Balaji Bidi Producer Productive Cooperative Society Ltd.

We sit here at 6 174/1 along Mustabad Road most days. It is a cooperative society, so everyone has their bit to do with the bidi production. There are piles of leaves and thread everywhere. Some people have been here for years, and their hands move so fast you can barely see them. It gets a bit dusty inside when the fans are on, but that’s just how it is. We don't have fancy furniture or anything. Just some mats and the tools we need to get through the orders. Life on Mustabad Road is busy. Trucks go past and the dust settles on our windows. People stop by to chat or settle accounts. It isn’t a flashy job, but it keeps us going. We focus on the work in front of us. Sometimes the weather makes the leaves too dry, and we have to be careful. Other times, things move along quite smoothly. It’s a group effort here. No one is the big boss telling everyone what to do in a mean way. We just know what needs finishing by the end of the week. The building itself is plain. You might miss it if you aren’t looking for the number 6 174/1. Inside, it’s mostly just the sound of people talking and the rustling of tobacco. That’s our day, every day, since we started up this cooperative.