Bringing together community, culture, creativity and lifestyle, The Quorum has been making waves ever since 2018, when it took off at Gurgaon’s iconic Golf Course Road.

The Q was launched with the idea of creating an environment for unique and curated experiences facilitating a seamless transformation from work to play. Now with a foothold across Gurgaon and Mumbai, as well as plenty of international collaborations on the table, founders Vivek Narain and Sonya Jehan have successfully reimagined the concept of a private members’ club – pulling in fresh, contemporary influences into their curated spaces and work philosophies.

After over four years of curating a community of the country’s brightest venture capitalists, artists and innovators, here’s what Narain had to share with us on The Quorum’s appeal, its post-lockdown challenges, and where the future of India’s private clubs lies.

After four years of bringing together India’s brightest venture capitalists, artists and innovators, here’s what Narain had to share with us on The Quorum’s appeal, its post-lockdown challenges, and where the future of India’s private clubs lies.

The Quorum in Mumbai has been open for a little under a year – can you describe what the response has been like?

The Quorum, launched in 2018 with its first club in Gurgaon, is a unique blend of hospitality with the philosophy of being community-led, content-driven, design-focused and experiential, to a discerning audience of like-minded global Indians.

We opened in Mumbai in July 2021, while the pandemic was still impacting businesses and footfalls across the country, however I have to say that the response has been ahead of our expectations. Driven by member referrals and word-of-mouth from our existing member base, we’re reaching our founder member target and closer to a quarter of the way to our full target within just 7 months of opening our doors.

We have been fortunate to have created the right kind of buzz amongst the right networks, resulting in a lot of interest. Our tribe is growing, across both cities, and we’re thrilled about it!

What is your member profile like, across both clubs? How different are they, if at all?

If I had to sum it up in one sentence, I would say The Quorum isn’t a one trick pony. There’s something for everyone: you could be a young entrepreneur or a career corporate leading an MNC, you’d still find value in being a member.

What we have and will strive to do at The Q is foster a community of people with a taste for the more eclectic things in life, open to newer experiences and have a global sensibility. Your background isn’t as important as the future you want to create and the community you want to grow.

Our vision for building a community was predicated on diversity while at the same time being representative of the fabric of the cities in which we operate. In Gurgaon, we have a great mix of entrepreneurs and corporates while in Mumbai the private equity/venture capitalist community and creatives seem to dominate the landscape. 

Curiosity is the common currency, and we see the power of bringing an eclectic mix of people together in the same room across both clubs. Dynamism comes from diversity and that’s our No. 1 goal!

With things now getting back to some normalcy, what do you see as the future of private members’ clubs like your own?

The Quorum has been designed to be that quintessential 3rd dimension – a place to work that seamlessly transforms into a space to entertain and dine, with art & culture being at its very core – (whether you’re hosting a dinner party or a corporate thought retreat) and get that much needed cultural nourishment.

We’re entering a time where no matter what you do, you can work from anywhere. We also anticipate private clubs being the chosen solutions for hybrid work; solving the conundrum that a lot of people are facing of not wanting to work at home any longer, nor wanting to return to the office five days a week. A creative sanctuary in its essence.  

Looking ahead, the need for spaces such as ours has, in fact, become more relevant. This is true more so because of the severe cultural deficit we have all faced over the past 2 years. At The Q, we are excited to be able to, once again, play our part in providing a platform that is helping its revival, across both Gurgaon and Mumbai.

The Quorum is ideally placed to fill a member’s entire day – from spaces that cater to their work commitments through the day to dining and evening events that help them unwind when work is done.

The Quorum has a vibrant network of reciprocal clubs across the globe. Can you tell us a little more about this, and why this was so important for you to offer your members?

With over 50 clubs across 28 countries, our network gives our members access to clubs in key gateway cities like London, New York, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong and many more.

We believe our community is one of Global Indians, who are discerning travelers, keen on exploring the world in more nuanced ways. Traveling to and experiencing cities through our network of clubs gives our members a unique and authentic experience no matter where they are. This access gets them into some of the most coveted rooms around the world, and a sneak peek into the local cultural landscape, a perk sometimes unavailable even to the locals of that city!

What’s next for The Quorum? Both in existing clubs and any planned for the future?

We are the country’s only homegrown private members’ club across multiple cities and our plan is to increase this footprint. Other cities across the country are in need of a space like The Q and we’re poised to offer them just that, and more! It’s fair to assume that we will be in two more cities over the next 24 months. 

We’re also on the drawing board to revolutionize the future of work through a new concept that you will have to wait a little longer to find out about!

(Featured Image Credits: The Quorum)