Brandpost
From Kiranas to Cloud: How Nearwala Is Helping India’s Neighbourhood Stores Compete in the Digital Economy
India’s retail economy is powered by millions of neighbourhood Kirana stores and small retailers. These businesses continue to enjoy strong customer trust, daily footfall, and deep local relationships. However, they are increasingly competing against large digital-first platforms such as Amazon, Zepto, Blinkit, and other quick-commerce players that rely heavily on data, automation, targeted offers, and…
India’s retail economy is powered by millions of neighbourhood Kirana stores and small retailers. These businesses continue to enjoy strong customer trust, daily footfall, and deep local relationships. However, they are increasingly competing against large
digital-first platforms such as Amazon, Zepto, Blinkit, and other quick-commerce players that rely heavily on data, automation, targeted offers, and real-time consumer insights.
Nearwala, a Bengaluru-based startup founded in 2024 by Rajiv Surendran and Rahul K. C., is working to bridge this gap. The company is building a hyperlocal retail intelligence and commerce platform designed specifically for small and medium retailers, helping them modernize without forcing them to abandon their existing systems.
The larger story is not just about digitizing Kirana stores. It is about giving India’s offline retail ecosystem access to the same kind of data-driven growth tools that large digital platforms already use.
The History & Evolution
The Evolution of Nearwala: From a Pandemic Spark to India’s First AI-Driven Hyperlocal Retail Revolution
Behind every great disruption is a simple realization. For Nearwala, that realization happened in 2021 amidst the quiet, locked-down lanes of Calicut, Kerala.
As large e-commerce aggregates and delivery giants began rapidly eating away at the market share of neighborhood businesses, college friends and seasoned IT entrepreneurs Rajiv Surendran and Rahul K. C. saw local kiranas, supermarkets, and mom-and-pop shops facing an existential threat. The merchants didn’t lack the will to fight; they lacked the technology to do so.
Drawing from their deep tech backgrounds—having previously built vital public-health tech infrastructures for the Kerala Government through their startup Qkopy—the duo set out to build a digital shield for India’s traditional retail backbone.
Here is the journey of how Nearwala evolved from an on-ground experiment into a roaring retail movement:
⏱ The Timeline of Transformation
2021: The Genesis & “Talking Shops” The founders initially experimented by building standalone apps for individual local shops, but quickly realized that small merchants lacked the resources to manage them independently. This led to Talking Shops, a pilot chatbot-driven app in Calicut allowing consumers to discover and chat directly with 100+ local merchants. The concept proved that hyper-local engagement worked.
2022 – 2023: The Pivot & Prototype Recognizing the pan-India scale of this retail crisis, the founders paused the pilot to undergo extensive market research. By May 2023, the core prototype of Nearwala was born. A rigorous field-testing pilot ran from June 2023 to January 2024 to refine the app’s dynamic, AI-driven discounting engine
2024: Formal Infrastructure & Trust Building In February 2024, the parent entity NearPay Innovations Pvt Ltd was officially registered. This phase was all about breaking down merchant skepticism around digital payments and technology. By targeting forward-thinking local retailers, Nearwala proved it could drive measurable footfall and visibility, earning the trust of the community.
Present Day (2025–2026): Shaking Up the Indian Retail Ecosystem Headquartered in Bangalore, Nearwala has grown into a powerhouse platform serving over 200,000 active users and bridging the gap for 4,000+ local merchants—including emerging household names like La Pino’z Pizza and Five Star Chicken. Operating across primary hubs like Bangalore, Calicut, Hyderabad, Kochi, and Coimbatore, the platform is rapidly expanding to 50 cities nationwide.
How Nearwala is Levelling the Playing Field
Unlike traditional aggregator platforms that commoditize small shops or
quick-commerce monopolies that aim to replace them, Nearwala equips local retailers with enterprise-grade tech.
By providing inventory tracking, automated sales analytics, dynamic AI-driven consumer engagement layers, and localized marketing support, small retailers can finally fight back against deep-pocketed conglomerates on equal footing We are moving away from a model that forces massive platform-funded discount burns toward a self-sustaining, community-driven ecosystem. Nearwala is proving that when small shops are armed with artificial intelligence and grassroots support, they don’t just survive the digital age—they lead it [cite:
The future of Indian retail isn’t purely virtual; it’s hyper-local, community-focused, and powered by Nearwala.
