Banana leaf vendor, Malleswaram market

Forty Years in the Trade

My name is Ramoji Rao. I have been a vendor for around 40 years. I had a shop in the old market before we were shifted outside. The new complex is being built, and we have been promised a shop inside once the construction is finished.

A Specialized Business

I am part of the flower market, but I sell only banana leaves. We source them from different places—Tamil Nadu, Chamrajnagar, and other places in Karnataka. We get them delivered around once or twice a week.

Growing Demand

Business 40 years ago was duller than it is now. With hotels emerging and bigger functions, demand for banana leaves has increased in comparison, so the business is going well. Demand is especially high during wedding seasons.

A lot of older customers who are more regular still visit my shop and buy from me. This is common for older shops like mine, which have been around for many years.

Change That Helped

Malleswaram has changed quite a lot, but it has been good for the business. Back then, there were fewer people, so we didn't have a lot of customers. Now, the population has increased, which has also increased the number of buyers. Because hotels have come up, the supply demand is higher.

People are respectful. It is a good feeling to sell our items to people who show us respect. That makes us also treat them the same way.