Zele Foods

Our small place is tucked away in the 7th Lane of Maal Bhag here in Kolhapur. It’s a narrow street, so getting big trucks in and out is always a bit of a challenge for the drivers. We often have to coordinate with the neighbors so we don't block their doorways for too long. The building is old, like most of the structures in this part of the district. Inside Zele Foods, it’s mostly just a few of us handling the daily production. We don't have a big fancy sign outside, just enough for people to find us if they look carefully. The work is repetitive, but we’ve gotten good at it over the years and we know the machines. We spend a lot of time checking the ingredients and making sure the packaging is tight and won't leak. Kolhapur can get very humid, so we have to be extra careful about how we store things to keep them fresh. We don't have a big marketing budget or a dedicated sales team. Word of mouth is how most people hear about us. Sometimes we sit out in the lane during our afternoon break and watch the neighborhood go by. It’s a friendly area, and everyone knows everyone. We aren't trying to change the world or anything like that. We just want to keep our little business running and make a living.