Ajay Jain

Seeking a PR consultant - can be an agency or individual. Expertise in pitching personal brands - to traditional and new media, and for speaking engagements. DO NOT write in if your expertise is primarily paid media. You should be willing to research subject and then make a one page proposal on how you will handle the brand to have a further conversation.

@schahm @mujoo_karan I never thought full stops could be 'scary' ;)

@mujoo_karan Each to his own, but I agree with Ajay. It’s easier for me to follow rules. My daughter asks me to skip full stops on WhatsApp, though, because that makes me “scary” to her.

Honestly, I could not be bothered to write well if I am not writing a novel or an essay or a poem. After exhausting all my energy on crafting every little detail there, I don't have any left to be assiduous elsewhere. I will make errors gleefully and willfully. Writing is hard work. I am only working hard when completely essential.

@mujoo_karan It's a personal choice - and I see you wrote this reply effortlessly :)

@SunilMalhotra In the tech driven world, authenticity is the secret sauce of stand-out content creators. Even when written correctly by a human, a certain vulnerability will always show through that AI cannot generate.

AUTHORS: YOUR (WRITTEN) APPEARANCES MATTER If you are an author, and I come across a shoddily composed social media or blog post by you, or even a direct message, I am unlikely to pick your book to read. Here is my personal branding suggestion to all writers: LIVE THE PART. What are you selling? Your writing. But if your bio, tweets, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn posts, comments, WhatsApp messages are grammatically incorrect, have typos, and punctuations and spaces appear with disregard to every rule of composition, what is the impression that you are conveying? ‘That I AM AN AUTHOR, so what if my communication comes across poorly? My book/s will not have such errors – do read them.’ Why would I buy into your statement? Even ardent readers can consume only a limited number of books. Why would they risk their time and effort over yours if you have not made the right impression on them? Would you buy fine clothing from a badly groomed designer? P.S. I have written this because I have noticed high levels of incidence as described above. And I wish I could just shake the errant authors and exclaim, ‘Come on…you should be doing better than this!’ P.P.S. I am not illustrating the point with any examples lest I embarrass anyone.

WHEN A TIGER HUNTS A TURTLE IN RANTHAMBHORE | #INDIAISCALLING It’s been exactly 16 years since I had clear and close sightings of tigers in the wild. And what an animated treat they had in store for me. At the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan in India. I spotted a male tiger sitting by a water hole and a recently hunted langoor monkey lying in state barely three feet away. I was not more than ten feet away myself. The tiger was waiting patiently, either for a guest or for the dinner bell to sound, when something in the water disturbed him. He slowly turned his head, looked for a few moments through the surface and then it was pow-wow in a flash. A poor turtle had floated in, and was probably the starter (or was it dessert) that the big cat was waiting for. For the next many seconds, all one could see was frantic splashing as the turtle put up a brave fight. Before long, it was tranquil again. The big cat had expectedly won, but it would be a while before he could carve the flesh out from under the hard shell. The following day, I spotted the same tiger enjoying a siesta by the same pool. My camera kept clicking away to record a rare hunt in the wild!

That’s Charlie. Trying to make a point to one of Charlie’s Boys.

This is one crime that pays - the publishing and sale of what we refer to as pirated books. Not only causing significant losses to publishers and their authors, but also affecting the viability of legitimate bookstores. It will only get better for the 'thieves' - because no one is really going after them with an intent to eliminate them, no matter what you read in the news. Stay tuned for a longer feature by me on this issue. In the meantime, read this much needed piece by Sara Siddiqui in The Times of India. timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/che…

