Mahalakshmi Transformers

Working in Peenya 2nd Stage is always noisy. Our place in Panchratna Industrial Estate is basically a big shed with some heavy tools. We deal with transformers all day. There is always the smell of oil and metal in the air. We keep our boots by the door because the floor gets greasy. It’s not the kind of place where you wear a clean shirt. My hands are usually stained by lunch. We take our breaks sitting on the benches outside. The trucks pass by constantly and kick up a lot of dust. Sometimes the power goes out and we just sit there waiting. We have a small desk for the paperwork, but it’s mostly covered in spare parts and old newspapers. The roof is corrugated metal, so you really hear it when it rains. It gets incredibly loud. We’ve been at number 16 for a long time. Most of the guys here have been working together since we opened. We don’t have a fancy lobby or a receptionist. If someone comes by, they usually just shout from the gate. We keep the gate open during the day to let the air circulate because it gets so stuffy inside. It’s hard work, but it’s what we know. The sun hits the front of the building in the evening and that’s when we usually start cleaning up to head home. The walk to the main road is long so we usually stay put until the end of the shift.