Lavanya Engineering Works

Our workshop is tucked away at Plot No 28, H No 5/35/180/B, in the Prasanthinagar area of the Kukatpally Industrial Estate. It is a very busy part of town, and there is always the sound of hammers or machines running nearby. We have been operating out of this unit for a long time. The space is filled with various lathes and milling machines that have seen a lot of action. We do a lot of job-work for the bigger factories around here. It is not the cleanest place, as there is always some oil on the floor or metal shavings in the corners, but we try to sweep up every evening before we lock the gates. The address can be a bit confusing for delivery drivers because of the house number and plot number combination, so we often have to go out to the main corner to wave them in. We don't really have a hierarchy here; everyone just pitches in with whatever needs doing, whether it is unloading a truck or cleaning the machines. Kukatpally is a good area for an engineering works because you can find almost any tool or material you need within a two-mile radius. We have a small stove in the back where we make coffee in the afternoons. It is just a regular, working-class shop where we focus on finishing the jobs we have on the whiteboard.