Iisc, Bangalore

This branch of Iisc, Bangalore is handled from Vadakkantavida House in Naluthara, which is part of Mahe. It’s a very different setting compared to a city office. The house is a traditional Kerala style home with a lot of greenery around it. We’ve set up a few rooms for our administrative work, but it still feels like a residence. There are no big signs or logos on the gate. We prefer to keep things low key and integrated with the local neighborhood. The pace of life here is a bit slower, which suits the kind of record-keeping we do. When the monsoon hits, the rain is incredibly loud on the roof, and we just keep working through it. We have a small team of local people who manage the daily tasks. We don't have boardrooms or formal meeting schedules. Usually, we just sit together in the main room and go over what needs to be done for the week. The address is well-known in the area, so we don't have trouble with people finding us. We handle a lot of the regional coordination from this location. It’s a practical setup that allows us to stay close to the community while still getting our work finished. We use basic office equipment and don't spend money on fancy decorations. The furniture is a mix of old wooden tables and some newer chairs we bought locally. It’s a simple, honest way to run our operations in Kerala.