It was a big decision for Jai and Shalini Valvani to pack their bags and move to Bengaluru from Indore in 2005. Though there were a few speculations about whether they will fit into the puzzle of this cosmopolitan city, they felt at home here within months.
Jai, vice-president of an IT firm, and Shalini, who is presently working on starting her own company, have made a home in the city with their 12-year-old daughter Gazal. After their first move to the city, the couple shifted to Dubai for a few years. They returned to Bengaluru in 2008 and haven't thought of moving anywhere else since. Shalini says, "Jai got a transfer to move to Singapore for a while but we knew that we would miss the weather, the food and the people here. My daughter and I decided to stay back. Jai also missed the city so much so that he returned a year
later."
Like every other change in life, the couple also had to adjust to a certain lifestyle here. Jai says, "When we first landed here, I remember going to the auto stand and struggling to communicate with the drivers. No one spoke Hindi or English. But we're happy to see that things have changed a lot over the years. There are plenty of North Indian restaurants now for us to not miss home."
The couple are big foodies and love exploring different restaurants across the city. "We head to The Leela Palace or The Lalit Ashok Hotel once a month for Sunday brunch. They have a good selection of dishes and Gazal also gets entertained with the activities available for kids. We also love going to breweries like 'The Biere Club', 'Toit' and 'Brewsky'. South Indian restaurants like 'Shivaji Military Hotel', 'Nagarjuna', 'Kamat Hotel' and 'MTR' are some of our favourite haunts. UBCity also has a lot of restaurants that we love going to," shares Shalini.
The couple also loves travelling abroad once a year. They recently finished their Asia tour and went to Europe last year. "Within the country, we just head back home once a year," adds Shalini.
Gazal enjoys visiting her parents' homes as she is often pampered by her grandparents and relatives.
"She is the centre of attention. However, within a week, she wants to come back to Bengaluru,"says Shalini with a laugh.
However, the couple like the laidback atmosphere of the city they grew up in. Jai says, "Indore is a small city with no traffic. And the highlight of the place is the choice of food available."
"Buying fabric from there is one of my favourite things to do. There are a couple of malls that we go to. But the main agenda on going back home is to visit all our relatives and spend time with the family. Soon enough, our parents also visit us in Bengaluru and we take them out somewhere," adds Shalini.
She keeps herself busy with Gazal's school work and with the clubs that she is a part of.
She says, "I am part of a pan-Asia women's entrepreneur group. Being an active member, there is always something to do. This gives me an idea of how to run my business as well."
Having come here to find employment, Jai is happy with his corporate life. He says, "Bengaluru is still the ITcapital of the country. Many from across the globe come to work here. But it would be nice if some knew what exactly they are looking for. Sharing from a recruiter's point of view, many don't accept the job offer that they have agreed to. It becomes an inconvenience for the company when one drops out at the last minute."
Nevertheless, the couple are happy as they feel at home in the city. Shalini says, "We have travelled across the globe and have seen what other places are like. We are also the kind of people who adjust to a place quickly. It's great to be a part of this growing city."
![]( "comfortable Shalini and Jai Valvani. DH PHOTO BY B H SHIVAKUMAR")
It was a big decision for Jai and Shalini Valvani to pack their bags and move to Bengaluru from Indore in 2005. Though there were a few speculations about whether they will fit into the puzzle of this cosmopolitan city, they felt at home here within months.
Jai, vice-president of an IT firm, and Shalini, who is presently working on starting her own company, have made a home in the city with their 12-year-old daughter Gazal. After their first move to the city, the couple shifted to Dubai for a few years. They returned to Bengaluru in 2008 and haven’t thought of moving anywhere else since. Shalini says, "Jai got a transfer to move to Singapore for a while but we knew that we would miss the weather, the food and the people here. My daughter and I decided to stay back. Jai also missed the city so much so that he returned a year
later.”
Like every other change in life, the couple also had to adjust to a certain lifestyle here. Jai says, "When we first landed here, I remember going to the auto stand and struggling to communicate with the drivers. No one spoke Hindi or English. But we’re happy to see that things have changed a lot over the years. There are plenty of North Indian restaurants now for us to not miss home.”
