Etch Process

We are tucked away in the Bussa Industrial Estate at 301, on T.J. Road in Sewari West. If you know the area, you know it’s a lot of old buildings and narrow paths. Our workshop isn't very large, but we’ve managed to fit everything we need into this space. We do etching work here. It’s a lot of detail and you have to be careful with the chemicals and the metal. Most of my day is spent leaning over a workbench with a lamp. It gets a bit stuffy in the afternoons, so we keep the windows cracked. The building is old, and the elevator can be a bit slow sometimes, so most of us just take the stairs. We know the other people in the estate, the guys in the printing shop downstairs and the textile folks across the way. It’s a busy environment. We don't have a receptionist or anything. If the phone rings, whoever is closest picks it up. We get jobs from all over Mumbai. Sometimes people bring in small plates for signs, other times it’s more technical stuff. We just take it as it comes. We’ve been in Sewari for a long time. It’s not the fanciest part of town, but it’s where the real work happens. We keep our supplies organized on metal shelves along the walls. It’s a honest way to make a living.