Narendra and Jugal Chandan, owners of Book World in Pune, at the expanded store. (Express Photo by Soham Shah)

Book World, the iconic bookstore on Fergusson College Road in Pune , was on the brink of closure in 2017. Now almost a decade later in July 2026, the bookstore expanded to double its size and has increased its collection by 20-25%. On top of this, a smaller section earlier used for storage has been converted into a separate store for used or second-hand books.

Book World was started by Narendra Chandan in 1996 and his son Jugal Chandan joined the business in 2017-18. A jewellery shop next to the store, also owned by the same owners, has been shifted to the upper floor of the same building and the bookstore has expanded into that space.

The thought of expansion came earlier this year. Jugal told The Indian Express, “We had a big collection but we were not able to display all of it. And we are here all day but it is not possible to attend to every customer.…