

The well-being and harmony are only in our mind. Once we start expressing it, we start believing in it. And one day, unknowingly, we start living it.
Arts, literature and cultural activities can take you on a journey similar to metamorphosis. We only intend to triger this journey for you.

Paalvia Foundation is a social initiative which aims to bring well-being to people and harmony in the society through arts, literature and cultural activities. By leveraging the application these tools (arts, literature and cultural activities) and train people, we intend to empower individuals to live life with greater confidence, creativity, and well-being, contributing to a flourishing and compassionate community.
Journey, we have travelled so far
Chai Biscuit Stall to Nukkad Cafe
My entrepreneurial journey started with an idea of making regional specialities available to people. Deep down the idea was to help connect with their roots and eventually with themselves. To do so, I started sourcing regional specialities and selling it in flea markets with a stall serving chai (making chai and serving) and biscuits (Hyderabad Karachi Bakery Biscuit) & dry fruits. Seeing the response, I started with a café in Pune (in 2015), which serves and sells these products. At Nukkad Café, the Masala Chai served is a blend of Assam Chaipati & Kerala Spices, served along with Hyderabad’s Karachi Bakery biscuits.
Cafe to Community
As the café gained popularity, it became clear that connecting people with themselves shouldn’t be limited to food alone. The café then started hosting music, art and cultural events. Nukkad Café became the first café as a community space in Pune, which encouraged all forms of arts & literature. It is the first café to start playing free live music in café set-up. It is the oldest venue for stand-up comedy in Pune and now it also runs Pune’s largest active poetry club. Beyond our walls, we’ve also extended these events to other libraries and cafés, helping to cultivate a vibrant arts and literary scene across the city.
Community to Literary Brand
Nukkad Café also became the first café in Pune (perhaps the first in India) to be awarded as Best Book Café in 2022, marking a milestone in the literary timeline of the city. The award was given by Pune Times Mirror. Today we have 3 branches in Pune and we are working on the franchise model. Additionally, we are the only café that organizes a city-wide literary festival. Every April, in celebration of World Book Day, we host “Pune’s World Book Day“—a month-long literary festival. In 2024, the festival featured 70 authors, 37 events at 10 venues over 10 days, and attracted over 2,000 participants. As a result of our efforts, companies and institutions are now approaching us to design literary engagements and festivals for them.
Brand to Foundation
Seeing the transformation, artistic & literary engagement, brings in people, we recetly started a foundation. The PAALVIA Foundation, a registered social initiative committed to fostering well-being and societal harmony through the power of arts, literature, and cultural activities. By leveraging these mediums, it aim to inspire and drive positive change within communities. Recently, it launched a new project focused on empowering children in slum areas by providing them with training in poetry, songwriting, and music. This initiative is designed to unlock their creative potential and give them a platform for self-expression.