iSprout: Redefining Office Spaces Dynamically

Hyderabad, the capital of southern state of Telangana, is dubbed as the IT capital of India. With an influx of IT professionals and the urban population in recent years, there is an increase in the number of co-working spaces in Hyderabad. Due to the increasing number of IT professionals increasing in Hyderabad, Co-working spaces seemed to be a must. This is when the idea of iSprout was born. iSprout was started in 2017 with a modest 200 seats and a fully furnished office space in Hyderabad and scaled to a whopping 6,000 seats in Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, and Vijayawada.

iSprout offers client-centred technological advancement and firmly believes in work-life balance. There is a dedicated game area with board games, a pool table, and a fully furnished gym. It also has an in-house mentoring team that mentors early-stage start-ups in the co-working space and trains them to attain business efficiency.

Furthermore, the decor of iSprout is meticulously planned to ascertain that they provide cheerful vibes to the professionals in the co-working space with all end-to-end services. Read more to find out all the facilities iSprout has to offer in its beautiful Co-Working Space.

What different types of facilities and perks does your coworking space provide to its clients?

iSprout is a home for inspiring co-working spaces in Hyderabad to match the needs of ever-growing business enterprises. There is room for everyone from a single dedicated space for a freelancer to custom-made corners for established corporates. As one of the major players in coworking spaces, we are known for our innovative corners and client-friendly plans, which sets us apart from any other coworking place! With well-serviced spaces, trained support staff, and attractive amenities in prime locations, one cannot ask for more!

In addition, our professional in-house business-support team is open to mentor and provide end-to-end solutions through a gamut of services, thereby enhancing your overall business efficiency. iSprout is the best fit for you anytime! With a remarkable presence as the co-working spaces in Hyderabad, iSprout business centre has spread its wings in Vijayawada, Chennai, and Pune. In these cities, we are also branching out to be in proximity to our clients and potential marketplaces. So come, join the hub of dreamers, workers, and achievers! iSprout offers the following benefits:

• Fully air-conditioned hot desks and private office space for rent.
• High-speed internet access to ensure a tranquil working experience. • 100% power backup for seamless power supply.
• Front desk services are available for administrative work like transferring calls, answering phones, and scheduling appointments.
• Standing desks and ergonomic chairs to ensure the comfort of the co-worker.
• Lounges and chillout areas are for recreational purposes.
• Business-class printers and scanners. The co-working space will also handle the mail and courier of the professionals.
• Free coffee and tea for the required caffeine fix. There is also a fully stocked pantry with quick nibbles.
• Dedicated two-wheeler and four-wheeler parking for the coworkers.
• There are facilities like Refrigerator and Microwave oven.
• Security professionals and housekeeping professionals are available round the clock to ensure safety and security.
• Fully furnished gyms are available with trainers.
• Dedicated game areas are available to ensure a perfect worklife balance.
• Private phone booths are available for the co-workers to handle business calls.

Brief us about the featured person who has helped transform your co-working space to the next level? 

iSprout is the brainchild of Sundari Patibandla (CEO & Co- Founder), whose vision and client-friendly plans were the main reason behind the success of the co-working space. Her consistent efforts have paid off because iSprout is one of the renowned co-working spaces, and it is known for its budgetfriendly plans. iSprout was started as humble 200-seater office space for rent in Hyderabad in 2017 in Kondapur. Searching for the right kind of location and having realistic and workable plans ensured our success. Furthermore, a set of in-house designers who create visually pleasing spaces is an added jewel on the crown. By November 2019, iSprout had established six centres. iSprout has expanded to Chennai in 2020 and has two active co-working spaces with overall 3000 seats.

As a co-working space enabler, what challenges have you faced? 

One of the major challenges co-working spaces face is setting up our branches at the right location where there is the right demand and offering the right price. Once that is sorted out, the crucial aspects one needs to look into are the physical design of the hub and meeting client expectations, especially for corporates. In a country like India, where co-working is still a relatively new concept in many areas, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, entrepreneurs also find it difficult to explain the idea to property owners and stakeholders.

What is the current industrial scenario of co-working spaces in India? Give us an industry overview if possible. 

The changing trend in the office culture has prompted a need for advancement in the way we work and connect. Traditional offices are very simple and cut and dry with compartmentalized cubicles, desks, tables, computers, chairs, cupboards to keep the files, and pale wall paint. This monotonous and depressing work environment reduces an employee’s efficiency by 40%.

The total consumption of co-working in India right now is 15 mn sq ft and is expected to have additional 7-9 mn sq ft across the country by this year-end. It is expected that co-working players will be the largest tenants, leasing more than 25% of the total office space in India within the next few years. “The workplace of the future will be an essential microcosm of society that is connected, convivial, commercially viable, culturally aware, and collectively responsible.” The brainchild of Ms. Sundari Patibandla, an accomplished Chartered Accountant, a proven entrepreneur, mentor, and multifaceted personality, iSprout reflects her vision to think big and think as per the changing business atmosphere.