The Problem
India’s retail market is worth over a trillion dollars, with offline neighbourhood stores continuing to dominate a major share of daily consumer spending. Yet, many of these retailers still operate with outdated billing systems, fragmented customer records, limited digital visibility, and almost no access to real-time business intelligence.
As consumer behaviour shifts toward convenience, discounts, digital payments, and personalized offers, small retailers are often left at a disadvantage. They are not losing relevance because customers do not trust them. They are losing competitive ground because they lack the digital tools needed to understand customers, run targeted promotions, manage loyalty, and make smarter business decisions.
The Nearwala Solution: An AI Layer, Not a Forced Migration
Nearwala’s approach is designed around the reality of India’s small retailers. Instead of asking shop owners to completely replace their existing billing software or operational systems, the platform works as an AI-powered overlay that can integrate with their current workflows.
Through Nearwala, merchants can access tools such as:
- Cloud-based analytics to understand sales patterns, customer behaviour, and inventory movement.
- Expiry and stock visibility tools to reduce wastage and improve decision-making.
- Hyperlocal heat-map insights that help retailers identify Nearwala users within a 1–5 km radius.
- Location-specific promotional tools to attract nearby customers.
- Digital storefronts for merchants who want an online presence without building their own app or website.
- Loyalty and reward programs to improve repeat purchases.
- Delivery enablement through logistics partners such as Porter and Shadowfax.
This makes Nearwala a practical digital growth layer for traditional retailers rather than a disruptive replacement for their existing business systems.
Traction So Far
Since launch, Nearwala has reported strong early traction across both merchants and consumers.
The company has:
- Onboarded more than 7,000 merchants across 15 Indian cities.
- Built a consumer base of over 600,000 shoppers.
- Generated more than 100 million cumulative engagements across digital and social channels.
- Processed over ₹15 crore in business volume during FY 2025–26.
These numbers position Nearwala as an emerging player in the hyperlocal commerce and retail intelligence space, with a clear focus on empowering offline businesses rather than replacing them.
The Dual-Sided Marketplace Model
Nearwala operates as a dual-sided marketplace connecting merchants, consumers, and brands.
For Consumers
Consumers using Nearwala can make payments through the platform’s QR system and receive instant discounts funded by merchant-set commissions. They can also earn digital gold and NCoins, where 1 NCoin is equivalent to ₹1, through purchases and engagement with in-app advertisements from local and regional brands.
This creates a reward-driven commerce experience that encourages customers to discover and transact with nearby businesses.
For Brands and D2C Companies
For Direct-to-Consumer brands, Nearwala offers an alternative route to customer acquisition. Instead of depending only on high-commission quick-commerce or marketplace platforms, brands can run targeted hyperlocal campaigns through Nearwala.
Companies such as Tata Motors and Craze Foods can use the platform to test offline purchase behaviour, increase regional visibility, and reach relevant consumers before scaling campaigns more widely.

Funding and Growth Roadmap
Nearwala began with a bootstrap investment of ₹25 lakh from the founders and a friend. The company later raised ₹3.5 crore from angel investors and is currently preparing for a $4 million funding round.
Its long-term roadmap includes:
- Expanding to 50 cities.
- Reaching 10 million consumers.
- Onboarding 100,000 merchants, including D2C sellers.
- Bringing more than 1,000 advertisers onto the platform.
- Achieving nearly ₹200 crore in business volume.
- Targeting a possible IPO around 2029–30.
Why This Story Matters Now
The next phase of India’s retail digitization may not come from replacing Kirana stores with large platforms. It may come from equipping those stores with better technology, better customer data, and better digital discovery.
Nearwala’s model reflects a broader shift in Indian commerce: small retailers want to digitize, but they need tools that respect their existing operations, local customer relationships, and business realities.
By positioning itself as a hyperlocal intelligence and commerce layer for India’s neighbourhood businesses, Nearwala is attempting to create a technology bridge between offline retail and the digital-first consumer economy.
