“The illiterate of this century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler

Overview about Mumbai Dabbawala…

Decked up in white dhoti, Gandhi cap with a large tray of steel tiffins is the ordinary man commonly known as Dabbawala in Mumbai. The Dabbawala is a common sight for all those who visits or resides in Mumbai. The team consists of around 5000 people who everyday transports more than 1,75,000 from people’s homes and serve them in their office. It might sound very simple but it’s one of the most appreciated businesses. They have been honoured with six sigma certificate and ISO certification which companies struggle to get. An interesting thing is in the team 85 % of people are uneducated and remaining 15 % do not hold Degree.

From the point of origin (Churchgate Railway Station) to sorting out the tiffins to transportation irrespective of the busy Mumbai traffic, Local trains and bicycles, till delivering the right tiffin to the right person, all the steps are executed with extreme care and united teamwork. And it all moves on time without any delay and the tiffins are delivered by 12:30p.m.

How many lunch boxes are carried each day?

They carry 2 lacs lunch boxes every day to all corners of Mumbai which mean 1 out of 1 million services has a chance of going wrong.

 

Learn about the age of the people employed

The average age of the working people is 50 years and daily they lift weights of around 50-60 kg on their head.

 

What about the salary?

They all get equal salary irrespective of the amount of work, distance travelled or age.

 

Witness how the lunch box are sorted

Can you believe that the lunch boxes are sorted online? The question is how? Online (here) means road or the local trains. A color coding is used to identify the destination that is written on top of the lunch box.

 

Collection of the Lunch Boxes

Mumbai housewives are scared more of the Dabbawalas than their husbands. Reason being they have to keep the lunch box ready at the specified time and a delay more than 10 seconds is not tolerated.

 

How much does it costs a month?

The cost of service is very less as low as Rs. 300 per month.

 

Number of Holidays in a Year

This business is continuing from last 119 years successfully without any strike.

Amazing Fact

In the past, Mumbai’s dabbawalas have also tied up with e-commerce giant Flipkart to deliver their products in the city.

Recently Mumbai’s Dabbawala Surprise People when they delivered complimentary KFC meal along with Home Cooked Meals.