Shankar Cement

If you go to 695 in Basavan Bagewadi, you’ll find Shankar Cement. We’re in the Bijapur district. It’s a busy area and we’re right in the middle of it. We spend our days moving heavy bags around. It’s a lot of physical labor, but that’s what the job is. The warehouse at 695 is packed floor to ceiling most of the time. We have to be careful how we stack things so nothing falls over. Bijapur can get quite windy, and the dust from the cement tends to blow everywhere. We just wear masks and keep going. I’ve lived in Basavan Bagewadi my whole life, so I know just about everyone who walks through the door. We don't have any formal meetings or corporate policies. We just show up in the morning, open the gates, and see who needs what. Sometimes we have to drive the small truck out to a site if someone can't come to us. The truck is old and makes a lot of noise, but it gets the job done. We keep our prices as fair as we can based on what we pay. It’s a simple way to make a living. We don’t need anything fancy, just a steady supply of bags and customers who need them. We often share a pot of coffee in the office during the slow hours.