This makes the company a timely and relevant story for readers tracking Indian startups, retail technology, hyperlocal commerce, D2C growth, and the future of the Kirana ecosystem.
Brandpost
Odisha’s Dakloni Masala Bets on “100% Pure” Positioning in India’s Crowded Spice Market
BHUBANESWAR — A spice and dry-fruit brand rooted in Odisha, Dakloni Masala, is positioning itself around purity and traditional sourcing as it competes in India’s increasingly crowded packaged-spice market, according to the company and its parent, Green Chocy Private Limited.
The brand traces its roots to 1983, according to company materials, and says it has focused since then on bringing “the purity of organic spices and authentic traditional flavours” to Indian kitchens. Its current range spans turmeric powder, red chilli and Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala, garlic and onion powder, and a dry-fruits line covering cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios and raisins.
Dakloni operates under Green Chocy Private Limited, which holds FSSAI license number 12026999000110 and is based in Bomikhal, Rasulgarh, in Khorda district, Odisha. The company describes its approach as “100% Pure, Natural & Premium Quality,” a claim it backs with references to “strict quality checks before packaging” and sourcing “carefully selected” from trusted farmers and suppliers, according to its website.
A Fragmented, Fast-Growing Category
India’s packaged-spice sector has drawn a wave of regional and direct-to-consumer entrants in recent years, alongside established national players, as consumers increasingly shop for spices online rather than through neighborhood grocers. Industry analysts who track the space say purity and traceability claims have become a common differentiator for newer brands, though such claims are typically self-reported rather than independently audited unless tied to a specific third-party certification beyond baseline food-safety licensing.
Dakloni’s FSSAI registration is a standard requirement for any food business operating in India and confirms basic regulatory compliance rather than certifying “organic” status specifically; the company has not indicated it holds a separate organic-certification mark, and this report could not independently verify the “organic” language used in its own marketing material.
An Odisha Identity
The brand markets itself explicitly around its Odisha base, a positioning that distinguishes it from larger national spice brands headquartered elsewhere. Company materials link its Dakloni Masala spice range to the region’s culinary heritage, though the company has not published details of specific farms or supply chains involved.
Dakloni also markets a grocery and makhana range alongside its core spice and dry-fruit lines, positioning itself as a broader everyday-essentials brand rather than a single-category spice house.
What Comes Next
The company has not disclosed retail distribution figures, revenue, or store count, and operates primarily as a direct-to-consumer brand through its own websites and social media channels. Whether its purity-focused positioning translates into meaningful market share against established national spice brands remains to be seen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Dakloni Masala sell?
The brand’s core lines are turmeric powder, red chilli and Kashmiri red chilli powder, garam masala, garlic and onion powder, and a dry-fruits range including cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachios and raisins, alongside makhana and grocery staples.
Who owns Dakloni Masala?
The brand operates under Green Chocy Private Limited, an FSSAI-licensed food business based in Khorda district, Odisha.
Visit- dakloni.in
Visit- dakloni.com
Facebook- Dakloni Masala
Instagram- @daklonimasala
Brandpost
PTAHA Emerges as a Fast-Growing Voice for India’s Travel Trade After Crossing 100 Members in 27 Days
Association strengthens national leadership with Rishi Deepak Budhadev as National President and Suresh Nair as Acting Vice President
India, August 2026: In a notable beginning for a newly established industry association, the Professional Travel Agents and Hotels Association (PTAHA) has crossed the 100-member mark within just 27 days, signalling strong early support from professionals across India’s travel, tourism and hospitality sector.
Alongside this milestone, PTAHA has announced a strengthened national leadership structure with the appointment of Mr. Rishi Deepak Budhadev as National President and Mr. Suresh Nair as Acting Vice President.
The rapid growth comes at a time when travel agents, tour operators, hotels, DMCs and other tourism businesses are increasingly seeking stronger professional networks, business opportunities, knowledge-sharing platforms and collective industry engagement.
A Fast Start for a New Industry Platform
PTAHA was established as a Section 8 not-for-profit organisation with the objective of bringing different segments of the travel and hospitality industry onto a common professional platform.
Reaching more than 100 members in 27 days has given the association a strong foundation for its national expansion plans. PTAHA sees the milestone as an endorsement of its member-focused approach and its objective of creating practical value for tourism professionals.
