Santosh Kumar & Sons

We’ve been at 49-G in Connaught Circus for a long time. Santosh Kumar & Sons is a family-run business, and we’ve seen how much this area has changed over the decades. Connaught Circus is always moving, always loud, but our shop feels a bit like stepping back in time. We don’t have the bright neon lights or the modern glass fronts that the new stores have. We’ve kept our wooden counters and the old shelves because they still work just fine. My sons and I run the place now. We deal with our customers face-to-face, the old-fashioned way. There isn't a computer on the front desk; we still use a ledger for a lot of things. It keeps us connected to what’s actually happening. We don't believe in fancy marketing or trying to sound like something we aren't. We’re just shopkeepers. We sell what we have, we talk to the people who walk through the door, and we try to be helpful when someone has a question. Some days it’s very busy with tourists and locals, and other days it’s just us drinking tea and waiting for the afternoon rush. It’s a steady life. We don't have a grand vision, just the goal of being here tomorrow and doing the same work. It’s served us well enough so far, and we don't plan on changing how we do things anytime soon. It is about keeping the tradition alive while the city rushes by.