Just as I was flipping through multifarious channels in search of something worth-watching, I was led to the BBC channel which was airing a documentary covering the astounding aspects of Mumbai city. India, being a neighbor to my home land and a country set to become an epitome of development, technological advancement and economic utopia never ceases to dumbfound me.
The documentary I watched was about a small service provided by the Dabbawalas in the Mumbai city. The English translation of Dabbawala is ‘Lunchbox delivery person’. A lunchbox is called Dabba in Hindi. The reason I called this service small despite its large coverage in the city area is that it has a small function. Nonetheless, the service is deemed very important in the bustling city where over-loaded trains are the key means of commuting on daily basis. During its peak hours in the office-rush time, it’s a humongous task just to get into the train let alone carry a huge lunchbox with you.
This small service that I have been talking about this whole time, it employs 5000 personnel to collect and deliver lunchbox from and to specific locations serving almost 200000 persons each day. Collection of the lunchboxes from homes which is done by an employee with a bike is the foremost step to providing this service. When collection is complete, other employees assemble the box according to the locations they need to be delivered. Each lunchbox comes with a set of codes as to where and at what time the lunchbox needs to reach which ensures there is no misunderstanding and that the customer is served with satisfaction. This whole process of delivery makes use of bikes, trains and handcarts to make the system efficient and workings.
There are few strong pillars of this service that preclude its extinction for at least some years. The most important of all is the Indian food habit. They do not trust strangers for food even though it may be palatable. And home-cooking is not a problem since a larger portion of the Indian population lives in a joint family which suffices the need for a cook. They claim the food is prepared with love which makes it wholesome and favor our buds.
The documentary I watched was about a small service provided by the Dabbawalas in the Mumbai city. The English translation of Dabbawala is ‘Lunchbox delivery person’. A lunchbox is called Dabba in Hindi. The reason I called this service small despite its large coverage in the city area is that it has a small function. Nonetheless, the service is deemed very important in the bustling city where over-loaded trains are the key means of commuting on daily basis. During its peak hours in the office-rush time, it’s a humongous task just to get into the train let alone carry a huge lunchbox with you.
This small service that I have been talking about this whole time, it employs 5000 personnel to collect and deliver lunchbox from and to specific locations serving almost 200000 persons each day. Collection of the lunchboxes from homes which is done by an employee with a bike is the foremost step to providing this service. When collection is complete, other employees assemble the box according to the locations they need to be delivered. Each lunchbox comes with a set of codes as to where and at what time the lunchbox needs to reach which ensures there is no misunderstanding and that the customer is served with satisfaction. This whole process of delivery makes use of bikes, trains and handcarts to make the system efficient and workings.
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| Each dabba bears a specific code. |
There are few strong pillars of this service that preclude its extinction for at least some years. The most important of all is the Indian food habit. They do not trust strangers for food even though it may be palatable. And home-cooking is not a problem since a larger portion of the Indian population lives in a joint family which suffices the need for a cook. They claim the food is prepared with love which makes it wholesome and favor our buds.
Also, the Indian economy plays its part here. Many people live below poverty line and many other except few elites are middle-class folks. Though many shiny hotels and restaurants have been set up, low income does not quite spur the high-class dining. Home-cooked food is the only other best alternative to this.
So simple the system of delivery seems, yet so scrupulous is the task at handling the business and keeping it alive. At first I did not imagine it was a pragmatic approach even in my city, Kathmandu which is hundreds of times less bustling than the city of Mumbai. So, thumbs up to Mumbai Dabbawalas.
So simple the system of delivery seems, yet so scrupulous is the task at handling the business and keeping it alive. At first I did not imagine it was a pragmatic approach even in my city, Kathmandu which is hundreds of times less bustling than the city of Mumbai. So, thumbs up to Mumbai Dabbawalas.
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