Mumbai Dabbawalas (Nmtbsa)
MUMBAI DABBAWALAS – Success in Numbers
1. Why it started ? It started under the British Rule when many Indians had to work in British Offices and they disliked the food’s taste delivered by the British Cooks. So a service was set up to bring them the food from their homes. Nowadays Indian Businessmen are the customers of these Dabbawalas, also called Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association (NMTBSA).
2. Statistics
Number of people employed – 5000 Average level of education – 8th standard Coverage area – 60-70 km Number of tiffin boxes – 2,00,000 Number of transactions per day – 4,00,000 Delivery time – 9am to noon Monthly charges – Rs 500 Salary drawn – Rs 8,000-9,000 a month
3. Lessons Learnt a. Utmost dependence on Human Capital The most vital link in this chain of food delivery is human capital. The procedures could have been laid down over a century ago, but it is the implementation of the procedures that makes the system work. The Mumbai dabbawalas propagate that correct amount of human dependence can yield amazing results. b. Honesty and Integrity The threads of integrity and honesty hold the dabbas together. Though it is lunchtime for dabbawalas also, the aroma wafting from the dabbas has never tempted them. Overcoming a basic instinct like hunger is possible only because of strong roots in a culture that encourages truthfulness and integrity. c. Discipline and Time Management They are extremely particular about time and realise the value of every second in the value chain. So much so that when Prince Charles wanted to meet them, they gave him a precise time slot so that the thousands others would not have to skip their lunch. d. Pride towards their work - Work As Worship For them, the delivery of tiffins is much beyond a job - it means questing the hunger that strikes the customer when lunch hour approaches. And so they move
1. Why it started ? It started under the British Rule when many Indians had to work in British Offices and they disliked the food’s taste delivered by the British Cooks. So a service was set up to bring them the food from their homes. Nowadays Indian Businessmen are the customers of these Dabbawalas, also called Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association (NMTBSA).
2. Statistics
Number of people employed – 5000 Average level of education – 8th standard Coverage area – 60-70 km Number of tiffin boxes – 2,00,000 Number of transactions per day – 4,00,000 Delivery time – 9am to noon Monthly charges – Rs 500 Salary drawn – Rs 8,000-9,000 a month
3. Lessons Learnt a. Utmost dependence on Human Capital The most vital link in this chain of food delivery is human capital. The procedures could have been laid down over a century ago, but it is the implementation of the procedures that makes the system work. The Mumbai dabbawalas propagate that correct amount of human dependence can yield amazing results. b. Honesty and Integrity The threads of integrity and honesty hold the dabbas together. Though it is lunchtime for dabbawalas also, the aroma wafting from the dabbas has never tempted them. Overcoming a basic instinct like hunger is possible only because of strong roots in a culture that encourages truthfulness and integrity. c. Discipline and Time Management They are extremely particular about time and realise the value of every second in the value chain. So much so that when Prince Charles wanted to meet them, they gave him a precise time slot so that the thousands others would not have to skip their lunch. d. Pride towards their work - Work As Worship For them, the delivery of tiffins is much beyond a job - it means questing the hunger that strikes the customer when lunch hour approaches. And so they move