This is a photo taken recently on Sadar Patrappa Road (SP Road) near the Town Hall area. In the early eighties, I used to come here to buy L-angle sections, roofing material and water pumps for overhead tanks. Basically anything in construction hardware, at close-to-wholesale prices.

I now come here for computer hardware.

For starters, you can get the latest, latest configurations on assembled systems, at sensible prices. What’s more, your machine is up and running in 30 minutes or less – with all the peripherals that you could be looking for, in terms of printers, scanners, audio plugins and gizmos that might just get your computer to warm up your coffee.

I first noticed the trend to migrate into electronics in the seventies, when I went there to pick up those huge bulbous valves for my radio set. With the advent of the two-in-one and drastically priced “Dilli sets”, SP Road became a popular haunt for anybody looking for a good deal in electronics. But the shift to computer hardware was the biggest thing to happen here, largely enabled by the enterprise of second and third generation shop owners.

Another thing you can come here for is a great second-hand market for laptops* and systems, bought by the “kilo” by smart traders who pick up stuff from companies looking to upgrade on a large scale.

Believe me, this stretch is managed by young business gurus who could give you new business models on hardware retailing. And yes, they even give you bills with taxes deducted and prompt you to think legal on start-up software – which is also available.

Worth a dekko if you have the time.

City is busy celebrating Ganesha festival, even the busy streets like this SP road which is an electronics & engineering market does celebrate festivities by way of offering free lunches to the community.
(more…)

While some prefer to buy new books, there are still many who prefer visiting the book lane ( avenue road) to these merchants / book sellers who encourage people to re-use and re-cycle ( circulate) the ‘used’ books for the needy, on a longer term this provides a great value not only to the user but the others as the cost of the books keeps coming down, a single copy is used by many thus is a noble cause for environment support too…

I don’t know if every Indian city is like this, but the concept of post-sales service to a customer/consumer seems to be so shoddy in Bangalore.

No matter whether it is a lineman for the telephone, a gas cylinder to be replaced, or anything else that does not work in the home…one has to be prepared for a long-drawn-out battle with the organization to get someone to visit and rectify the fault. One has no idea at all whether the service/delivery person will come that day, leave alone the time. I really cannot understand how the services sector expects that someone will be at home all the time with nothing to do but wait for the arrival of the concerned person.

And when they do arrive, sometimes the problem is properly addressed, and sometimes due to the shoddy workmanship, the problem recurs almost immediately, and the whole process has to be gone through again by the hapless consumer.

(more…)

- Elections are coming!! 

This synergy of political alliances seen in this shop where all political symbols / flags are seen standing together. This shop in a market area must be running a successful business of democracy!!

There you are. A kitchen-trolley retail point, with a sign that catches your eye and a presentable chap who explains product use in great detail. His sales pitch is pretty convincing and the bigger brands would learn a thing or two in terms of imparting product knowledge to salesmen.

In fact, his presentation has two modules. One for people who use toothpaste and another for those who use tooth powder. And look at the cost of bringing it to the market – all you need is one man, with a kitchen trolley and around 30 bottles of the magic potion. Hire 30 young men to comb the city and you’re done.

So, am I actually going to buy this thing and squirt it on my toothbrush? Looking at the sparkling smile the salesman gave me, this is one tough question to answer.
(more…)

Munching the fried varieties ( known locally as “Khara”) is a favorite snacking game for many, the range in which the varieties is mind boggling along mouth watering, here are few snacks ( don’t ask me names!!, I don’t know many) sold by a street vendor in Avenue Road…

Technology is seeping through into the Govt departments as more and more technical gadgets seen put to use in day to day administration work.

A tax collector moves around HAL market to collect taxes from vendors selling vegetables in the market the device used helps retrieve tax dues and prints instant receipts storing the data that can then be uploaded onto the central databases once back in office….

Here are a few recommendations based on my interests & knowledge that according to me give the perfect Bangalore flavor. Give in yours, and add to this list. Anything & everything that you think someone from outside Bangalore or even a resident Bangalorean should see/visit/experience here. I am sure there is a lot more.
(more…)

Roaming weekends make me tickle few clicks…this time it was city market, an ideal place to visit colors, creations and characters…here are few snippets…

So colourful…

Thus I thought to let the pictures speak!!
(more…)