Sharma Fruit Company

Sharma Fruit Company is based at the A. P. M. C. Mandi in Dhalli, Shimla. If you know Shimla, you know how busy the mandi gets, especially during the apple season. It’s a lot of noise, trucks, and people moving fast. We’ve been here for a good while, so we’re used to the chaos. Our space is just like the others in the market—functional and a bit crowded with crates. We don't have time for fancy decorations. Most days start way before the sun is even up. We have to be ready when the growers arrive with their fruit. We check the quality, talk about the prices, and move things along. It’s a lot of physical work and talking. Sometimes the weather makes it hard, especially when it snows or rains heavily, but the market doesn't stop. We don't have a big corporate structure. It’s mostly family and a few workers who have become like family over the years. We drink a lot of tea to stay warm and keep going. People know us by our name and where we sit in the mandi. We don't use any special marketing tricks; we just do our job and hope for a good season. It’s a tough business, but it’s what we’ve always done. You just get used to the pace and the smell of fresh fruit everywhere.