Anuradha Sehgal Spearheads Campaign To Replace Phones With Books

Hyderabad: Mobile phones and the habit of watching reels has taken a toll on the reading habits of people. But Anuradha Sehgal, who is the Chief Brand and Sustainability Officer at Coforge, is in the process of putting books back into the hands by using all her influence.

A master at building brands, she recently inaugurated a library in Hyderabad, inviting the people with a simple yet powerful message saying, "Put aside your phone and reels. Come to our library."

Sharing her inspiration behind the initiative, she said, "My favourite hobby has always been adding value to a product or brand. That’s why I pursued marketing." Coming from Amritsar in Punjab, Anuradha grew up with discipline and inspiration where her father, RN Sehgal, was a senior officer in the Indian Army while her mother, Rani Sehgal, was a teacher and an entrepreneur.

She studied in Kendriya Vidyalayas across the country, got a BA (Hons) in Economics and then pursued a master's degree in international business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi. She began her professional journey from Hindustan Unilever and then went on to have stints at Whirlpool, Reckitt, Airtel, Lenskart, and various media houses. Campaigns like Airtel's 'Is Every Friend Necessary?' along with the brand campaigns for Veet and Vanish, brought her into the spotlight.

Anuradha disclosed that the library initiative was inspired by her Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sudhir Singh, who observed during his travels in the US that there were libraries every 10 km to 15 km.

"We wanted to replicate something similar in India," she said while adding that the first 'People's Library' was opened in Noida in February last year. Extensive research went into the project, examining both government and privately run libraries in India and abroad. Books across genres and age groups, from six to sixty years, were made available. Schools and public places were engaged, and media campaigns invited the public to visit.

The response has been overwhelming. “People often ask, ‘Why read when you have computers and phones?’ But interest in reading is growing," Anuradha claimed. Initially, the library attracted only those who knew about free reading. Gradually, students, technology professionals, parents and children joined. Many parents shared, "We used to take our children to malls or parks on weekends. Now we take them to the library." Reading has now become an addictive and enriching habit for them.

The library in Gurugram now sees over 20,000 visitors daily. Hyderabad, with Coforge’s offices and a Global Capability Centre, is the next step. Over 15,000 books, covering history, children’s literature, biographies and more, are now available to the public. "Our goal remains the same: learning should be continuous. Let’s seize this opportunity and help society grow," she underlined.

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