There is a particular kind of space that announces itself before you have found the words for it. Not a restaurant, not a club, not a retail destination, not a cultural centre, but something that holds all of those and more, and that produces, in the person moving through it, the specific quality of attention that comes from being somewhere that has been thought about very carefully.

Essensai067 in Whitefield, Bengaluru, is that kind of space. Built on the site of a former spinning mill, retrofitted and reimagined as a destination organised around food, fashion, art, music, and the kind of outdoor discovery that the best places in the world, from Covent Garden to Dempsey Hill, have always understood as the most compelling reason to be somewhere.

Haresh M. Mirpuri, its founder and Managing Director of Sai Lakshmi Industries, has spent three decades building across categories that most founders choose between rather than moving through. Textiles. Hospitality. Real estate. Luxury lifestyle. What that accumulation of experience produces, he will tell you, is not expertise in any single category but a very clear understanding of what people are actually looking for when they seek out a space or an experience. We spoke with him about what Essensai067 is trying to be, what conscious living actually means in a luxury context, and what happens when a destination stops being the centre of attention.

Essensai067 is described as a lifestyle and cultural destination, not a restaurant, not a club, not a retail space, but something that holds all of those and more. Take us back to the idea. What were you trying to create that did not yet have a name?

People need choice, and I have always believed that the best retail destinations are those that offer more than just shopping. While a mall of a million square feet or more can accommodate a wide range of experiences and beautifully designed spaces, there is an undeniable appeal to being outdoors. We have seen this at places like Santushti in New Delhi and Dhan Mill, where people are drawn to the sense of openness, discovery, and the experience of simply being in space. That led us to think about how we could bring together fixed and dynamic retail while seamlessly integrating indoor and outdoor experiences with a strong commitment to sustainable development.

We drew inspiration from places around the world: Covent Garden in London for its interplay of indoor and outdoor spaces, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan for the sense of scale and luxury created through its architecture, and Dempsey Hill in Singapore for the way a garden-led environment can become a destination in itself. These influences came together in the idea of Essensai067, a destination designed around discovery, choice, community, and experience, rather than being confined to any one conventional category.

You have built across textiles, hospitality, real estate, and luxury lifestyle over three decades. Most founders find their identity in one category. What has moving across so many taught you about what people are actually looking for when they seek out a space or an experience?

People are ultimately looking for two things: experiences and a sense of belonging. Across every category I have worked in, from textiles and hospitality to real estate and luxury lifestyle, I have seen the same underlying need. People are not simply buying products, visiting spaces, or choosing services. They are seeking experiences that resonate with them and a sense of connection to a community or a way of life. That common thread has remained consistent across everything I have built.

Whitefield, Bengaluru is a fascinating choice for a cultural and lifestyle destination, a neighbourhood that has evolved enormously and carries its own complex identity. What drew you to building Essensai067 there, and what does the location say about who the space is for?

Nestled in the heart of Bengaluru, Whitefield has evolved into one of the city’s most dynamic startup and technology hubs, but its identity extends far beyond technology. As the neighbourhood has grown increasingly cosmopolitan, it has also emerged as a space where diverse cultures, communities, food, art and new ways of living come together. For us, that made Whitefield the ideal place to begin Essensai067, and we feel fortunate to have found the right land here.

Essensai067 is envisioned as part of this evolution, a place for people to slow down, connect and spend meaningful moments through food, retail, culture and music. Built on the foundation of a former spinning mill, the space has been retrofitted and reimagined as a hub of food, fashion, art and music, bringing together the ingredients of human connection. We see Essensai067 as more than a destination. It is a reflection of Whitefield’s own journey, from an industrial and residential neighbourhood to a thriving technology hub, and now, increasingly, a cultural and lifestyle destination.

Your guiding belief is that businesses should create meaningful experiences and lasting value for communities, not just for customers. That is a fundamentally different brief from most commercial ventures. How does that philosophy show up in the actual decisions you make day to day at Essensai067?

The philosophy shows up in the choices we make every day, especially when there is a tension between commercial convenience and creating long-term value for people and the environment. When developing Essensai067, for instance, we faced decisions around removing or relocating mature trees. While redesigning around them was more complex and expensive, we chose to preserve and transplant them wherever possible, believing their long-term value to the environment and community outweighed the short-term cost.

The same thinking shapes how we curate the destination. We see Essensai067 not as a collection of businesses, but as an ecosystem. Whether it is the restaurants, events, open spaces or experiences, we constantly ask: will this add value to people’s lives and strengthen the community we are building? For us, success is not measured only by footfall or revenue, but by whether people feel a sense of belonging. When you create that connection, commercial success becomes a natural outcome rather than the sole objective.

Conscious living is at the heart of what you are building. In a lifestyle and luxury context, that phrase can mean many things to many people. What does it mean specifically within the world of Essensai067, and how do you make it feel genuine rather than aspirational?

