The Truth About Selling Books in the Digital Age | Mohit Batra | The Literature Lounge

In this episode of The Literature Lounge, Mohit Batra, third-generation bookseller and the mind behind Jaipur’s iconic Rajat Book Corner, speaks about what it really takes to keep an independent bookstore alive in a world driven by discounts, algorithms, and digital convenience.

Through a deeply personal and reflective conversation, Mohit shares how a single request for a book set his family’s journey into bookselling in motion — and how his father’s belief that “passion comes before business” shaped everything that followed. From opening a small bookstore in Jaipur in 1992 to watching it grow into a cultural hub for readers, writers, and thinkers, this episode traces how grief, love, and resilience built something far bigger than a shop.

Drawing from his own life, Mohit speaks about losing his mother, finding meaning through books, and creating reading communities without advertising budgets, social media reach, or corporate backing — just word of mouth, curiosity, and human connection. He also reflects on the neurological and emotional power of print, why holding a physical book changes the way we think, and why bookstores still matter in an age of endless screens.

A conversation about books beyond commerce, community beyond algorithms, and why reading is not just a habit — but a way of being.

What this episode is REALLY about
Not bookstores as nostalgia.
Not reading as a hobby.
Not business as numbers.

It’s about:

Turning passion into a life’s work
Building culture without marketing
Why physical books shape how we think
Creating community in a digital world
Grief, legacy, and the quiet power of stories

If you’ve ever wondered why certain spaces feel alive — why some bookstores become sanctuaries — this episode offers insight, warmth, and perspective.