How often have you been on a vacation only to wish you didn’t have to return to office? Ajay Jain, 41, did more than just wish. After over a decade of regular jobs and a memorable holiday, he decided not to return to office, changing the course of his life forever.
Jain is the owner of Kunzum Cafe, located at the picturesque Hauz Khas Village, in Delhi. After graduating from the Delhi College of Engineering (1992), Jain tried his hand at several things-he worked in the hardware industry, a software management firm, a media organisation and as a professional blogger.
His educational qualifications are as varied-he has an MBA degree, and another in journalism from Cardiff University, UK. The cafe, says Jain, is an amalgam of all these experiences.
In 2004, Jain quit his job in print media and started with professional blogging and freelancing for a variety of Websites. “I used to write mainly on finance and technology,” he says. He did not have to worry about income. “All through my earning days, I had invested and saved smartly. This, along with my blogging, ensured a steady income till 2009,” adds Jain. The freelance assignments also ensured that he got a lot of time to travel, click photographs, and pen travelogues, which meant more income streams.
In 2007, Jain started Kunzum.com, a travel Website, named after a pass in the Lahaul-Spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh. “The site carries write-ups on destinations, photographs, book reviews, hotel listings, etc,” says Jain. In fact, he publishes an online travel magazine by the same name.
Besides his Web ventures, he kept honing his skills in photography. In early 2008, a series of his photographs was exhibited at the India Habitat Centre and received appreciation. This got Jain thinking about the need for a permanent place to showcase his photographs and build a more complete brand that catered to all aspects of travelling.
So, in October 2009, Kunzum Cafe was born. Jain bought the space for about Rs 25 lakh, financed completely by his savings. The cafe, which employs six people, is a place where tourists can swap travel stories, inquire about the best places to stay, get sightseeing tips, and so on, says Jain. All this happens over a cup of coffee and cookies, for which guests can pay as much as they like.
“These things make the place very hospitable for visitors, and helps build a strong bond with them,” says Jain. Contrary to expectation, the visitors to the cafe are neither miserly nor out for a free cuppa. Says Jain: “Most of the visitors have been very generous when it comes to paying.”
As envisioned, the cafe houses his photographs, the three books he has authored, including Postcards from Ladakh, as well as other reading material. Priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 30,000, these photographs are the main source of income for Jain.
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