Mahalakshmi Rice Traders

Mahalakshmi Rice Traders is situated in Malleshwaram at Cholanandan 3. If you come by, you’ll see it’s mostly just a large room filled with stacks of rice sacks. The smell of raw grain is the first thing you notice. It’s a very dusty environment, and we’re always sneezing or brushing white powder off our clothes. Malleshwaram is a hectic part of town, and the street at Cholanandan 3 is often blocked by trucks unloading. We spend our days hauling these heavy bags around. It’s not easy on the arms or the back. We have a small wooden desk where we keep our logbooks. We don't use fancy software; we just write everything down with a pen. The floor is made of old stone and it’s seen a lot of wear over the years. We don't have any air conditioning, just a couple of ceiling fans that don't do much when it’s really humid. People from around the neighborhood come in to buy their monthly supply. We don't do any big advertising. Word of mouth is how people find us. Sometimes the electricity goes out and we have to work by the light coming through the front door. It’s a straightforward business. We buy the rice, we store it, and we sell it. There’s no secret to it. We just try to get through the daily tasks without too much trouble. It is hard work but it is what we know.