25 YEARS ON: A TIME FOR REFLECTION. AND STORYTELLING. Two momentous events took place twenty five years ago. Nine Eleven happened. It defined the course of history of the twenty first century, still in its infancy. It was also the year when I went back to school for a Masters in Journalism. It defined the course of my personal history. And I would go on to live stories I had not imagined. Most of us pursue higher education, but few do so at thirty one; yes, that was my age at the time of admission to Cardiff University in the UK. It seemed middle age then but prime of youth when I look back. When those in their twenties and early thirties express uncertainties about their professional and personal state of affairs, I tell them it’s ok – you can experiment before committing yourselves to a longer term vision. And it is also ok not to; I have continually rocked my own boat, changing course tangentially to cause vertigo amongst onlookers. The decision to study again was not ground in deep analysis; the idea came to me out of the blue, and I started running with it so fast that any red flags were no more than a blur. I was going to use the power of the pen as my contribution to nation building. It is another matter that I did not get breaks for public interest reporting upon graduation; I was ‘overqualified’ for newspapers. But I did land a reporter’s job at the Financial Express, the learning and experience invaluable to whatever I would do later in life. I quit after a while, having developed a strong understanding of how stories are researched and crafted. I would dabble with publishing a youth newspaper, and blogs as journalistic platforms, before going on to write my books and setting up @Kunzum. And now, twenty five years later, I am in a deeply reflective state. How can I move into the next higher orbit? And enhance my creative skills? Through storytelling. I do so anyway through my books, and will continue to. But look at other media – a mix of live audiences, video, illustrations, photographic art, text. More importantly, focus on the power of stories to entertain, to touch the soul and the heart. So we may collectively deliberate upon what is important, what uplifts us, what makes our world a better place to live in. Imbibe varied points of view, so we too may look at life from different vantage points. We have all lived stories. You share yours, and I will share mine.

A fantastic conversation with @ajayjain- Reader, traveller and owner of the beautiful @kunzum bookstore. We talked about books, bookstores, authors, and most importantly, his school mate @iamsrk The podcast link is: youtu.be/RxJm6-_GeBk

Let's talk about Shah Rukh Khan @iamsrk and other Charlie's Boys. And books too - especially those at @Kunzum. With @abhishektan with whom I had one of the 'funnest' conversations ever! youtube.com/watch?v=RxJm6-…

DONKEYS FIND A HAVEN IN LEH IN LADAKH Can you imagine a sanctuary for donkeys? Follow some colourful signs in Leh and you will reach one. Donkeys abandoned when they cannot work any more due to old age or disability find a home here. They get food, medical care and safety from feral dogs that can kill and devour them within an hour, says caretaker Padma Dorje. South African photojournalist Joanne Lefson initiated this unusual set-up in mid-2008 with the requisite corpus funding. Today, 180 donkeys live here, well-cared for. I noticed some healthy foals, born in the sanctuary. This is their home. No one is sending them away. But all this costs money. Roughly two dollars a day to feed each animal a healthy diet of wheat, biscuits, grass and medicines. There is also the annual rent of Rs 30,000 (about $800) for the property. All donations are welcome. The donkeys are happy, eating, mating, rolling in the dust, playing pranks on visitors. Two pushed me from behind and nearly sent me rolling. They were males. I know. The males have red ribbons around their necks, the females yellow. Says Joanne, “It has been a fantastic experience. I will return each year to feed my 'children' carrots and everything else that's sweet in life." It is a sweet life after all. The above is from my book, ‘Postcards From Ladakh’, based on my travels to the region in 2008-09. The sanctuary got washed away in the flash floods on 2010.

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH SHIBANI SETHI | CHARLIE’S BOYS | AJAY JAIN youtu.be/aTgQUyo6B_c?si… via @YouTube You have to tune in to hear Shibani say it best when we go #BackToSchool reliving her fondest memories.

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH CHEF SADAF HUSSAIN | CHARLIE’S BOYS youtu.be/cdZLP3CixvI?si… via @YouTube

