I have been assigned a project by French Connection and Calvin Klein Jeans for “retail evaluation" in tier II cities of India.
Here on this blog I wouldn’t be writing about my professional commitments but more of travelling experience in these cities!
Hope you enjoy the city (digitally) I visit as much I do them actually.
Nagpur
Date of entry: 17th March 2011
They say oranges are the reason why Nagpur is famous and all I say,I was there for 2 days and I could’nt locate a single fruit mart let alone oranges!
Anyways, the flight took off a bit delayed from Bombay but it was a nice flight whatsoever.I shared my seat with Mansi a final year student from Manipal Institute of Technology,the very Infamous college! ;)
We happen to share our lives with each other in that 30mins of chat(the other 90min,sleeping was a better option!)
The flight landed 30minutes late and yeah like all tier II city airports even this was 15km away from the main hub!
The taxi union was in full force with their atrocious demand for INR 300 for a 20min ride!Phew!
2min of drive and 18 minutes of traffic,I reach my hotel.
A 2 star stay was pretty good for a travelling maniac who can compromise with anything and everything!
After a quick fresh up and cleaning my pores,I leave for a walk around the city with my camera in hand and open thought in my head ….I walk around the city chowk..the “badkas chowk” and could see typical Indian store line up…a sweet shop doubling up as a restaurant and in the adjacent selling mobile recharges.
I get a call from my local frnachisee bidder who in all certainity wants to give me a memorable experience in Nagpur and in turn win some creamy chocolaty brownie points! ;)
He vrooms in a Skoda Laura and hands over a typical North Indian style Business card i.e. a card with details which were really not required and not to forget dash of colours!
So after a round of Lassi at the original “Haldiram” which I should say satisfied my entire calorie needs for the night and the day after!
After a bit of “Business talks”, we leave for our respective abode with a promise from his end to show me around the malls tomorrow morning!
With an intent of get in touch with my friends I net-connect my Vodafone-Blackberry on to my laptop and lo I get a shock of my life 20minutes later when I realise I have lost 400INR for no expense from my end!
Damn that ugly Pug!
With a heavy heart and chat with my inner circle, I sleep!!
