Express Book Service Pune: 70-Year Legacy Bookstore That Shaped India’s Literary Culture

Camp, 27th December 2025: Express Book Service in Camp, Pune, run under the banner of Rohit Enterprises, continues to stand as one of the city’s most enduring cultural institutions, with a legacy dating back to the early 1950s. Over the decades, the heritage bookstore has evolved beyond retail to become a major platform for literary engagement, author interactions, and cultural events.

The bookstore has been frequented by several eminent personalities from India and abroad, including Jawaharlal Nehru, Narayan Murthy, Sudha Murty, Bhimsen Joshi, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Raj Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, Dimple Kapadia, R.A. Mashelkar, J.R.D. Tata, Ratan Tata, Simon Taufel, and Osho, among others. Their visits have added to the store’s reputation as a space where literature, ideas, and culture intersect.

According to Rohit Enterprises, Express Book Service has provided a launch platform to more than 4,000 authors till date. The list includes prominent names such as Nandan Nilekani, Radhakrishnan Pillai, Harish Bhatt, Prakash Iyer, Ashok Soota, Rami Goldratt, Shiv Khera, Ravi Venkatesan, Brett Lee, Rujuta Diwekar, and Gita Piramal. Numerous book launches and music album releases have been hosted at the store over the years.

The bookstore also introduced the innovative “Books on Wheels” concept, bringing bookstalls into corporate offices and shopping malls to promote reading habits and improve access to books. In addition, it has played a key role in India’s literary festival ecosystem by organizing or co-hosting events such as the Pune International Literary Festival, Lonavala Literary Festival, Khandala Literary Festival, Mumbai Literary Festival, and the Panchgani Children’s Literary Festival. In 2019, children’s literary festivals were conducted in over 25 schools.

Founder Rohit Jerajani has also focused on literacy and learning initiatives. He has been conducting speed-reading classes at Azam Campus for several years and has remained associated with major cultural events like the Bhimsen Sawai Gandharva Music Festival and Swar Jhankar for nearly four decades.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Express Book Service transitioned to virtual author interactions to sustain reader engagement. The bookstore continues to host a monthly book talk in Pune on the last Saturday of every month, attracting over 100 participants. Readers are also engaged through a monthly email newsletter on new non-fiction releases and daily SMS updates on new arrivals.

Rohit Jerajani, entrepreneur and philanthropist, is a co-organizer of the Pune International Literary Festival and is credited with organizing India’s first sports-focused literary festival, which featured 42 Indian and international athletes discussing books and sports literature. He has also actively spoken on issues related to copyright and piracy.

Express Book Service has received several recognitions, including Best Family-Run Business – Pune (2024) and Best Book Shop in India (2025).

With more than seven decades of history, Express Book Service continues to play a significant role in shaping Pune’s literary and cultural landscape, remaining a meeting point for readers, writers, artists, and thinkers across generations.