J. Hanumaiah Chetty & Co.

J. Hanumaiah Chetty & Co. has been operating out of 12, New 194, on Rasappa Chetty Street for quite a while. If you know Park Town, you know that Rasappa Chetty Street is a very narrow and extremely busy place. It’s one of those old parts of the city where the buildings are packed together and the noise is constant. Our shop is tucked into this dense area. We have shelves that go all the way to the ceiling, filled with all sorts of things. It’s dark inside compared to the bright street, and it takes a minute for your eyes to adjust. We spend our days navigating the narrow aisles and talking to the regulars who have been coming here for years. There is a lot of history in these walls. The wooden counters are worn smooth from decades of use. We don’t have much space for a fancy office, so we just work from a small desk near the entrance. You can hear the bells of the cycles and the shouting of the street vendors outside all day long. Loading goods onto carts is a challenge because of how crowded the street gets, but we’ve got a system that works. It’s a traditional way of doing business. We don't use much technology here; it's more about knowing where everything is kept and remembering what our customers need. It is a humble place, but it’s right in the heart of the trade district, and we wouldn't have it any other way.