A G Poonawala

A G Poonawala is tucked away in Chakkapir Gali, which is one of those narrow little lanes near Lalgate in Surat. The address is 12/509 and it’s a very old part of the city. Being in Surat, we are naturally involved in the trade that goes on in these busy markets. The building we are in has been around for decades, and you can feel the history in the narrow staircases and the way the light comes into the rooms. It’s a bit hard for newcomers to find us the first time because the Gali is so winding, but once you know the landmark near Lalgate, it’s easy. We deal with various goods and trading, much like the other families in this neighborhood. Our office is simple, with some old wooden furniture and stacks of files that have been there forever. We drink a lot of tea and spend time chatting with the other traders who pass by. It’s a very social way of working, where a lot of deals are made just by talking. The 395007 area is always buzzing with energy, especially in the mornings when the markets are opening up. We don’t have a website or anything like that; we just rely on the people we’ve known for years. It’s a steady pace of life here in the old city, and we like it that way. Most evenings we close up early to avoid the worst of the market crowd.