For us, conscious living begins with authenticity. In our SAI values, the A stands for Authenticity, and that is central to how we approach Essensai067. It means staying true to our beliefs and ensuring that our values translate into everyday decisions, rather than becoming a superficial layer of the brand.

Essensai067 is also a perfect example of how sustainable development can reduce the overall operating costs for our tenants. For us, sustainability cannot be a showcase or a short-term initiative. If it is done merely for appearances, it will never last. It has to be practical, meaningful, and built into the way the destination operates.

Community building is one of your defining commitments across all your ventures. What does a real community, not a customer base, not a membership list, but an actual community, look like inside a luxury lifestyle destination, and how do you cultivate it?

For me, a real community is when people begin to see a place as an extension of their lives rather than simply a destination they visit. It is when families return every weekend, when children grow up with memories attached to the space, when artists, entrepreneurs, pet parents, fitness enthusiasts and neighbours begin to interact with one another naturally. At that point, the destination is no longer the centre of attention. The relationships are.

That is what we are trying to cultivate at Essensai067. We do that by creating opportunities for people to gather around shared interests rather than transactions. Through music, community events and family experiences, we try to create reasons for people to spend meaningful time together.

Community cannot be manufactured through marketing. It develops when people consistently feel welcomed, valued and connected. Our role is simply to create the environment where those connections can happen naturally.

You have been an entrepreneur for over three decades, across categories that each carry their own demands, cycles, and relationships with people. What has that longevity taught you about building things that last?

Thirty years of entrepreneurship has taught me that almost everything changes. Markets change, technology changes, customer expectations change and business models change.

What does not change is people’s desire for trust, connection, purpose and meaningful experiences.

Early in my career, I probably spent more time thinking about products, growth and expansion. Over time, I have come to realise that the most enduring businesses are built around relationships and values. When people trust you, believe in what you are creating and feel that you genuinely care about the impact you are having, they continue to grow with you through different phases and generations.

I have also learned that building something lasting requires patience. In today’s world, there is often pressure to scale quickly, but many of the things that create long-term value, like culture, reputation, trust and community, take years to develop.

Looking back, I believe longevity comes from having the humility to evolve, the discipline to stay true to your principles and the patience to build for the long term rather than the next quarter.

If Essensai067 were a time of day, not a programme or an event but a feeling in the space, which one would it be and why?

I would say Essensai067 is the golden hour, the brief period between day and evening when people naturally slow down and become more present.

It is a time when work begins to fade into the background, conversations become more meaningful, families come together, music feels more immersive and people are more open to experiencing the world around them.

In many ways, that is what we wanted Essensai067 to be. Not a place that demands your attention, but a place that allows you to reconnect with yourself that often gets lost in the pace of everyday life.

The most memorable moments at Essensai are not necessarily the big events. They are the moments in between: children playing in the open spaces, friends sharing a meal, discovering a new artist, listening to live music under the trees or simply sitting quietly and watching the day unfold. To me, Essensai067 feels like that golden-hour state of mind, unhurried, welcoming and full of possibility.

Culture, lifestyle, hospitality, and conscious living are four very distinct forces. What happens in the room, or the conversation, or the meal, when they all come together exactly the way you envisioned?

Our Bharatiya culture has always been rooted in conscious living. Whether through Ayurveda, Yoga, Vastu Shastra, the Bhagavad Gita or the Vedas, our traditions have always encouraged us to live with greater awareness of ourselves, our communities and the world around us.

At Essensai067, the intention was never to recreate these teachings literally, but to create a space where some of those values can be experienced in a modern context. When culture, lifestyle, hospitality and conscious living come together, something interesting happens. People slow down. Conversations become more meaningful. Families spend time together. Strangers connect over music, food and shared experiences. Instead of simply consuming an experience, people begin to participate in it.

For me, that is the real vision of Essensai067. Not just to create a destination people visit, but to create a place where people feel a sense of belonging, connection and community. In a world that is becoming increasingly fast and digital, I believe people are looking for spaces that help them reconnect with themselves, with others and with the simple joy of being present.

What is coming next for Essensai067, and what does it look like when this space has fully become the destination you set out to build?

I do not see Essensai067 as a destination that will one day be complete. I see it as a living prototype.

The real opportunity is not simply to create a successful destination in Bengaluru, but to demonstrate that commercial spaces can be designed to create broader value for society. For decades, developments have largely been measured by square footage, occupancy and revenue. I believe the next generation of places will also be measured by the experiences they create, the culture they nurture and the positive impact they have on the communities around them.

If Essensai067 can become an example of that possibility, then I think we will have achieved something meaningful. Everything that comes after, new concepts, new cities, new destinations, will simply be an extension of that idea.

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