There is a familiar weekend ritual in many urban Indian households. Parents wake up on Saturday morning, open Google Maps or Instagram, and ask the same question: Where do we take the kids today? For some, the answer is frustratingly repetitive- a mall, a café, a soft-play area or another birthday party. Others insist the problem is not a lack of places but a lack of imagination.That debate exploded online after Indian entrepreneur and investor Arjun Vaidya shared a post arguing that India has a recreation problem- not because families won’t spend money, but because the country hasn’t built enough memorable experiences for them. His post quickly went viral, drawing thousands of reactions and sparking an unexpectedly nuanced conversation about parenting, childhood, consumerism and what children actually need.
28 Jul 2026 | 16:22
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“There is absolutely nothing to do in Indian cities”
Vaidya began with a question many city parents instantly recognised. “There’s absolutely nothing to do in Indian cities.. Think about it: what do you do on a weekend?” He pointed out that India reportedly opened over 6,000 cafés in a year while having only around 300 amusement parks, calling it “not a culture problem” but “a massive business gap that needs solving.”Speaking about life with his three-year-old daughter in Mumbai, he wrote: “My daughter is 3. In Bombay, our weekend options are: mall, cafes, and a poorly maintained play area or someone’s house. Repeat every Saturday.” It was a family trip to London, however, that became the centrepiece of his argument. According to Vaidya, despite London being “a city stuffed with history my 3-year-old could not care less about,” the family still “ran out of days” because there was simply so much designed for children to experience.He described visiting the Paddington Bear Experience, where he initially questioned paying around £40 per ticket. “70 minutes, multiple rooms, live actors. A whole Marmalade day festival.”What fascinated him wasn’t just the attraction itself but what happened afterwards. “Then they sold me the ‘official’ photo. For £15. I had one on my phone and I’m a pretty rational customer. But, I still bought it. And also, the marmalade and the ice cream. The ticket was never the business. The feeling was.”He recalled spending £30 to print his daughter’s face on a cup of M&M’s, even though she barely ate the chocolates. “She still wanted the cup. Spent £70 in a candy shop and left with a smile.” At LEGOLAND Windsor, he happily paid for multiple Fast Track passes to avoid long queues.His conclusion was that Indian businesses often stop at selling entry tickets instead of creating immersive experiences that families willingly continue spending on. “We’re not under-building because Indians won’t pay… We’re under-building because we sell tickets instead of building stories.”He even imagined businesses he would invest in immediately- from a full-fledged Chhota Bheem theme park to a Parle-G World, children’s factory tours and cricket-themed immersive experiences.
Parents debated in the comments- some agreed, some didn’t
While many readers agreed that Indian cities need better family recreation infrastructure, the comments quickly shifted the conversation from business to parenting.One of the most-liked responses challenged the very idea of what counts as quality recreation.”And yet all the places you mentioned are selling you something. It’s all very materialistic. And kids need open spaces, more fresh air and more parks and more outdoors. And London provides even that, but we don’t.”Another parent argued that Mumbai already offers countless enriching experiences- if parents choose to look beyond malls. “If you live in Bombay, and your 3 year old hasn’t been to Prithvi Theatre, any of the gazillion pottery classes, gardening classes, bookstores dedicated to kids and kids museums, multiple kids play areas for every type of motor skill… it is not the country or the city’s fault, it is your own lens on parenting that requires everything non-Indian and puts that stuff on a pedestal than actually connecting with your own offspring.“Another response questioned whether expensive branded experiences should become the benchmark for childhood at all. “I agree that there isn’t enough recreation in Indian cities but your experiences are driven by a very capitalist, consumerist idea of recreation.” Another comment reminded readers that India already has many places families often overlook. “In India we have beautiful parks, wildlife sanctuaries, interactive science museums, doll museums, and so much more.“
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So, what do children really need?
The debate has clearly touched a nerve because it asks a question that doesn’t have one right answer. Should cities invest in more immersive, world-class family attractions? Or are parents overlooking the parks, museums, libraries and community spaces that already exist? Is the problem a lack of infrastructure, or a changing idea of what makes childhood memorable?