Novel Surface Treatments

Sakinaka is a crazy place to work because of the traffic on Andheri Kurla Road. We are in the Pereira Industrial Premises, right at Plot No 814. It’s opposite the Samhita Complex, which is a good landmark because people always get lost trying to find us. At Novel Surface Treatments, we deal with a lot of chemicals and tanks. The floor is usually wet from the rinsing and the air has that sharp, metallic smell. It’s not the kind of place you wear nice shoes to. We do various coatings and treatments for metal parts. They come in looking dull or rusty and they leave looking clean and shiny. It takes a lot of dipping and drying. We have a small team, maybe eight people, who handle the tanks. It’s heavy work, lifting the racks in and out of the liquid. The fans are always blowing to keep the fumes out, so it’s never quiet. We have a tiny office upstairs where we keep the paperwork, but it’s mostly just a place to store files. Most of the business happens on the shop floor. We’ve been in this building for a long time. The walls are stained and the ceiling is high. It’s a practical space. We don't have any fancy signs or brochures. People just bring us their parts and we get them treated. That’s the way it’s been for years in this part of Mumbai.