Soni Kanjibhai Devjibhai Raniga & Co.

Soni Kanjibhai Devjibhai Raniga & Co is our family business. Manek Chowk is legendary in Ahmedabad. We are tucked away in Zaveri Bazar. The shop name is a bit of a mouthful, but that's just the family history and we keep it that way. We have been here for generations now. The building is very old and the stairs are quite narrow. You have to be careful coming up if you aren't used to it. We deal in jewelry and precious things. It’s not like those big malls with bright lights and mirrors. We have small counters and wooden stools for people to sit on. It feels very personal. Customers come in and sit for a long time while looking at items. We offer them water or tea and talk about the family news. Most of them have been buying from us since my grandfather was running things. The market outside is always changing throughout the day. At night, it becomes a food market, so the smells of cooking are always there. It’s a tight space inside. We keep our records in big handwritten books mostly. Computer stuff is there on the desk but the books are more reliable for us. We don't do much advertising at all. People find us by word of mouth. It’s a slow kind of business. We don't rush the work. If a piece takes a week to finish, it takes a week.