The couple are big foodies and love exploring different restaurants across the city. "We head to The Leela Palace or The Lalit Ashok Hotel once a month for Sunday brunch. They have a good selection of dishes and Gazal also gets entertained with the activities available for kids. We also love going to breweries like 'The Biere Club’, 'Toit’ and 'Brewsky’. South Indian restaurants like 'Shivaji Military Hotel’, 'Nagarjuna’, 'Kamat Hotel’ and 'MTR’ are some of our favourite haunts. UB City also has a lot of restaurants that we love going to,” shares Shalini.
The couple also loves travelling abroad once a year. They recently finished their Asia tour and went to Europe last year. "Within the country, we just head back home once a year,” adds Shalini.
Gazal enjoys visiting her parents’ homes as she is often pampered by her grandparents and relatives.
"She is the centre of attention. However, within a week, she wants to come back to Bengaluru,” says Shalini with a laugh.
However, the couple like the laidback atmosphere of the city they grew up in. Jai says, "Indore is a small city with no traffic. And the highlight of the place is the choice of food available.”
"Buying fabric from there is one of my favourite things to do. There are a couple of malls that we go to. But the main agenda on going back home is to visit all our relatives and spend time with the family. Soon enough, our parents also visit us in Bengaluru and we take them out somewhere,” adds Shalini.
She keeps herself busy with Gazal’s school work and with the clubs that she is a part of.
She says, "I am part of a pan-Asia women’s entrepreneur group. Being an active member, there is always something to do. This gives me an idea of how to run my business as well.”
Having come here to find employment, Jai is happy with his corporate life. He says, "Bengaluru is still the IT capital of the country. Many from across the globe come to work here. But it would be nice if some knew what exactly they are looking for. Sharing from a recruiter’s point of view, many don’t accept the job offer that they have agreed to. It becomes an inconvenience for the company when one drops out at the last minute.”
Nevertheless, the couple are happy as they feel at home in the city. Shalini says, "We have travelled across the globe and have seen what other places are like. We are also the kind of people who adjust to a place quickly. It’s great to be a part of this growing city.”
Jai, vice-president of an IT firm, and Shalini, who is presently working on starting her own company, have made a home in the city with their 12-year-old daughter Gazal. After their first move to the city, the couple shifted to Dubai for a few years. They returned to Bengaluru in 2008 and haven't thought of moving anywhere else since. Shalini says, "Jai got a transfer to move to Singapore for a while but we knew that we would miss the weather, the food and the people here. My daughter and I decided to stay back. Jai also missed the city so much so that he returned a year
later."
Like every other change in life, the couple also had to adjust to a certain lifestyle here. Jai says, "When we first landed here, I remember going to the auto stand and struggling to communicate with the drivers. No one spoke Hindi or English. But we're happy to see that things have changed a lot over the years. There are plenty of North Indian restaurants now for us to not miss home."
The couple are big foodies and love exploring different restaurants across the city. "We head to The Leela Palace or The Lalit Ashok Hotel once a month for Sunday brunch. They have a good selection of dishes and Gazal also gets entertained with the activities available for kids. We also love going to breweries like 'The Biere Club', 'Toit' and 'Brewsky'. South Indian restaurants like 'Shivaji Military Hotel', 'Nagarjuna', 'Kamat Hotel' and 'MTR' are some of our favourite haunts. UBCity also has a lot of restaurants that we love going to," shares Shalini.
The couple also loves travelling abroad once a year. They recently finished their Asia tour and went to Europe last year. "Within the country, we just head back home once a year," adds Shalini.
Gazal enjoys visiting her parents' homes as she is often pampered by her grandparents and relatives.
"She is the centre of attention. However, within a week, she wants to come back to Bengaluru,"says Shalini with a laugh.
However, the couple like the laidback atmosphere of the city they grew up in. Jai says, "Indore is a small city with no traffic. And the highlight of the place is the choice of food available."
