Townhall at Chapters

At Chapters, we believe the world’s most urgent issues deserve more than a passing scroll. Townhall is our space to slow down, dive deep, and build informed opinions on topics that shape our lives — from climate change and technology to art, psychology, and beyond. Each session brings in an expert to break down a complex idea, followed by open conversations where you get to ask questions, share perspectives, and engage meaningfully. Think of it as TED meets an intimate bookstore café — a space for curiosity, clarity, and community.

Meet our team

We're passionate this initiative and committed to delivering valuable learning experience to the audience of Townhall.

Disha Verma

Concept Owner

Disha, the founder of Chapters Bookstore, is driven by a passion for creating meaningful and memorable experiences through books, conversations, and community-led literary initiatives. With over 12 years of experience across business transformation consulting, business development and corporate strategy with companies like Accenture and PayU Payments, she brings the perfect blend of strategic insight and creative vision to curate spaces like Townhall—where ideas, dialogue, and stories come alive. She holds an MBA from Goa Institute of Management and a B.Tech from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology.

Ayush Khare

Concept Owner

Ayush brings 6+ years of experience across policy research and strategy consulting. He served as a research associate to premier economist Montek Singh Ahluwalia, collaborating closely with India's Ministry of Finance and the Government of Punjab. His work focused on developing next-generation economic reforms to revitalize business and revamp urban governance, and has written several op-eds for the Economic Times, Mint, and Indian Express, and authored reports for the 15th Finance Commission. As a corporate strategy consultant, Ayush has advised numerous Fortune 500 firms on critical business challenges, including procurement strategy, revenue de-risking, and post-merger integration. He holds an MBA from the Indian School of Business (ISB) and a B.Tech. from IIT Guwahati.

Townhall | Session 2 | Oct'25

The Traffic Paradox

We’re building flyovers, launching metros… yet traffic only worsens. Footpaths remain broken, streets choked, and commutes longer. Are we solving the wrong problems in our cities?

Join our sustainable mobility expert Pravesh Biyani for a Townhall on rethinking India’s urban future.

Townhall | Session 1 | Sep'25

Climate Change: Progress Beyond Paper Straws

For our very first session, we tackled the most urgent issue of our time: climate change. While headlines often focused on doom and delay, there was a quieter story unfolding — one of industrial innovation, technological breakthroughs, and real progress in global energy transition.

Guiding this conversation was Utkarsh Patel — Yale Emerging Climate Leader, energy advisor to state governments, and author of several papers on India’s climate strategy. He broke down the complexities of climate policy and energy transition, while giving us a clear picture of where India stands and how we can think critically about our climate future.