Anyone familiar with Bangalore can confirm that entrepreneurial spirit is ingrained in the air of the city itself. At every corner is a start-up, full of people with big dreams but uncooperatively small budgets. Shashikiran Rao, as an entrepreneur himself since the age of 19, knew only too well what it was like to be a victim of this situation. And it was his empathy for their position combined by the drive to help people continue to reach for their dreams that drive to people reaching for their goals that became the foundation of Construkt.
In 2013, he developed the idea of a Start-up Festival. A place where like-minded people could meet, share ideas and create in an area that wasn’t constrained by the suit-and-tie atmosphere of boardrooms. It was a raging success that spawned the creation of dozens of new companies and two more festivals in the following years. 2016 was the year that saw the birth of an idea that Shashikiran had been brewing for the past four years–Construkt Hostels.
In a 2015 survey of 2,000 tech start-ups, they found that there were close to 18,000 room requirements per year that just weren’t being met by traditional options, for which Shashikiran had a solution. He teamed up with Karan Bahadur, who he had worked with previously on the Construkt Festival and together, they hashed out a plan to provide the space that Bangalore so desperately needed.
Construkt was designed to be a convenient, business-oriented space aimed at the working professionals and ‘hackpackers’, a term they coined themselves to describe the tech entrepreneurs who are always looking for a clean, safe and inspiring place to stay that doesn’t break the bank. They designed the space to keep up with recent trends in workspace. Their premises are all-open plan with shared desks and spaces. The 3500 square foot area includes 4 bedrooms that accommodate a total of 20 people, shared bathrooms, a living room, a dining area, balconies, a library area, laundry area and a fully equipped self-catering kitchen.
They’ve added a unique touch to the area with their eclectic choices of furnishing. There are a lot of upcycled pieces like their stools made from old electrical wire spools and the sofa which started life as a bathtub. All these creations are entirely the work of the Construkt team who are determined to make their space a haven for young people looking for originality and comfort.
In the future they hope to branch out, not only to more cities but also to a new arena of shared living options where a single card will give you access to a range of accommodation across India and eventually, across the world. This is an exciting era to be a traveller and entrepreneurial ventures like Construkt are really a saving grace for people who are looking to enjoy the perks of globetrotting without breaking the bank. With any luck, these pioneers are just the first step in India’s journey towards a more start-up friendly culture.