J M Ramachandra & Sons

Our shop, J M Ramachandra & Sons, is located at 3620 Chawri Bazar. We are very close to the metro station, which is a blessing because the traffic in Chawri Bazar is absolutely chaotic. If you’ve ever been here, you know how narrow the lanes are. We’ve been in this same spot for generations. The building is old, and the walls are thick, but it still gets very hot in the summer. We mostly deal with traditional trading. My sons are in the business with me now, though they want to change how we keep the books. I still prefer the old paper registers. There are stacks of boxes everywhere you look. It’s hard to move around sometimes. We have many regular customers who have been coming to us for twenty or thirty years. We usually start the day with a small prayer and then open the shutters. The noise from the street is constant—horns, people shouting, and the sound of carts being pulled along. It’s just the way life is here. We don't have a fancy showroom. Everything is very basic. Just wooden counters and shelves that go all the way to the ceiling. We have tea twice a day, usually brought in from the vendor around the corner. We don't spend money on marketing. People know who we are and where to find us. It’s a busy life, but it’s what we know.