(From left) Ishaan Jajodia, Kabeer Khurana and Tanay Punjabi founded Bombaykala Books last year to launch books that were being ignored by the mainstream publishing industry

What does a 19-year-old know about publishing? This question would niggle any writer if somebody that young was tasked with editing, printing and distributing his/her book. Yet, when Mumbai-based author Kiran Manral was approached last year by Ishaan Jajodia, 19, at a college festival to publish her title with his fledgling publishing house, Bombaykala Books, something about his passion project made her immediately agree. "I have been published across the gamut," says Manral, whose previous works were released by Penguin Random House, Westland and Juggernaut. Having worked with all the leading houses, Manral says the takeaways have been different. "With bigger publishing houses, everything is well-oiled and they have a better distribution network. But, at the end of the day, they have targets to be met. The younger bunch are more passionate and willing to take risks. I think we should encourage people who are going out on a limb to do something new."