Shivam Packaging

We operate out of the Ramkrishna Warehouse, which is located near the Dutta Mandir in the Wadki area. Being near the temple means we hear the bells in the mornings and evenings, which is a nice break from the sound of packing tape and cardboard boxes. The warehouse is a big, open space with high ceilings and concrete floors. We handle a lot of packaging work, so there are always stacks of cartons and rolls of bubble wrap lying around. It gets quite dusty because of the trucks coming in and out of the yard to load up. We don't have much of an office, just a small corner with a table and a few chairs where we handle the paperwork. During the monsoon, the rain on the metal roof is so loud we can hardly hear each other talk. We spend our days measuring things, cutting boxes, and making sure everything is wrapped up tight so nothing gets damaged. It’s physical work and your back definitely feels it by the end of the week. We have a small group of workers who have been here since we started. We don't have any fancy machines; most of what we do is by hand. It’s a basic operation but we stay busy enough throughout the year. The area in Wadki is mostly industrial, so we have good neighbors who are doing similar kinds of work and we often share tea.