Shantanu Naidu shares 'silent' update on life after Ratan Tata's death, unveils his next big move

Shantanu Naidu, widely known as Ratan Tata’s trusted associate, has introduced Jaipur to his silent reading initiative, "Bookies." The community, designed for individuals to gather at public locations and read in silence, will be launched in Jaipur - with an event planned for Sunday, December 8.

Expanding the Bookies community

The concept of Bookies, which started in Mumbai, has already gained popularity in Pune and Bengaluru. Announcing the Jaipur launch on LinkedIn, Naidu invited readers to sign up and join the upcoming event. “Jaipur, it’s time. We will see you on Sunday the 8th at Jaipur Bookies. Sign up for the launch below. So excited!” he wrote.

Naidu’s long-term plan includes taking Bookies to other Indian cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Surat. Last month, he organized a session in Bengaluru, where he emphasized the importance of rediscovering reading as a fundamental human experience. “Bookies has always been to bring back reading. It seems that reading is very central to the human experience. And it's just gone back into the background,” Naidu remarked at the event.



Highlighting modern attention spans, he added, “We used to watch three-minute Reels. We can't even do 1:30-minutes (of video) anymore.”

A unique friendship with Ratan Tata

Shantanu Naidu’s close relationship with the late industrialist Ratan Tata was marked by mutual respect and admiration. Tata, who passed away in October, had named Naidu in his will, reflecting the depth of their bond. According to reports, Tata waived Naidu’s education loans and relinquished his stake in Naidu’s companionship startup, Goodfellows.

After Tata’s passing, Naidu expressed his sorrow in an emotional tribute, saying, “The hole that this friendship has now left with me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to fill. Grief is the price to pay for love. Goodbye, my dear lighthouse.”

A movement to reconnect with books

Bookies aims to revive the habit of reading in today’s fast-paced, digital world. With its expansion into more cities, Naidu’s initiative continues to resonate with young readers, encouraging them to slow down and immerse themselves in the joy of reading.