Gyani Ram Gupta

My name is Gyani Ram Gupta, and I’ve been running this shop in the Kirana Mandi of Ram Nagar, Ghaziabad, for many years. It’s a traditional kirana store where we focus on the basics that every Indian kitchen needs. I started small and just kept adding more items as customers asked for them. Now, the space is pretty much filled from floor to ceiling with canisters and jars. We sell everything by weight—flour, various types of dals, mustard oil, and spices. The shop is located in a narrow lane, so it can be a bit of a squeeze when the delivery carts go by. I spend most of my day sitting behind the wooden counter, talking to the people who have been buying from me for decades. I’ve seen kids grow up and start coming in to buy groceries for their own families. We don't use a computer for billing; I still use a pen and a notebook to keep track of things. It works for me. The walls could probably use a fresh coat of paint, but I’d rather spend that money on getting better quality stock. It's a busy life in the mandi, with lots of shouting and bargaining going on around us. But inside my shop, I try to keep things orderly and honest. It’s just a simple business built on long-term relationships with my neighbors and suppliers in this part of town.