Venkateswara Stonex

Down in Nelakondapalli, in the Khammam district, that’s where Venkateswara Stonex is located. It’s a bit outside the main city, which gives us more room to breathe and store the larger blocks of stone. We mostly deal with granite that comes from the local quarries around the district. The work is loud and can get pretty messy with all the water and stone slurry everywhere, but it’s what we know how to do. I’ve lived in Khammam my whole life, and working with stone just seemed like a natural thing to get into. We don't have a website or any of that fancy stuff; we just rely on people coming by the yard in Nelakondapalli. Sometimes a truck will break down or the power will go out, and we just have to figure it out as we go. It’s not like a corporate job where everything is planned out perfectly. We just take the orders as they come and try to get the stone cut and ready for whoever needs it. My clothes always have that grey tint from the stone dust, no matter how many times I wash them. It’s a tough job, especially during the summer months when the heat is bouncing off the rocks, but there’s a certain satisfaction in seeing a finished piece of stone ready to go to a new home. It’s hard work, but we’re used to it by now. It’s just how we live here.