Profiles of Innovation

Anita Jaisinghani finds her entrepreneurial niche with innovative Indian food

Anita Jasinghani, owner, Pondicheri

Photo by John Carrithers

In the United States, immigrant entrepreneurs have often turned to the restaurant business as way to realize the American dream. In many older cities, European specialties were favored; in Houston the array is much more global, reflecting the city's incredible diversity.

South Asian cuisine is one the many ethnic foods that has attracted a following in the Bayou City. Anita Jaisinghani has led the way by infusing the cuisine of her home country of India with local ingredients.

"Being an entrepreneur is taking an opportunity to do something interesting and new. For me that's what it is. It's not about just filling a gap somewhere."

In the second of a continuing CultureMap series, Profiles of Innovation, Jaisinghani tells videographers Douglas Newman and John Carrithers how when she left India at age 20 with her new husband more than two decades ago, she began cooking within a week after arrival in the West as a way to keep memories of her homeland fresh in her mind.

"The ingredients were not there, so I had to come up with my own version in everything," she explains. "That's when I realized I could do a lot with what I found locally."

A decade ago, she opened Indika, an Indian fusion restaurant on lower Westheimer that has won raves from such national publications as Gourmet and The New York Times. A few months ago, she added Pondicheri, a more casual Indian eatery in West Ave. She hasn't taken a day off since the new restaurant opened, but she has no regrets about the entrepreneurial life.

"The reward is seeing people enjoy what I do....The biggest reward is seeing the same people come in every day," she says.

As she explains in this video, "Being an entrepreneur is taking an opportunity to do something interesting and new. For me that's what it is. It's not about just filling a gap somewhere."

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beyond the stacks

Texas public libraries generate billions in economic impact, report finds

Houston Public Library/Facebook

Houston shines brighter with its public library system.

A new statewide study examining the economic impacts of public libraries has revealed they have generated over $3.8 billion in value to local communities — a return of $4.74 for every $1 invested.

The report, "Beyond the Stacks: Measuring the Economic and Community Value of Texas Public Libraries" was conducted by third-party consultancy JBK Economics Group in partnership with the Texas Library Association. About 300 of the total 513 public libraries in Texas participated in a survey for the report.

A major finding from the survey revealed that public libraries create billions in economic value for the communities they serve at a fraction of what it costs to pay employee wages and benefits, operating expenditures, and capital expenditures. About 11,200 jobs were directly and indirectly supported by public libraries, the report found.

The report found its $4.74 to $1 ratio by adding up the total value of the services provided by these institutions (an estimated $2.48 billion), and comparing it to total expenditures ($808.6 million).

"Public libraries had about the same economic footprint as the Texas motion picture and sound recording industry ($2.9 billion in Gross Domestic Product in 2024) or the Texas paper manufacturing industry ($4.0 billion in Gross Domestic Product in 2024)," the report said.

Many Houstonians are already familiar with Houston Public Library's expansive catalog and programming, but there are many more services the library provides that might fly under the radar. A few examples include access to subscription-based research databases and news outlets, and the Library of Things, a collection of cookware and bake ware, musical instruments, craft kits, and other tools or activity materials that are available for cardholders to borrow. Individual branches also provide free Wi-Fi, computer access, and meeting spaces.

Houston-area residents also have access to services at several other local libraries depending on their address, such as the Harris County Public Library, Montgomery County Memorial Library System, or Fort Bend County Libraries, just to name a few.

These are additional services and partnerships that Texas public libraries commonly provide, per the survey results:

93 percent provide voter registration and/or serve as voting locations
84 percent provide partnerships with local social services agencies
82 percent provide job application assistance
68 percent facilitate applications for government benefits
38 percent provide on-site social services
30 percent provide telehealth rooms and/or resources

"Public libraries are practical, welcoming and rooted in the communities they serve — they are unmistakably Texan," said Texas Library Association executive director Shirley Robinson in a press release. "This study puts a dollar value on the opportunities libraries create every day. Whether someone visits a library to apply for a job, access the internet, learn a new skill or simply find a new favorite book, those services create real value for Texans and their communities."

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