When the lockdown and this COVID-19 scare is over, things will go back to normal. And students finding places to stay that they like become a perennial issue again.
When students travel to different cities, they face a lot of difficulty finding accommodation that best suits them and their budget. A lot of times, it is hygiene that also matters to them. While college hostels are extremely strict, paying guests are expensive and don't maintain cleanliness or hygiene. That's why these days co-living spaces have become a trend among students and working professionals. And Zolo Stays is one such co-living space provider.
Zolo Stays was started in 2015 by Nikhil Sikri who is a MBBS graduate from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. But what led this medical practitioner to start a mod housing business for students is an interesting story. Nikhil says, "After completing my MBBS in 2007, I practiced medicine for sometime in Singapore. Later, I shifted to Hyderabad to pursue a Management programme at the Indian School of Business. In 2013, my family and I started an EdTech platform for students but it did not go well. Again in 2015, we thought of this idea and started Zolo Stays. We were sure to impact many lives through this accommodation facility."
Unlike most other co-living spaces, Zolo Stays offer accommodation for students at reasonable prices. They have two different options called Select and Standard. Zolo Standard is an affordable option for students where the price ranges from Rs 5,000 to 6,000 for double sharing including food and other facilities. Similarly, for Zolo Select, it costs Rs 12,000 for an individual but it will have facilities like access to a swimming pool, club, tennis court etc. Nikhil says, "We don't make choices for students. We leave it to them or their parents to choose from different options and whatever they feel is right."
Get happy at events by Zolo Community
Community events and socialising with each other to contribute towards society is the best part of Zolo Stays. "People who stay with us get together and conduct various sports events, football championship, networking and job awareness events, cleanliness drive, teach under privileged kids, provide food to the poor and homeless and much more," says Nikhil who believes that people enjoy these activities a lot.
Zolo Stays are currently present in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Pune, Kota and Hyderabad. The doctor turned entrepreneur says, "We are hoping to add 50,000 more beds by next year in the properties available at different locations. And expand it to tier II and tier III cities."
