Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Abhishek Kumar, COO, Apeejay Oxford Bookstores Pvt. Ltd., said, “Bangalore is rated the fourth best IT hub in the world, and we will cater to the reading preferences of young professionals, while offering all our customers the widest range of titles and a consistently courteous and informed service. We believe that reading is a great stress buster and is a habit that must be encouraged in children and youth”
In addition to the popular sections of Fiction, Literature, Travel, Cookery, there are well-researched sections dealing with Health, Yoga, Tantra and Reiki. Other important sections include Business, Indian writing in English, Reference, Vernaculars and a brand new section dedicated to Information Technology. A large collection of Indian and International magazines is systematically organized for easy accessibility.
To celebrate the launch of Oxford Bookstore, Cosmos Mall, a series of specially formatted events were held in the presence of a packed audience of Bengaluru’s literati and cultural community. The events commenced at around 4.30 p.m. with the live performance of contemporary western music by the Wigan Field Music Academy comprising Naresh Siyal, Andrew Be, Johnny, Ramesh and Raghu. The strains of Music - Blues, Rock, and Country etc. wafted across the store and the mall creating an enchanting ambience.
A major literary event signaled the official launch of the bookstore at 6.00 p.m.; Chief Guest Subroto Bagchi, Gardener and Vice Chairman Mindtree Ltd, cut the ribbon to declare the store open. Padmashri Shashi Deshpande, Sahitya Akademi Award winning author, then lit the auspicious lamp, following which Vikram Sampath, author and IT professional launched the brand new, well stocked IT section comprising the latest titles and magazines. The highlight of the evening was the innovative and specially curated “Authors Enclave” where a felicitate, meet and greet session was organized with Bangalore-based authors and their readers. Among them were Subroto Bagchi, Shinie Antony, Shashi Despande, Ammu Joseph, Gita Aravamudan, Vikram Sampath, Usha K.R., Jahnavi Barua and others. The authors were introduced and felicitated by Maina Bhagat, Director Apeejay Oxford Bookstores Pvt. Limited. This was followed by the signing of their respective titles by the authors - titles which represent major publishing houses in India and abroad - as readers availed of the opportunity to have their copies signed by their favourite authors, an informal interaction and bonhomie among all present over tea and refreshment brought the celebration to an end – heralding a new beginning at the Oxford Bookstore Cosmos Mall!
About Oxford Bookstore
Oxford Bookstore is India’s leading bookstore chain. The 90 years old store on Park Street, Kolkata is a near iconic institution offering a contemporary, multidimensional interactive experience with a unique product mix of books, music, gifts; stationery items and CHA BAR. It is the only completely integrated online offline bookstore in the country with access to 6 million titles worldwide and is only one of its kind hosted out of India and provides special online shopping benefits. At present, there are 26 stores in the country including metros Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore. First dedicated bookstore for children in India, Oxford Junior is located on Park Street, Kolkata.
