M. Motilal Masalawala

The first thing people notice when they walk near 154 Bhuleshwar Road is the smell. At M. Motilal Masalawala, we are always surrounded by the scent of different spices and seeds. It is a very old part of the city and it gets incredibly crowded outside our door. We’ve been here long enough that the noise doesn't even bother us anymore. Inside, it’s all about the grinding and the packing. We have sacks of stuff leaning against the walls and there is always a fine dust in the air. We don’t have a website that looks like a movie or anything; we just have our counter and our scales. People come in looking for specific things for their kitchens or their shops, and we just weigh it out for them. It’s a very manual way of working. We spend a lot of time cleaning the machines and making sure everything is stored properly so it stays good. My family has been doing this for a long time, so we just know the routine by heart now. We don’t really spend money on ads or big signs. The neighbors know we are here and that is usually enough to keep us busy from morning until evening. It is a lot of hard work on your feet all day, but seeing the regulars come back makes it feel like we are doing something right.