Silicon Valley, home to some of the most storied startups, has been traditionally doling out evermore generous and creative perks to employees. Twitter recently bought 19th century log cabins to serve as dining areas at its San Francisco headquarters while Google's New York office brings in beauticians to shape eyebrows.
Taking a cue from these ubercool workplaces, a bunch of desi startups is also upping fringe benefits. From offering the services of in-house tai chi instructors and marathon trainers who take care of your fitness needs and gourmet chefs who satiate your food cravings, working at an Indian startup has never been this rewarding. And while one is kept well-fed, well-groomed and physically fit during work hours, there are late-night poker sessions and disco nights in office to ensure that folks can party as hard as they work.
These fledgling ventures admit the perks are not as extravagant as they are fun, and a good way to hook talent in a competitive market. Pranay Chulet, founder and CEO of digital classifieds player Quikr, says the Indian market is different and so are the perks. "People seem to prefer samosas over salmon, and cricket over football so that's what we focus on. We want to celebrate our quirks."While Indian startups are still a long way from reaching the lavish scale of their Bay area peers where yoga sessions, free meals and massages are now de rigueur, the attempt here is to give employees a chance to de-stress during the long hours at work.
So, a typical work day in the life of a 25-year-old at Housing.com, a map-based realty portal, might end with an impromptu pizza party or at the office-turned-nightclub. The idea is to transform the office into the hippest disc in Mumbai, says Advitiya Sharma, co-founder of the two-year old startup. "For us, it's not about the occasional perk but the way we work every day. We always have fun in whatever we do even as the bigger corporates give out airline miles and free hotel stays," he says.
InMobi, the Bangalore-based mobile ad network, has no card-readers to record entry and exit time. Employees bring children and pets to office and $800 is given to everyone annually to "develop" themselves any way they like — be it through guitar or music classes. All this in a workplace that combines the colours of a children's nursery set inside an abandoned public sector office, and to add to the casual look there are a plenty of bean bags and hammocks and no cabins.
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