Book World was started by Narendra Chandan in 1996 and his son Jugal Chandan joined the business in 2017-18.
Book World, the iconic bookstore on Fergusson College Road in Pune, was on the brink of closure in 2017. Now almost a decade later in July 2026, the bookstore expanded to double its size and has increased its collection by 20-25%. On top of this, a smaller section earlier used for storage has been converted into a separate store for used or second-hand books.
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Book World was started by Narendra Chandan in 1996 and his son Jugal Chandan joined the business in 2017-18. A jewellery shop next to the store, also owned by the same owners, has been shifted to the upper floor of the same building and the bookstore has expanded into that space.
The thought of expansion came earlier this year. Jugal told The Indian Express, “We had a big collection but we were not able to display all of it. And we are here all day but it is not possible to attend to every customer. So, the business also suffers and the customer also suffers (if they don’t find a book). This is why we thought of expanding.”
The expansion did not come as a result of an increase or an explosion of sales, Jugal makes clear. “It was about showing the customer more of our collection and that they could rely on us,” he explains, “I think this is something that will continue the legacy forward. It was not like just because I am making more money. Actually, I am investing more in the expansion than I am making. I love working for books.”
The period from 2012 to 2017 was really tough for the book trade, Jugal adds, who himself was working in event management during that time and not working at the bookstore. It was announced that the bookstore would be shutting down.
“People had protested outside over here saying ‘We won’t let this bookstore shut down’. So that was an achievement,” he said proudly. Around the same time, Jugal also joined the bookstore business.
“(My father) thought, what did he do so much for? Because I was into something else. But once I joined, he also started thinking, okay, now someone is there to look after it and we can think about continuing it,” he said.
Post the COVID-19 lockdown, sales jumped over 200% with the store accepting orders on WhatsApp and providing deliveries. A collection that had dropped down to 10,000 books in 2017 now has reached around 1 lakh after the recent expansion.
Known for its varied book selection, Book World has prominent sections on topics ranging from Manga to Urdu Poetry. What is the philosophy behind the book selection? The owner explains, “The philosophy is that there is no philosophy. What customer needs should be there. It is not about what I want to sell, that is not going to suffice the business. It is what the customer wants.”
https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/book-world-pune-expansion-fergusson-college-road-10945028/