These communities in Bengaluru help new entrants to the city find friends

If you’ve moved cities or countries alone in your twenties or thirties, you’ve likely spent more than a few weekend nights at home, ruing your isolated existence. Travelling across a new space can be a lonely experience, especially for working professionals.

If you’ve moved cities or countries alone in your twenties or thirties, you’ve likely spent more than a few weekend nights at home, ruing your isolated existence. Travelling across a new space can be a lonely experience, especially for working professionals.

“Social life starts to shrink, and for a lot of us, we kind of get limited with the people we are working with,” says Sagar Agarwal, one of the founders of Oopar Club, a funded startup that offers membership at a minimal fee.  

In general, adults find it harder to let their guard down, become vulnerable, and connect with other individuals. And with social networking mostly focused on professional networking and dating, finding a new friend circle as you get older can be challenging. 

In response to this, several organisations have sprouted across the city that are trying to create a safe space for individuals to interact, forge friendships and create new communities. 

Here are some of them:

Sagar Agarwal talks about the raison d’etre of the Oopar Club, a Bengaluru-headquartered social community. “Adult life is different from school or college days where we are constantly exposed to our friends,” he says, pointing out that most relationships we forge at this stage of life are with colleagues. The Oopar Club hopes to change that by offering “a space in your life outside of your work where you can continuously meet and interact with people.”

Established in 2022 by three corporate professionals, including Agarwal, the Oopar Club has grown considerably since its inception and has even recently received funding. Offering app-based connectivity and exclusive membership at a nominal fee, the club regularly hosts a range of events, including games, workshops, and discussions, at 12 different venues across Bengaluru, such as Indiranagar, Koramangala, and M.G. Road. With a membership base of over 900 and a presence in cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai, Oopar Club aims to reach 5000 members by the end of this year.