Rather than functioning only as a networking body, PTAHA aims to provide members with opportunities for business promotion, industry interaction, education, networking and participation in major tourism events.
The association is also working towards creating greater engagement between its members and tourism boards, destinations, hotels, trade fair organisers and other stakeholders.
Rishi Deepak Budhadev to Lead National Expansion
As part of the association’s next phase, Mr. Rishi Deepak Budhadev has been appointed National President of PTAHA.
His responsibilities will include guiding the organisation’s national growth, strengthening its regional presence and developing initiatives that deliver greater value to members.
Under his leadership, PTAHA plans to expand its network through regional chapters and increase its participation across India’s travel trade ecosystem.
The association also intends to use major tourism trade fairs and industry platforms to provide its members with greater visibility and opportunities to promote their businesses.
Suresh Nair Joins National Leadership
PTAHA has appointed Mr. Suresh Nair as Acting Vice President, adding further depth to its national leadership team.
Mr. Nair will support the association in member engagement, organisational development and expansion of its professional network. His role will also involve working closely with the national leadership to strengthen PTAHA’s presence among travel and hospitality professionals in different parts of the country.
From Membership to Industry Community
PTAHA’s leadership believes that the association’s growth should ultimately be measured by the value it creates for its members.
Its initiatives include trade-fair participation, branding and promotional opportunities, networking, webinars, educational programmes, FAM and educational trips, member marketing initiatives and industry interactions.
The association is also focused on creating opportunities where members can promote their businesses while building relationships with fellow professionals and potential business partners.
The 100+ membership milestone therefore represents more than a numerical achievement. For PTAHA, it marks the beginning of a wider professional community that aims to work collectively for the growth of India’s tourism industry.
Leadership Message
Mr. Rishi Deepak Budhadev, National President, PTAHA, expressed his appreciation to the association’s members and supporters for placing their trust in the organisation within such a short period.
He said the achievement belongs to the entire PTAHA family and that the association’s immediate priority will be to convert this early momentum into meaningful opportunities, stronger industry relationships and long-term benefits for its members.
With its membership crossing 100 in just 27 days and its national leadership now strengthened, PTAHA is preparing for a broader phase of expansion across India.
The association aims to build a professional community where travel agents, hotels and tourism businesses can connect, collaborate, promote and grow together, while contributing collectively to a stronger and more organised Indian tourism industry.
About PTAHA
Professional Travel Agents and Hotels Association (PTAHA) is a Section 8 not-for-profit organisation representing professionals from India’s travel, tourism and hospitality sector.
PTAHA works towards professional networking, business promotion, education, industry engagement, trade-fair participation and creating growth opportunities for its members.
Website: www.ptaha.org.in
Email: ptahaindia@gmail.com
Contact: +91 78078 75757
Brandpost
Beyond the 350 Pages: The Emotional Journey of S Tanuja Sri Sasi Kumar From Struggle to Becoming a Published Novelist
For many writers, publishing a book is the culmination of a dream. For debut author S Tanuja Sri Sasi Kumar, however, the journey behind her first novel, If You Had Loved Me APPA, was much more than simply writing a manuscript and getting it published. It was a journey shaped by self-doubt, financial challenges, heartbreak, persistence, creativity, and an unwavering desire to create something that would make her stand apart.
Her debut psychological fiction novel, published by Evincepub on 20 July 2026, is the result of a writing journey that began years before the book reached readers. Spanning 350 pages, the novel represents not only her first major literary work but also a deeply personal milestone in her evolution as a writer.
For Tanuja, writing was never simply about producing a book. It became a way of expressing thoughts that could not always be spoken aloud, processing emotions, and creating a world where her imagination could take shape.
The Unexpected Beginning of a Writer
Tanuja’s journey as a writer began rather unexpectedly.
Her first serious piece of writing was a three- to four-page essay. At the time, she remembers feeling that everyone around her seemed to have something that made them special. Some people were talented at particular skills, while she struggled with the feeling that she had not yet discovered what made her unique.
That feeling eventually became the motivation to try something different.
