pune when asha donghade shifted from bangalore to pune last year she wondered how she would find people who shared her passion for books in a new city and all it took was a quick online search she found the pune book readers club which not only introduced her to people she could exchange views on books and writings but also to a potential friend circle hundreds of common interest groups and hobby clubs many formed over social networking sites and mobile apps are bringing likeminded people on the same page in the city the clubs serve as platforms to exchange information views opinions and ideas not only in the virtual world but also in physical meetings group memberships range from a dozen to as many as 6000 and include everyone from students working professionals to homemakers and even the elderly so while foodies post photographs and reviews of new eateries in town on a popular social networking site the group of photography enthusiasts shares latest clicks with those who understand visual compositions some exchange baking tips and recipes while others plan treks to locations in and around pune members say being part of a group helps free expression it is very difficult to find people with similar interests my group not only gives me an opportunity to meet likeminded people but also gives a platform to exchange views about topics that we all identify with the bonds we have forged are truly meaningful even if they are with people from completely different professional backgrounds like medicine engineering science literature etc said ashish jagyasi who is the coordinator of one such group its not always easy to get people together many are shy and do not open up some others are skeptical about joining or trusting others however once they come along they enjoy it it is also important to regularly organize community events on important occasions like womens day childrens day independence day to reach out to more people if i am walking along the road and i find someone who looks like may be he would enjoy a similar hobby i dont hesitate to share a pamphlet of our group said utpal burman who moderates a big fitness group in the city despite the common areas of interests it is easy for a diverse group to fizzle out easily according to moderators and administrators regular updates on facebook meetup or whatsapp and a consistent frequency of meetings is important for many years we existed only as a google group after we became active on social media in 2009 our membership grew manifold making it easy to exchange information now we organize regular meetings and groups go for outings on weekends we also keep sharing pictures updates notes and information about our findings on facebook said rohan kamath who cofounded one common interest group in the city the benefits of course are immense not only does one tend to seriously pursue a hobby or passion it becomes easier