Ajay Leather Arts

Ajay Leather Arts is located at 16.8 in Sahar, Dharavi. If you’ve ever been to this part of the city, you know how it is. The streets are narrow, and every single doorway has something interesting going on behind it. Our place is mostly a workshop. It’s crowded with rolls of hide and different tools for stamping and cutting. The smell of the tanning process and the glue is very strong, but we don't even notice it anymore. We make all kinds of things here, mostly focusing on the art of it, hence the name. My hands are usually stained with some kind of dye or wax by noon. We don't have a big fancy sign or a window display. Usually, the door is just open so we can get a bit of a breeze while we work. It’s a tight space, so you have to move carefully so you don't trip over a pile of scrap leather. We work long hours, especially when there’s a big order to finish. The radio is usually playing some old songs in the background to keep us going. Dharavi is a place where everyone is working hard, and we are no different. We just try to make things that look good and won't fall apart after a month. It’s a simple life, but we like being our own bosses here in the middle of it all. There is always more work to do.