Ashwin Kumar & Co.

If you go to the New Cloth Market in Ahmedabad, you can find Ashwin Kumar & Co. at shop number 155. The market is always a bit chaotic, with people carrying heavy rolls of fabric and tea sellers weaving through the crowds. We have been here for a long time and our shop is filled to the ceiling with different types of cloth. It is not a quiet place. There is always the sound of people talking and the rustle of fabric being unrolled for inspection. We don't have any polished marketing materials. Our reputation is just based on the stuff we have on our shelves. Every morning we start by tidying up the stacks that got messed up the day before. We know most of the other shopkeepers around us, so there is a lot of neighborhood gossip over tea. We handle orders for all sorts of people, from small tailors to larger retailers. Sometimes we get behind on the filing, and the desk is a mess of receipts and sample clippings. We don't really have a "vision" other than selling cloth and making enough to keep the lights on and the staff paid. It is a traditional business in a traditional market. We like the hustle and bustle of the cloth trade. It is hard on the back sometimes, but it is what we have always done.