Packing experience into his trade

Self-help

There are plenty of opportunities around us. They only need to be recognised and tapped. M Mahadev, who had a lottery ticket agency behind the head post office on Ashoka road in the city 20 years ago, identified and created a clientele among the people — both locals and foreigners — who send parcels by post or courier.

Mysore, being a tourist attraction and an academic destination for people around the world, is truly cosmopolitan and has space for everybody.

He said he sold stationery items also in his shop. As the shop was almost attached to the post office, most of his customers were those who used to visit it to avail postal and parcel services. Those days, courier services had still not become popular, so people depended wholly on the postal department and he too did good business.

People who were sending parcels, but could not pack them properly were looking for some help. Mahadev identified this problem and he had a solution as he knew tailoring well. All was well till the state government banned lottery tickets. He would have been shattered, but his new trade of packing parcels came to his rescue. He pursued it along with his business in stationery items. The second blow came in the form of demolition of his shop by the Mysore City Corporation.

The MCC demolished his shop as it had encroached upon the footpath. But, Mahadev did not lose heart. He urged the trustees of the Jaggulal Choultry, which is defunct now, for some space in their premises to continue his trade. He could not open a shop, but has some secured space for packing parcels.

Mahadev said most of his clients were foreigners, but even Indians send parcels to countries like the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Brazil, Australia, Germany and others. Iranian students studying in Mysore form a huge chunk among his foreign clients. Books, clothes, spices, leather items are the things he has packed most.

Asked if there were instances when his services were misused — like asking him to pack narcotics — he said he knows well what he is packing. He asks his clients to show him the items to be packed. He also gets the customs declaration form of the postal department duly signed by the sender. Most of the parcels he sends are by post. Only if the client is particular about speed and is ready to shell out more money, he sends them by courier.

Mahadev said of late there was competition. The postal department has started providing packing services. Some other people also have started providing the service in their own way. Sill, he hopes his satisfied clients come back to him and also refer him to their friends and contacts.