MARKETING BOULEVARD

THE MUMBAI DABBAWALAS

Submitted by :
Padmini Chetia (A1802009413)
Amrit Mishra ( A1802009398)
Group C

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At Rs. 36 crore, it is meager by corporate standards, but this organization’s
customer service mechanism, its right associations and its flawless supply
chain mechanism have fetched it a Six Sigma quality certification and the
awe of high flown jargon driven retail powerhouses across the world. Meet
India’s catering service outfit extraordinaire- the Nutan Tiffin Box Suppliers
Charity Trust alias “MUMBAI DABBAWALAS”

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Operating from a less than 100 square feet office in the by lanes of Andheri ,
Mumbai is the record breaking service of Nutan Tiffin Box Suppliers
Charity Trust alias “ Mumbai Dabbawallas ” as they are commonly known.
Though it is only worthwhile to note that the dabbawallas operate without
computers, information technology or any other well established business
practises. The business is more than a century old and evolved over a period
of time wherein their efficiency of the process have earned them a six sigma
rating from Forbes magazine.

BRIEF HISTORY :
Mumbai has an estimated 5000 dabbawallas delivering about 2,00,000 lunch
boxes everyday. The dabbawalla system can be traced back to the growth of
Mumbai’s textile industry in the 19th century, a boom that drew skilled
workers and traders into the city and the spread of new housing
developments. Because most of these were beyond walking distance of the
mills, having good home made food became a problem.
During the mid 1880s, a Parsi banker employed an errand boy to deliver his
lunch box from his residence. Several factors like non availability of good
catering facilities ,the difficulty in carrying lunch early in the morning and
travel constraints led to an overwhelming response to the delivery service of
the errand boy. This man whom the Parsi employed as a coolie was a
migrant from Pune – Madhu Havji Bachhe. Soon he sought the services of
many more of his friends and associates from his home town, Pune and other
parts of Maharashtra.

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The late Madhu Bacche , the pioneer of the dabbawalla business recognized
a business opportunity in this way wherein he could help his fellowmen
from his native town to seek employment by simply delivering home made
food.
The actions and decisions he took while organizing the work force and
putting in place workable delivery system are the humble origins of the
institution.

BUSINESS SET IN PLACE :

The plan as proposed by Madhu Bacche was simple ensure timely supply of
dabbas to the people. He didn’t require any initial investment as he used the
available transport and infrastructure facilities for the task. This involved
pick up of the lunch box from the clients house and delivery at the work
place and again returning these boxes back home. Initially he had an
informal arrangement to handle the job. It was only in 1890 when the service

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delivery was model established that the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin box suppliers
Charity trust was formed. The strategy followed by them was to develop
localized groups of dabbawalas which would enable them to have a location
advantage. Thus several groups evolved and they combined as a whole
community across Mumbai.
Hence the structure that evolved was a flat structure with a narrow span of
control. It take into control the geographic spread pick up and drop points,
the optimum number of dabbas that can be physically carried and their
details stored in memory by each dabbawala. With the changing times and
the changing needs of the dabbawallas, the trust in 1983 adopted a owner
partner system under which the practice of subcontracting was dispensed
with and the dabbawals started getting equal revenues. The delivery boy
system was converted into an apprenticeship wherein new recruits were
trained for sometime on a fixed remuneration before they graduated to full
time dabbawallas.

The trust has the responsibility of managing the total job within the
standards defined. It has a three tier structures comprising the executive

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Committee which is entrusted with the responsibility of the overall
management of the mean delivery system. At the operational level the work
evolves around the mukadams who are also dabbawallas but hav e been later
promoted to tis position. He performs several administrative tasks which
include maintaining records of clients payments, arbitrating disputes
between dabbawalas and customers and apprentice training. The executive
Committee comprises 13 members who are elected by a general body every
five years. The committee has been organizing a commom meeting on the
15th of each month to sought out all operational issues and disputes and
improvement if any regarding their services. To elect the president a voting
system has been put in place.

Guiding Work Philosophy :

The central guiding philosophy of the dabbawallas was

laid down by the pioneer Madhu Bacche. According to
him the guiding principles were :
Work is worship
Union is strength
I trust man only because I trust in God

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THEJOURNEY:
8:30 AM – 10:30 AM – Collection of tiffin boxes from the residence or
other pick up points.
10:30 AM – 11:20 AM – This is the journey time period. The dabbawals
lead the wooden crates filled with the tiffins onto the luggage or goods
compartment in the train.
11:20 AM – 12:20 PM – At this stage unloading takes place at the
destination station. Rearrangement of tiffin takes place as per the destination
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM - Here on begins the collection process wherein the
dabbawallas have to pick up the tiffins from the offices where they had
delivered.
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM – The group members meet for the segregation as per
the destination suburbs
2:40 PM – 3.30 PM – The return journey by train where the group finally
meets up after the days routine.
3:30 PM – 4:00 PM – Here final sorting and dispatch takes place. The
group meets up at origin stations and they finally sort out the Tiffins.

THE CODING SYSTEM:

This comprises the use of 3-4 symbols crudely painted on the lunch boxes in
a combination color which enable them to easily identify the dabba and
facilitate accurate execution of the tasks. The coding system evolved by
them is unique.

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PRODUCT ELEMENT :
The product element here is basically a service they provide to the office
goers by delivering their Tiffin boxes. There are also ancillary physical
products such as Tiffin box, Gandhi cap, Video CD on dabbawala,
Dabbawala mug and t- shirt. These products are sold by the trust to earn
more money and to work for the welfare of the members.

PROMOTION AND EDUCATION :

Dabbawalas are in the tiffin distribution field since 125 years hence they
don’t need any promotional tool. Though they are used by other businesses
for their promotion. Orders through SMS and online is accepted by the
organization and they have come up with a site name mydabbawalla.com.
Maharashtra Govt. has roped into them to spread AIDS awareness. World
record in best time management with Six Sigma certificate. Name in the
Guinness Book of world records. Registered with Ripley’s believe it or not.

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PRICE :
The cost of service per person is Rs.250 per month. Is standard price for all.
The dabbawalla turnover is approx 50 crore. Total earning of the people 20
people is Rs.125000. Earning per person varies from Rs. 5000 to 6000 per
month. Maintenance cost is Rs 35000 per year. Maintenance of cycles is
300 ie for two cycles per month. An organizational fee is Rs 15 per head.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT:
Mumbai is the financial hub of the country. So the dabbawalla have to work
hard inorder to survive in the physical environment. Have to travel 60- 70
kms in a route. have to travel by walking. Cycling, local trains. They have to
provide service in high rains.

PEOPLE:
Dabbawallas are serving people from 125 years and the individuals who are
associated are 8th grade pass so the dabbawalla are serving them and also the
needy people by making them serve. There are about 5000 dabbawalla and
each one of them is a shareholder of the system. 635 of them are senior
employees and there is no hierarchy.

COMPETITION:
In terms of competition they face it from fast food joints as well as office
canteens. However since neither of them serve home made foods the
dabbawallas core offering remains unchallenged.

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Today Mumbai’s dabbawallas have achieved a level of service western
businesses can only aspire for,as this has been done without the slightest use
of technological help. Sheer man power and team work have been bhind the
system of Mumbai Dabbawalla and this would exists as long as the demand
for the home cooked food exists.

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