The India Metal Works (Prego)

The India Metal Works, or Prego as some people call it, is located at 257 South Mint Street. If you’ve ever been to Chennai, you know Mint Street is one of the busiest, tightest places in the whole city. We are right in the thick of it. The building is old and it has that classic Chennai feel to it. It’s hot and the fans are always spinning as fast as they can. We work with metal, so there’s always the sound of banging or machines running in the background. It’s a bit dark inside because the buildings are so close together on this street. We’ve been here for a long time, and the street has changed so much around us. There used to be fewer cars and more handcarts, but now it’s just a sea of people and bikes. We do our work, mostly making metal goods that people use every day. Our desks are old wood and covered in scratches. We don’t have any fancy showroom. People just come to the door and ask for what they need. It’s a very traditional way of doing business, but it works for us. We drink a lot of coffee and try to stay cool while we get the orders filled. It’s a noisy, busy life on South Mint Street but we wouldn’t be anywhere else. We just like being part of the old city.