Our friend Farhan sent this today. It is really beautiful and captures very well the magic of radio. Thanks Farhan. and thanks too to Mohammad Moinuddin of the Mahbood Radio Service.
“Before television and smartphones, Hyderabad listened to the world through radios. And in those days, my father ensured that the city stayed tuned in.
My father, the late Shaik Mahboob, founded Mahboob Radio Service in 1933 in Dabeerpura. At a time when radio was still a luxury, he began selling and repairing sets for households across the Old City. In 1948, after Hyderabad’s accession to the Indian Union, he shifted the shop to its present location in Chatta Bazar, where it continues to stand even today.
Interestingly, he did not begin with radios. In the late 1920s, he was involved in the PVC pipes trade. But as radio technology slowly entered Indian homes, he recognised its future and transitioned into the business of radio sales and repairs. That decision shaped our family’s destiny.
Like my father, my brother and I grew up surrounded by valves, wires, and wooden cabinets. After school, we would sit beside him, carefully observing how he handled brands like Murphy, Philips, Bush, Marconi, and later Sony. Those were the golden years of radio in Hyderabad.
Among our customers were prominent families of the city. We even serviced radio sets for the palace of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. Payments would arrive in a sealed lifafa — a gesture that felt both formal and special. In those days, radio wasn’t just entertainment; it was how people heard news, music, cricket commentary, and the world beyond their homes.
Over time, technology changed. Transistors replaced valve sets. Then came television. Now, smartphones have taken over. Radio sets are no longer common in households. Many shops that once repaired them have shut down.
My brother, who shared this passion with me, is no more. But I continue to open the shutters of our shop every morning. People still travel from different parts of the country — some carrying radios that are older than me — hoping to restore a memory. I repair them not just as machines, but as pieces of someone’s past.
Today, in my late seventies, I sit at the same wooden table where I learned this craft as a boy. Because this is not merely a business, it is continuity. It is a responsibility.
On World Radio Day, my only wish is that people remember the warmth of gathering around a radio set. I also hope today’s radio jockeys continue to create thoughtful and meaningful programming. Because radio is not outdated — it is timeless. As long as I am here, Mahboob Radio Service will remain tuned in.”
– Mohammad Moinuddin, Mahboob Radio Service
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