What kind of solutions does your company utilize to make your clients’ experience worthwhile? 

“Creating a better world by blending work and play such that work becomes play.” We at iSprout believe in giving extra and easy infra to make our client’s experience unique. We are the first co-working space, which has launched the humanoid robot in Hyderabad. A robot named Sakhi is a guide and front office assistant providing details about iSprout amenities’ services along with the city’s sightseeing, dining, emergency contact, and weather.

Additionally, iSprout provides the space for recreation, where an individual can unwind when he/she feels too stressed out. A spacious cafeteria, dedicated parking spot, printing, photocopy facility, high-speed internet, front desk facility, and more have all your essential bases covered!

How has the ongoing pandemic affected the operations of your co-working space?

COVID-19 has disrupted life as we know it in many ways, particularly when it comes to how we work. For example, coworking and remote work were on the rise before the pandemic. Yet, now demand for co-working spaces has suffered, and spaces struggle to provide safe desks, equipment, and professional networking opportunities. Co-working spaces have pivoted and adapted to the new normal in smart and creative ways.

For example, in the past, cleaning happened in the background, mostly when people were not occupying the space. Today, visible cleaning is a necessity in making employees feel comfortable in a shared space. The other major area missing during the pandemic is the coworking community we had during the pre-pandemic days; one of the most significant benefits of co-working spaces was the interaction and sense of community they provided.

Coworking spaces are attuned to this need and are investing in their online community offerings. We have introduced virtual programming on our live platform which continues to host its weekly events virtually. Networking can continue to thrive in this new environment if we adapt accordingly.

What would be your strategic approach to scale your business in 2021 and beyond?

Work is an everyday affair, and we promise to make it a pleasant experience, says Sundari Patibandla, CEO & Co- Founder of iSprout. She adds, we offer a platter of choices to pick from. ‘iSprout’ is a home for inspiring workspaces created to match the needs of the modern day-ever-growing business enterprises. Ranging from a single dedicated space for a freelancer to custom-made corners for established corporates, there is room here for everyone.

One of the major players in co-working spaces in the south zone, we are highly regarded for our innovative corners and client-friendly plans, which sets us apart from any other coworking place! We create communities that attract the top leading companies, like Indeed, Dell, Tiktok, One Plus, LinkedIn, Uber, to name a few, by providing well designed inspiring workspaces with creative breakouts and huddle rooms, top-notch amenities, well-serviced spaces, trained support staff and a fun community for those who work there. One cannot ask for more! In addition, our professional inhouse business-support team is open to mentor and provide end-to-end solutions through a wide gamut of services, thereby enhancing your overall business efficiency.

We are the first co-working space company that launched the humanoid robot in Hyderabad at our new (third) Centre. The robot is more of a Guide and a Front Office Assistant, which provides details about iSprout’s spaces, amenities, and services. It also acts as a local guide on City Sightseeing, Dining, and Weather. “From walls to private cabins, we add value to your vision. Come plan with us and create your dream space here with our iSprout Community”.

Where do you envision yourself and your company in the long run, and what are your future goals? 

The co-working segment has a bright future and will grow post-COVID-19 pandemic, but operators may face a lot of challenges next year. The co-working operators should focus on large enterprises for selling desks as demand for flexible workspace from startups and freelancers would be low in the short term. The coworking segment was growing at a healthy rate before the pandemic, “Future of co-working will be bright. Today a lot of companies and enterprises want flexibility. A lot of corporates don’t want to incur capital expenditure on office interiors, and they are increasingly opting for co-working spaces.”

The average size of a single co-working space doubled to 70,000 sq ft in 2020 from 35,000 sq ft in 2019. Enterprises are taking up space in co-working setup, and these co-working players are now catering not just to freelancers and start-ups but to larger enterprises, and hence they are taking up bigger spaces.” Even during the pandemic, we have launched two new centres, one in Hyderabad and the other one in Pune, and we are aiming to make our presence in Gurgaon, Bengaluru, and Mumbai by 2022.

How are Co-working Spaces revolutionizing the global corporate world today?

Now that companies are resuming operations post-covid, it is quite evident that traditional office spaces have lost the crux as de-densification of offices is the priority. Companies are exploring the middle option with a more flexible approach – through co-working. Co-working spaces are rapidly gaining popularity with both start-ups as well as big organizations as they provide a renewed business culture centred around flexibility, accessibility, and affordability.

These spaces are focused on the customers offering them safely distanced workstations, the highest precautionary measures, frequent sanitization checks, easy-on-the-pocket cost options, and various other relevant amenities. The modular approach of these spaces is a boost for the companies as they can easily scale up or down their space needs based on the requirements. Co-working spaces are playing a key role in the global corporate world today with their unique offerings of sustainability, safety, and cost optimization. According to many economists, the future of co-working and the future of work are interconnected in many respects in today’s corporate world.