Fairfield Manufacturing Company

Our workshop is at 84 A Kalpataru Residency on Kamani Marg in Sion East, Mumbai. It’s a bit of an interesting spot because it’s a residential building area, but we’ve made it work for Fairfield Manufacturing Company. Space is tight, like it is everywhere in Mumbai, so we have to be very organized with our supplies. If you drop something, it usually ends up under a heavy machine. I spend a lot of time coordinating with the guys on the floor and making sure we have enough materials for the week. The humidity can be tough on the equipment, so we’re always wiping things down. We aren’t a giant factory with thousands of workers; we’re a smaller operation where everyone knows everyone’s name. Sometimes we have to move stuff out into the hallway just to get enough room to turn a large piece around. It’s a bit of a squeeze, but we’ve been here long enough that it feels like home. We get our lunch from a local dabba service, and we all eat together when there’s a break. There’s no fancy boardroom here. We just use the big table in the middle of the room for everything. It’s practical and it keeps us close to the actual work being done. Most days we leave with tired backs but we know we put in a solid day of effort before heading back into the city traffic.