Mumbai Food Delivery System: Dabbawallas of Mumbai, India
Can you imagine getting homemade food in a lunchbag from your family (fresh) every day, delivered to you at the office?
Watch the video here; it’s pretty cool and very well done.
Dabbawalla from The Perenial Plate — link
“Each day in Mumbai 4000 men in white outfits and matching hats transport 175,000 lunches across the big city.
They retrieve the tiffens (lunch containers) of food from mothers and wives, and bring them (by foot, train, bicycle and even carried on top of their heads) to the office buildings of waiting husbands and sons.
The Dabba Wallas have been doing this since the late 1800s. Despite the unsophisticated mode of transport, the lunches always arrive on time (the error rate is 1 in every 16 million transactions).“
Hat tip
I wonder how much it costs… 🙂
www.livetolist.wordpress.com says:
I’ve seen these guys in action – it’s amazing that it works, seems India would have a lot to teach distribution networks the world over!
fabulously frugirl says:
This is so cool. Now I just need someone to make my lunch, too…. 🙂
Mochi & Macarons says:
I feel like there is a business for that. Lunches to go.
The Asian Pear says:
Ah yes, I know about this service. I watched it on BBC Top Gear when the hosts went to India and tried to perform the same service via car. XD It didn’t go so well for them. They have a sort of system that’s really efficient despite the traditional transportation system by train.
Mochi & Macarons says:
They probably grouped each guy by region and he knows which lunch bag is whose…
Ani says:
They charge Rs. 450 ( $9 )per month. Each Dabbawallahs get a salary of Rs. 8000 ($150) per month.
Mochi & Macarons says:
Thank you for the numbers!!
Pauline says:
that is amazing. I remember seeing something similar about cleaners who would pick up and wash your shirt then deliver it back with an incredible success rate as well.
Mochi & Macarons says:
In India?
Pauline says:
yes, Kolkata if I remember well