She wrote an essay based on an idea that she believed would make her stand out. When she shared it with someone for the first time, the reaction surprised her. The reader was impressed by the writing, particularly by the psychological-thriller element and the unexpected final twist.
The response she received became a turning point.
People were intrigued enough to ask whether the serious elements in the story were actually true. Their surprise and curiosity made Tanuja realize that perhaps writing was the talent she had been searching for.
That appreciation encouraged her to write more.
Before beginning her debut novel, she experimented with essays, poems, and short stories. These smaller works gradually became a foundation for something much larger.
Today, she describes writing in much more intimate terms.
For her, writing became a confidant—a space where she could put down opinions, emotions, thoughts, and feelings that she could not always express openly. What began as paper and pen eventually became an essential part of her life.
“Writing was my best friend,” she reflects, “and now it is my everything.”
A Writer Drawn to the Psychology of Human Beings
Tanuja has always been attracted to psychological thrillers and stories that explore the darker and more complicated sides of the human mind.
She is particularly fascinated by questions surrounding human behaviour: how an innocent mind can change, how circumstances can influence a person’s thinking, and how emotional experiences can sometimes transform someone into a completely different person.
This interest naturally found its way into her fiction.
Rather than being interested only in external events, she is drawn to what happens inside a person’s mind. The transformation of emotions, the development of psychological conflicts, and the hidden reasons behind people’s actions are themes that continue to interest her as both a reader and a writer.
That approach also influenced the creation of If You Had Loved Me APPA.
The title itself did not exist at the beginning of the writing process. Tanuja first decided to write the story and developed its characters and emotional world. As the story progressed, she realized that one particular character’s life could have been profoundly different if she had received the love she needed from her father.
That realization eventually gave the novel its title.
Choosing a Different Kind of Love Story
Contemporary fiction frequently explores romantic relationships—love, separation, heartbreak, and reconciliation. Tanuja wanted to explore a different kind of emotional wound.
For her, family relationships can contain forms of pain that are rarely discussed with the same intensity as romantic heartbreak.
The father-daughter relationship at the heart of If You Had Loved Me APPA emerged from that belief. The novel explores the emotional consequences of an important relationship, while examining love, pain, longing, misunderstanding, and healing.
Although some emotional experiences and incidents in the novel were influenced by real experiences, Tanuja chooses not to disclose the personal circumstances behind them. Instead, she allows the fiction to speak for itself.
For her, the important thing is not whether readers know which parts came from reality. What matters is whether they recognize the emotions.
When Writing Became an Escape
The process of writing the novel was far from easy.
Tanuja was simultaneously dealing with financial responsibilities and personal struggles while trying to pursue writing as a passion. Coming from an ordinary family where financial considerations mattered, she could not simply put everything else aside and focus exclusively on publishing a book.
The novel had to wait.
What had initially been planned years earlier eventually took roughly two to three years to reach publication. During that period, writing remained important to her, but it had to coexist with the realities of everyday life.
There were also emotional struggles.
Heartbreak and difficult personal experiences became part of the period in which the novel was being written. There were moments when she cried while writing. Because she imagined each scene vividly as she wrote it, the emotions of the characters sometimes became emotionally overwhelming.
Yet those experiences did not stop her from writing.
In fact, she believes they strengthened her ability to tell the story.
Writing became an escape from everything happening around her. While she was writing, her attention moved away from her problems and toward the fictional world she was creating. The next question became not what was going wrong in her life, but when she would finish the book and when she could finally publish it.
She never seriously considered abandoning the novel.
Her determination came partly from a deeper fear: she did not want to go through life without accomplishing something that was uniquely hers. Publishing a book became more than a career goal. It became proof to herself that she could create something lasting.
The First Manuscript That Never Became a Book
Interestingly, If You Had Loved Me APPA was not the first novel Tanuja attempted.
Before it, she wrote a psychological thriller that grew to more than 700 pages.
The project began with a clear concept and title, but as she continued writing, new stories and ideas kept appearing. Instead of following one consistent storyline, the manuscript gradually became more complex and sprawling, almost like a long web series.
There were also difficulties with the manuscript itself, including problems involving lost text.
Eventually, she decided not to publish that book.
