Sugam Dairy

Our place is on Makarpura Shivaji Road. Sugam Dairy has been here a while, and the routine never really changes. I’m up before the sun most days to wait for the milk cans to arrive. It’s cold in the mornings, which is good for the milk I guess. We spend the first few hours just moving things around and getting the fridge ready. People start showing up pretty early, usually on their way to work or just after waking up. They want their milk, curd, or whatever else we have that day. It’s a small shop, so if three people come in at once, it feels crowded. We try to keep things moving. I’m usually behind the counter, while the younger guys handle the heavy lifting out back. The floor is almost always wet from cleaning, so you have to watch your step. We don’t do much advertising. People know where we are. Sometimes we run out of stuff by the afternoon and then it’s just a matter of cleaning up and waiting for the next day. It’s a lot of washing and scrubbing to keep everything clean. That’s the main part of the job really. It isn't glamorous. We have some old benches outside where people sit and talk for a minute. It’s a nice little community here on Shivaji Road. We just do our part and hope the cows are producing well.