LADAKH, CIRCA 2009 You never have a sense of déjà vu in #Ladakh. No place looks the same again. No moment repeats itself here. There is always something new to discover about the land and its people. Birds and animals always surprise you. A travel handbook on Ladakh is thus best written in a whimsical manner. And that’s the approach I took with ‘Postcards From Ladakh’ - a collection of frames, frozen circa 2009, when I drove for over 10,000 kms (6000 miles) in and around Ladakh. It can be a guide to the traveller. And serve as a time capsule for future generations. Neither guidebook nor encyclopaedia, it is intended to give a flavour of what Ladakh holds for you. I have written the book as if I were writing postcards to you from the scene. To share memorable moments, valuable insights. And I have clicked photographs to complement the text. Start reading from any page. On a personal note, Ladakh has touched my life in many ways. Its people have reminded me of all the goodness we are born with. Spiritual leaders have inspired me to live a balanced life without necessarily subscribing to religious beliefs. Negotiating the tough terrain has made me seek adventure. Ladakh has made me reflect on my priorities in life. Ladakh teaches you how to lead a full and happy life. So, where are you headed next? P.S. The book, originally written in 2009, has been edited, redesigned and updated with images not seen before.

@AjayKamalakaran Thank you :)

@ajayjain Congratulations 🎊 I'll buy a copy when I am in Kunzum next.

#IndiaisCalling - join me in my road trips across India!

@Ayushjhax @kunzum aaawww Thank you so much. But it is friends like you who give the space its soul. :)

Stopped by this @kunzum today and honestly loved it. Such a calm vibe, great selection, and one of those places I don’t want to leave @ajayjain you’ve built something really nice here I loved it.

Our new team members at @kunzum.

I BELIEVE LADAKH HAS CHANGED I had driven to #Ladakh over two seasons in 2008 and 2009. I promised to visit the region every summer, so overwhelmed was I. And then a few things happened. The highly successful movie ‘3 Idiots’ released in December 2009, its closing scenes shot in Leh and Pangong Tso (lake) in Ladakh. Everyone wanted to see the region for themselves. Online travel portals smelt an opportunity, introducing low cost, mass tourism to the region. Locals were enlisted to provide services, with many taking on debt to fund vehicles and accommodation. Tragically, the flash floods of 2010 put a pause to the deluge (no pun intended) of visitors, but they have been back with a vengeance every summer since then. My heart lost its desire to go back. I had experienced Ladakh for its utopia, I did not want any other image to shatter what I was holding dear. Any plans to drive back were scuppered due to personal circumstances and the pandemic. But when I sat down to put together an updated version the classic book, ‘Postcards From Ladakh’, memories came flooding back, emotions tugged at every string in the heart urging me go back. I will. Soon. The current version is updated in design, with the inclusion of photos not seen earlier. But the stories stay the same since this book is not a travel guide but a journal of my travels during a certain period circa 2008 – 2009. Things change of course, as Ladakh has to. I have only heard from others what was, and what is now. More roads and tunnels have been built. Passes claiming to be the highest motorable points in the world back then have dropped in ranking as roads have come up at even higher elevations. Pangong Tso barely had any tents and shacks when I sought one to spend a night there; I believe it is now full of camps catering to thousands of tourists at a time. Your mobile is sure to work over much wider swathes of geography. Many more people are driving by themselves to what used to be a forbidding region; when I was there, I spotted only one other self-driven car from out of state over two trips. I still maintain Ladakh is best travelled to by road; don’t compromise by buying into those six-day flying trips being advertised by travel companies. When I go back, I will find people changed. The children I met, the ones who gifted me peas from their fields and many others, would now be adults. I wonder if Zarina became a cop? The donkey sanctuary got washed away in 2010; I have not heard of its restoration. But no matter what, I am sure the essential character of Ladakhis would be no different, even if their conduct has adapted to new social and political realities. But beyond human settlements, the landscape of Ladakh is too resilient to be any less photogenic. So much of the region is likely to be as seen in the following pages. There has been a shift within me in the ensuing period, as is only expected. My sensibilities and my sensitivities have been allowed to evolve; I feel only for the better. I would no longer feed the Himalayan Marmots with human food, knowing it is not healthy for their own survival and evolution even if it seems cute in the moment. My conversations with locals would be different too; I will ask questions I would not have earlier, seeking answers so I can understand them even more deeply. So I too can stay the course in leading a life of peace, contentment and empathy. Like Ladakhis, and their monks and Gods do.