Ushmaan Leather

I’ve been at Shop No. 4 in Gold Fild Plaza for a while now. It’s right there on the Sion Bandra Link Road in Dharavi. If you know the area, you know it stays busy with all the traffic and people moving around. Here at Ushmaan Leather, we spend most of our time dealing with different types of hides and finished pieces. The shop isn't huge, but it's packed with what we need. You can smell the leather as soon as you step inside, which is something you just get used to after a few days of working here. We have stacks of material everywhere. Sometimes the fans don't quite keep up with the heat, but that is just how it is in Dharavi. People come by asking about various things, and we just show them what is on the shelves. It’s not a fancy place with bright lights or anything. Just a regular workspace where we get things done. We see a lot of the same faces from around the Link Road area. Most of the day is spent checking the quality of the pieces or organizing the back of the shop. It’s a lot of manual work, moving heavy rolls around and making sure everything stays in its place. We don’t have a big team, just a few of us making sure the orders are ready and the shop stays open. It’s a simple life here at Gold Fild Plaza.