In this blogpost, we talk about one of our initiatives Books on Mumbai Metro- A Bookbot India Initiative.
Every once in a while, it helps to be reminded that not everything around books needs to be structured, measured, or optimised.
Some things can simply exist.
About three years ago, that was the thought behind Books on Mumbai Metro—a small, ongoing effort to place books across metro stations in Mumbai, allowing them to be discovered by whoever happens to find them.
There was no larger plan attached to it. No system to track movement, no expectation of return, and no defined outcome. Just the idea that a book, left in the right place, might find its way to the right reader.
A Quick Reminder of What This Is
For those who may already know about it and for those coming across it for the first time, the idea is simple.
Books are placed across local stations for anyone to pick up. If you find one, it’s yours. You can read it, keep it, pass it on to someone you know, or place it back into the system for another commuter to come across.
There are no rules attached to this exchange. No timelines. No follow-ups.
In a city like Mumbai, where most people are constantly in transit, the intention was never to create a campaign, but rather to introduce small, almost unnoticeable interruptions through moments where a story appears without announcement.
What Three Years of Books on Mumbai Metro Has Looked Like
Interestingly, the nature of the initiative has not changed much over time. Books are still placed, found, and moved along. What has changed, perhaps, is the quiet continuity of it.
Over the years, these books have travelled across stations, been picked up by readers from entirely different walks of life, and in some cases, reappeared in completely different parts of the network. There is no way to map this journey, and that has always been part of its appeal.
In an ecosystem where most aspects of publishing from sales to marketing are measured and analysed, this remains intentionally untracked. It is less about scale and more about presence.
Why Something Like This Still Matters
For those familiar with the work we do at Keemiya Creatives, a lot of our conversations tend to revolve around visibility, positioning, and how books find their audience. This initiative sits slightly outside that framework, but not entirely.
Because at its core, it still asks the same question: how do books reach readers?
In most cases, the answer involves distribution channels, digital platforms, and marketing strategies. Here, the answer is simpler and far less controlled.
A book is placed somewhere. Someone finds it. There is no algorithm deciding that interaction. No targeting. No recommendation engine. Just chance and sometimes, that is enough.
The Experience of Finding a Book Unexpectedly
There is a distinct difference between choosing a book and encountering one. When a reader walks into a bookstore or scrolls through an online catalogue, the decision is intentional. There is already a certain kind of attention at play.
Finding a book in a public space works differently. It interrupts routine. It creates curiosity first, and choice later.
In a fast-moving environment like a metro station, even that brief pause—to pick something up, read the back cover, and decide to carry it along—can shift the texture of an otherwise predictable commute. Over time, these small moments begin to add up, even if they are never recorded.
For Those Who Have Seen This Before
If you have been following Keemiya Creatives for a while, you may already be familiar with Books on Mumbai Metro. This is simply a reminder that it continues to exist, quietly, in the background.
And if you haven’t come across it yet, you might at some point—without actively looking for it.
Where to Find More
We do maintain a small, separate space where this initiative is documented.
You can explore it here:
For Authors Who Would Like to Participate
For authors, especially those thinking about how their books can reach readers beyond conventional channels, this initiative offers a different kind of possibility.
If you would like your book to be featured as part of Books on Mumbai Metro, you can reach out to us here: writetous@bookbot.in.
It is not a substitute for marketing, nor is it designed to be one. But it does allow your work to exist in a space where discovery is slower, more personal, and often unexpected.
Not every interaction between a book and a reader needs to be planned. Some of them can simply happen. And sometimes, that is enough to make the story travel a little further than intended.
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