P.M. Vora & Co.

Our office is in Ramesh Chamber on Garibdas Street. It’s in the Vadgadi area, which is one of those old parts of Mumbai where the streets are really narrow and always packed with people and carts. We are on the first floor, at number 14. The building is quite old and the stairs are a bit steep, so you have to watch your step. We’ve been here for many years, and the walls are covered with old calendars and shelves full of ledgers. It’s a traditional kind of setup. Most of our day is spent dealing with people who drop by or calling up suppliers. There is a lot of shouting from the street below, but we have gotten used to the noise over time. We don't have fancy air conditioning or modern furniture. It is just old wooden desks and chairs that have been here as long as the business has. We handle a lot of trade stuff, mostly involving chemicals or spices like everyone else in this neighborhood. Dealing with the logistics in Vadgadi is a challenge because no big trucks can get close to the door. Everything has to be moved by hand or on small trolleys. It’s a lot of manual work and coordination. We usually close up early in the evening when the market starts to quiet down. It’s a simple way of working, based more on long-term relationships than anything else.