Sumathi Industries

Being out here in Doddanna Industrial Estate means we are surrounded by the sound of machines all day long. Sumathi Industries has been at this spot on the 22nd Cross for a while now. It’s a big area, Viswaneedam, and finding number 23 can be a bit of a trick if you haven’t been here before. I usually tell people to look for the blue gate. The workshop floor is always covered in a bit of metal shavings or oil, no matter how much we sweep it up. It’s just the nature of the work we do. I usually have about four or five guys working in the back and they’ve been with me for years. We aren't trying to be the biggest place on the block, just trying to get the jobs done that come our way. The roof is made of tin sheets, so when it rains in Bangalore, you can’t hear yourself talk. We just stop and wait for the downpour to pass. I keep a small radio on the shelf that mostly plays old songs, though sometimes the signal is bad. It’s a practical place, built for work, not for showing off. We keep the machines running and try to stay out of the midday heat as much as possible. It’s steady work and it keeps us busy from Monday to Saturday. We just get on with it, year after year.