When Suresh Katta, an MBA graduate, launched the first corporate reading room in 2012, the concept was something new to the city people. Today, Deepa’s Reading Centre provides customised service to more than 200 clients across the centres located in Asilmetta, MVP Colony, Gajuwaka, and NAD Kotha Road.
After a brief stint in the corporate world, Mr. Suresh thought of treading an untrodden path, unplugging a new world of opportunity. “That gave way to establishing a book reading centre. My focus is on a service-oriented venture that connects to education. Since my parents are farmers, I had to depend on my friends and relatives for the capital investment,” says the 30-year-old entrepreneur.
Having invested Rs. 8 lakh in the first unit in Asilmetta, Mr. Suresh considers the first few weeks of operations as the most crucial period. “The running cost used to cross more than Rs.50,000 per month. Imagine, there was only one student then. Over a period of time, people loved the ambience and service that eventually paved the way for wider reach,” says founder of Deepa’s Reading Centre.
Challenges
Three years down the line, Mr. Suresh says that he had no regrets about the hardship that he had gone through to realise his dream project. He says, “Our clientele includes medicos, chartered accountants, and civil service aspirants. The biggest task is to convince them to maintain silence in the reading room as at times they get into group discussions in the cabin itself, causing inconvenience to others. Dealing with difficult situations itself is a lesson to learn from,” he says.
Value add-ons
The reading centre offers two packages --full day air-conditioned cabin for Rs.2,000 and Rs.1,500 for non-AC or people can spend time for a few hours that costs Rs.1,000. Along with internet facility, readers can opt for food, snacks, and refreshments at an extra cost. Based on the requirement, the centre also has hostel facility. In future, Mr. Suresh plans to promote a new reading culture, expanding the network of branches in Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Guntur, and Vijayawada.
