Pankaj Metallic Industries

Pankaj Metallic Industries is right in the middle of the chaos at Chakla Street Cross Lane in Pydhonie. If you know Mumbai, you know how busy this area is. It’s all about metal here. We deal with various metallic parts and industrial items. The shop is full of heavy things and the air always smells a bit like iron and grease. It is noisy because there are always trucks loading and unloading in the lane. You have to shout sometimes just to be heard over the traffic and the banging of metal. We don't have a fancy showroom. It’s a practical space where we store our stock and handle orders. My father worked in this trade and now we are carrying it on. The walls are stained and the floor is rough, but it works for what we do. Dealing with metal is hard work and your hands are always dirty by the end of the day. Pydhonie is a tough place to work because of the crowds, but it’s where all the trade happens. We spend a lot of time on the phone or talking to transporters. There’s no air conditioning, just some old fans that move the hot air around. We take our breaks when we can and try to keep up with the orders coming in. It’s a basic business, nothing fancy, just a lot of heavy lifting and keeping track of the metal stock in the back.