Shiv Om Leather Crafts

I run Shiv Om Leather Crafts from Shop No 23 B in the Magob area of Dharavi. As anyone who knows Mumbai knows, Dharavi is a huge center for leather work, so we are right in the middle of everything. The shop is small and can get quite hot, especially in the middle of the day. We have leather hides stacked up against the walls and the smell of glue and tanned skins is always present. It’s a very hands-on environment. I spend my hours cutting, stitching, and finishing different items. My tools are old but they still work fine for what I need. The street outside is always busy with people moving goods and carts going back and forth. It’s a noisy place to work, but you get used to the sounds of the neighborhood after a few days. We don't have a fancy storefront or glass windows. It is more of an open workshop where people can see us working as they walk past. We’ve been in this specific spot for quite some time now. Dealing with leather is tough work on the hands, and mine are usually pretty calloused. Most of the people who buy from us are regulars or traders who know the quality of the work coming out of Dharavi. We don’t bother with much advertising or anything like that. We just keep our heads down and get the crafting done. It’s how it has always been here, I suppose.