Anilkumar Suresh Kumar & Co.

Anilkumar Suresh Kumar & Co. is based at Kumbh Masala, inside the Vasai Municiple Ind. Estate at Umela Phata. The first thing you notice when you get anywhere near our unit is the smell of the spices. It’s very strong—sometimes it makes you sneeze if you aren't used to it. We spend our days grinding, mixing, and bagging different masalas. The walls of the unit are stained with the colors of turmeric and chili, and there’s always a fine layer of spice dust on everything, even if we clean constantly. We use heavy stone grinders and modern machines too, so it’s a mix of old and new sounds. Being in the Vasai industrial estate means there are always people moving around and trucks backing into tight spaces. Umela Phata is a landmark everyone knows, so it makes it easier for people to find us. We don't have a showroom or a place for people to sit down. Most of the space is taken up by big sacks of raw ingredients waiting to be processed. We work in the heat and the dust because that’s just the nature of the spice business. Our hands are usually stained orange or red by the end of the shift. We aren't doing anything fancy here; we just take the raw spices and turn them into the powders that people use in their kitchens every day.