in all, the couple feels blessed to be here. “We love the City. Everybody you meet here has a zeal to do something different and new.

They make you feel comfortable and welcomed. It’s a great place to meet people of different energy levels and there is a lot to learn from every individual. Being a part of the startup culture, I feel blessed to be here,” concludes Vikram with a smile.