"Buying fabric from there is one of my favourite things to do. There are a couple of malls that we go to. But the main agenda on going back home is to visit all our relatives and spend time with the family. Soon enough, our parents also visit us in Bengaluru and we take them out somewhere," adds Shalini.
She keeps herself busy with Gazal's school work and with the clubs that she is a part of.
She says, "I am part of a pan-Asia women's entrepreneur group. Being an active member, there is always something to do. This gives me an idea of how to run my business as well."
Having come here to find employment, Jai is happy with his corporate life. He says, "Bengaluru is still the ITcapital of the country. Many from across the globe come to work here. But it would be nice if some knew what exactly they are looking for. Sharing from a recruiter's point of view, many don't accept the job offer that they have agreed to. It becomes an inconvenience for the company when one drops out at the last minute."
Nevertheless, the couple are happy as they feel at home in the city. Shalini says, "We have travelled across the globe and have seen what other places are like. We are also the kind of people who adjust to a place quickly. It's great to be a part of this growing city."
It was a big decision for Jai and Shalini Valvani to pack their bags and move to Bengaluru from Indore in 2005. Though there were a few speculations about whether they will fit into the puzzle of this cosmopolitan city, they felt at home here within months. Jai, vice-president of an IT firm, and Shalini, who is presently working on starting her own company, have made a home in the city with their 12-year-old daughter Gazal. After their first move to the city, the couple shifted to Dubai for a few years. They returned to Bengaluru in 2008 and haven’t thought of moving anywhere else since. Shalini says, "Jai got a transfer to move to Singapore for a while but we knew that we would miss the weather, the food and the people here. My daughter and I decided to stay back. Jai also missed the city so much so that he returned a year
later.”
Like every other change in life, the couple also had to adjust to a certain lifestyle here. Jai says, "When we first landed here, I remember going to the auto stand and struggling to communicate with the drivers. No one spoke Hindi or English. But we’re happy to see that things have changed a lot over the years. There are plenty of North Indian restaurants now for us to not miss home.”
The couple are big foodies and love exploring different restaurants across the city. "We head to The Leela Palace or The Lalit Ashok Hotel once a month for Sunday brunch. They have a good selection of dishes and Gazal also gets entertained with the activities available for kids. We also love going to breweries like 'The Biere Club’, 'Toit’ and 'Brewsky’. South Indian restaurants like 'Shivaji Military Hotel’, 'Nagarjuna’, 'Kamat Hotel’ and 'MTR’ are some of our favourite haunts. UB City also has a lot of restaurants that we love going to,” shares Shalini.
The couple also loves travelling abroad once a year. They recently finished their Asia tour and went to Europe last year. "Within the country, we just head back home once a year,” adds Shalini.
Gazal enjoys visiting her parents’ homes as she is often pampered by her grandparents and relatives.
"She is the centre of attention. However, within a week, she wants to come back to Bengaluru,” says Shalini with a laugh.
However, the couple like the laidback atmosphere of the city they grew up in. Jai says, "Indore is a small city with no traffic. And the highlight of the place is the choice of food available.”
"Buying fabric from there is one of my favourite things to do. There are a couple of malls that we go to. But the main agenda on going back home is to visit all our relatives and spend time with the family. Soon enough, our parents also visit us in Bengaluru and we take them out somewhere,” adds Shalini.
She keeps herself busy with Gazal’s school work and with the clubs that she is a part of.
She says, "I am part of a pan-Asia women’s entrepreneur group. Being an active member, there is always something to do. This gives me an idea of how to run my business as well.”
Having come here to find employment, Jai is happy with his corporate life. He says, "Bengaluru is still the IT capital of the country. Many from across the globe come to work here. But it would be nice if some knew what exactly they are looking for. Sharing from a recruiter’s point of view, many don’t accept the job offer that they have agreed to. It becomes an inconvenience for the company when one drops out at the last minute.”
Nevertheless, the couple are happy as they feel at home in the city. Shalini says, "We have travelled across the globe and have seen what other places are like. We are also the kind of people who adjust to a place quickly. It’s great to be a part of this growing city.”