Crossword’s Nidhi Gupta on why books will outlive AI

Crossword executive director Nidhi Gupta says books will never die despite AI's rise, citing readers' enduring value for original human voices. The bookstore chain recently opened its 133rd outlet in Powai, Mumbai. Crossword is celebrating the 20th edition of its Book Awards, expanding to 10 categories across genres like fiction, non-fiction, and translation. Gupta says the awards help exceptional Indian writing gain recognition, especially as other Indian literary prizes have been discontinued. Gupta notes physical stores remain central despite online competition, offering discovery and community. She sees podcasts and audiobooks as complementary formats, and plans to expand with smaller neighbourhood stores to localise the reading experience.