The experience taught her something important about storytelling: having many ideas is valuable, but knowing how to control those ideas within one story is equally important.
That unfinished manuscript did not end her dream. Instead, it eventually led her toward the story that would become her published debut.
The Fear of Writing Too Little—and Then Too Much
When Tanuja began writing her new novel, she initially had a very different fear.
She wondered whether she would even be able to write 100 or 120 pages. What if the story ended too quickly? What if she ran out of things to say?
But the opposite happened.
The manuscript crossed 200 pages, and she still had more of the story to tell.
That created an entirely new fear.
What if it became 700 or 800 pages like her previous manuscript?
Eventually, the story settled at approximately 350 pages.
Looking back, she describes the process with three words: emotional, dream, and excited.
One unusual technique helped her maintain the emotional continuity of the story. Because she sometimes had gaps of several days between writing sessions, she would listen to a particular song before returning to the manuscript.
The song helped her imagine the entire book as though it were being filmed.
Once she entered that mental world again, she could recover the flow of the story and continue writing.
The Financial Reality Behind a Dream
Completing a manuscript was only one part of becoming a published author.
Publishing the book presented another set of challenges.
Tanuja wanted her first book to receive the best possible treatment, which led her to choose a premium publishing option. However, arranging the money required for publication was difficult.
The financial pressure became particularly challenging because writing was a passion, but she did not want pursuing that passion to damage her family’s financial situation.
Even after choosing a publisher, the process brought new anxieties.
As a first-time author, she was unfamiliar with many aspects of publishing. Slow responses from the publishing team sometimes made her nervous, particularly because she was eager to see the book completed.
She repeatedly followed up about the cover, opening pages, proofreading, and other stages of production.
Proofreading became one of her biggest concerns.
Despite carefully reviewing the manuscript herself, she later noticed additional typographical mistakes and revisions that needed attention. The experience taught her how demanding the final stages of producing a book can be, particularly when the manuscript is hundreds of pages long.
The Day the Book Became Real
After years of writing, waiting, financial planning, revisions, and uncertainty, the dream finally became physical.
On 15 July 2026, Tanuja received her printed copies from the publisher.
For her, that was one of the happiest moments of her life.
Holding the physical book was different from looking at a manuscript on a screen. Her name was printed on the cover. The hundreds of pages she had written were now an actual book she could hold.
She remembers feeling overwhelmed with happiness and disbelief.
Five days later, on 20 July 2026, If You Had Loved Me APPA was officially published.
The moment represented the fulfilment of a dream that had taken years to reach.
If she could return to the version of herself who had started writing the novel years earlier, her advice would be simple:
Do not give up. Do not hesitate. Do not overthink it. Keep going and publish your work.
The Reality After Publication
Tanuja entered publication with hopes that many first-time authors can understand.
She imagined that once the book was published, people would discover it, read it, appreciate it, and begin to understand her through her writing.
Reality turned out to be more complicated.
One of the biggest lessons she learned was that publishing a book and getting people to discover it are two completely different things.
Today, the challenge is not simply having a book. It is reaching the right readers.
The cost of the book, printing expenses, marketing, limited audience reach, and the difficulty of building visibility have all created obstacles. As a first-time author, she has also had to confront the reality that publishing does not automatically create an audience.
Marketing has become one of the most difficult aspects of her post-publication journey.
She had hoped for organic discovery, but building visibility often requires significant effort and investment. For a debut author without an established audience, reaching readers can be particularly difficult.
Yet her motivation has never primarily been financial.
Tanuja says that her main goal is not to make a profit from the book. What she wants is for people to know her name and associate it with a story worth reading.
She wants readers to be able to say:
“This is the author who wrote that book.”
Recognition and the Belief to Keep Going
Tanuja has also received multiple awards and recognitions for her writing.
Rather than treating these recognitions simply as titles, she sees them as moments that strengthened her confidence as a writer. Receiving positive evaluation for her earlier manuscript and being selected for recognition made her feel that her writing had value beyond her own personal belief in it.
For her, that recognition matters because writing can be an uncertain journey. A writer may spend months or years creating something without knowing how others will receive it.
Recognition can provide a moment of reassurance.
