Auto Impex

If you know anything about Chennai, you know General Patters Road. It is the heart of the auto parts world. Auto Impex is at number 105, right on that famous stretch near Anna Salai. The traffic outside is constant, a mix of buses and bikes all day long. Our shop is small, filled to the ceiling with parts and components. There is a certain smell here—oil, rubber, and old cardboard. It’s been that way for years. We don't have a lot of space for customers to sit, usually, they just stand by the counter while we dig through the back to find what they need. The light isn't great in the corners, so we use torches to see the part numbers. It is a bit disorganized to an outsider, but we have a system that works for us. We aren't trying to be a modern showroom. We are a parts house. The walls are covered in old calendars and posters of cars. Sometimes it gets incredibly hot, and we just stand under the fan and drink cold water from the clay pot. The guys next door are always shouting to each other, and the sound of horns is like background music. It’s a tough, fast-paced environment. We deal with imports, so there's always a lot of paperwork to sort through on the messy desks. We just keep our heads down and supply the parts that keep the city’s vehicles moving.