National Steel Centre

Mukherji Chowk is a landmark area, and we’re right there at 63-64. National Steel Centre isn't the kind of place you come for a quiet afternoon. It’s loud because of the metal being moved and cut with saws. We have large sheets of steel and various pipes stacked up against the walls in no particular order. It’s a heavy business, literally. My hands are usually stained with a bit of grease or rust by the time lunch rolls around. We’ve been at Mukherji Chowk for many years, and the shop has a lot of history in these walls. Most of our customers are builders or guys doing home renovations. They know exactly what they want, so we just weigh it out and help them load it onto their trucks or rickshaws. The floor is scratched up from all the metal being dragged across it, and there’s always a bit of iron dust in the air. We have a small desk tucked in the back where we handle the cash and handwritten receipts. It’s pretty dark inside compared to the bright sun outside, so it takes a minute for your eyes to adjust when you walk in. We don't have a website or any ads; people just know we are the steel place at 63-64. Sometimes we run out of a specific gauge of wire and have to wait for the next shipment from the factory. It’s a straightforward way to make a living. We open early and close when the sun goes down. It’s just how we do things here every day.