But she does not want awards to define her identity as an author. Her larger ambition is to build a body of work that readers recognize independently of individual awards.
An Author Who Wants to Talk to Readers, Not Above Them
Tanuja does not want her writing to feel inaccessible.
One of the qualities she considers a strength is the simplicity of her language. She hopes her stories can reach not only regular book lovers but also people who do not normally read books.
Her ideal reading experience is conversational.
She wants readers to feel as though the author is sitting with them and telling them a story rather than simply presenting a book to them.
Emotional connection is more important to her than making every reader cry.
At the centre of her philosophy is a belief that every human being needs love and deserves to experience it. Through her stories, she hopes readers can recognize themselves, confront their emotions, and perhaps feel lighter after reading.
She wants her writing to give a voice to thoughts that people often keep inside themselves.
What the First Novel Taught Her
Writing If You Had Loved Me APPA taught Tanuja more than she expected about her own creativity.
During the process, new ideas constantly emerged. Some of those ideas surprised her and made her proud of the creative possibilities she could discover within herself.
The journey also taught her patience and persistence.
More importantly, it reinforced a belief she now wants to share with other aspiring writers: a manuscript should not remain hidden forever because of fear.
Her advice is rooted in her own experience.
Life is short, she believes, and writers should not be afraid to create something that makes them different. A writer who has a manuscript should consider taking the step toward publication instead of endlessly waiting for the perfect moment.
At the same time, her own experience taught her the importance of understanding the business side of publishing.
One lesson she would particularly emphasize to debut authors is pricing. She believes a book should be priced at a level readers can reasonably afford while still reflecting the quality and value of the work.
A Story That Should Outlive Its Author
Tanuja understands that not every writer receives immediate recognition.
In an increasingly crowded publishing environment, countless people write books, but only some receive widespread attention.
She does not see that as a reason to stop.
For her, a book has the possibility of existing beyond the moment in which it was published. Even if a writer does not become widely recognized during their lifetime, their work can continue to be discovered by future generations.
That possibility gives her a different perspective on literary success.
The goal is not simply immediate popularity.
The goal is to create something that lasts.
Looking Beyond the Debut
If You Had Loved Me APPA may be her debut, but Tanuja sees it as the beginning rather than the destination.
She has numerous stories and ideas living in her mind that she hopes to eventually transform into books.
Her next work is expected to continue exploring reality-inspired themes and the kinds of emotional and psychological subjects that naturally attract her as a writer.
Her ambition is straightforward but significant: she wants to become a recognized novelist whose name readers know.
She does not want to become merely one more name among thousands of authors who have published books.
She wants readers to recognize her name.
More importantly, she wants them to recognize her writing.
“I Am Just Like You”
Perhaps the most revealing part of Tanuja’s philosophy is that she does not want to place herself above her readers.
Despite her ambitions as a novelist, she does not describe herself as someone fundamentally different from the people who read her work.
She sees herself as one among them—a person who has faced problems, struggled, dreamed, doubted, and continued moving forward.
That is ultimately what she hopes her writing can encourage others to do.
To speak about what they have kept silent.
To acknowledge their pain.
To stop allowing insecurity to define them.
To learn to love themselves.
And, above all, to keep going.
For S Tanuja Sri Sasi Kumar, the 350 pages of If You Had Loved Me APPA are therefore more than pages in a debut novel. They represent years of persistence, imagination, emotional struggle, financial challenges, uncertainty, and the determination to create something uniquely her own.
The book may have been published on 20 July 2026, but the journey of the novelist behind it is only beginning.
About S Tanuja Sri Sasi Kumar
S Tanuja Sri Sasi Kumar is an emerging Indian novelist and creative writer whose work focuses on psychological, emotional, and relationship-driven storytelling. Her debut psychological fiction novel, If You Had Loved Me APPA, was published by Evincepub in July 2026. Her writing explores human psychology, emotional relationships, love, pain, healing, and the thoughts people often leave unspoken. She hopes to continue writing novels that are accessible, emotionally engaging, and relatable to both regular readers and those who do not usually read fiction.
As she continues developing her literary career, Tanuja aims to build a recognizable identity as a novelist and bring more of the stories that live in her imagination to readers around the world.
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