2. How It Started :
It all started about 125 years back when this Parasi banker
wanted to have home cooked food regularly in office and
gave this responsibility to the first ever Dabbawala. Other
people also liked the idea and the demand for Dabba delivery
soared.It was all informal and individual effort in the
beginning, but visionary Mahadeo Havaji Bachche saw the
opportunity and started the lunch delivery service in its
present team-delivery format with 100 Dabbawalas. In 1890
Bombay, Mahadeo Bhavaji Bachche started a lunch delivery
service with about a hundred men. In 1930, he informally
attempted to unionize the dabbawallas. In 1890 Bombay,
Mahadeo Havaji Bachche started a lunch delivery service
with about a hundred men.
3. Later, a charitable trust was registered in 1956 under the
name of Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust.
They constitute a lunchbox delivery and return system
that delivers hot lunches from homes and restaurants to
people at work in India, especially in Mumbai.
4. Introduction
In 1890 Bombay, Mahadeo Bhavaji Bachche started a lunch
delivery service with about a hundred men. In 1930, he informally
attempted to unionize the dabbawallas. In 1890 Bombay, Mahadeo
Havaji Bachche started a lunch delivery service with about a
hundred men.
Later, a charitable trust was registered in 1956 under the name
of Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Trust.
They constitute a lunchbox delivery and return system that delivers
hot lunches from homes and restaurants to people at work in India,
especially in Mumbai.
5. The Beginning:
It all started about 125 years back when
this Parasi banker wanted to have home
cooked food regularly in office and gave this
responsibility to the first ever Dabbawala.
Other people also liked the idea and the
demand for Dabba delivery soared.It was all
informal and individual effort in the beginning,
but visionary Mahadeo Havaji Bachche saw
the opportunity and started the lunch delivery
service in its present team-delivery format with
100 Dabbawalas.
6. The Dabbawalas’ service was used by both
working people and school children. In 1998,
Forbes Global magazine, conducted a quality
assurance study on the Dabbawalas’ operations
and gave it a Six Sigma efficiency rating of
99.999999; the Dabbawalas made one error in six
million transactions. That put them on the list of
Six Sigma rated companies, along with
multinationals like Motorola and GE. Achieving
this rating and that too without the use of any
technology or paperwork, and that most of them
were illiterate or semiliterate is indeed has been a
herculean task.
7. How it works
A collecting dabbawala, usually on bicycle,
collects dabbas either from a worker’s home or
from the dabba makers. As many of the carriers
are of limited literacy, the dabbas (boxes) have
some sort of distinguishing mark on them, such as
a colour or group of symbols. Lunch boxes are
usually marked in several ways:
(1) abbreviations for collection points.
(2) colour code for starting station.
(3) number for destination station and
(4) markings for handling dabbawala at
destination, building and floor.
8. The commercial arm of this trust was registered in
1968 as Mumbai Tiffin Box Supplier's Association.
Currrently appointed :
President- Mr. Raghunath Dhondiba Medge
Secretary- Mr. Gangaram Laksman Talekar
Director - Mr. Manish Tripathi
9. Accolades:
• In 1998, Forbes Global magazine, conducted a quality
assurance study on the Mumbai Dabbawalas’ operations and
gave it a Six Sigma efficiency rating of 99.999999; the
Dabbawalas made one error in six million transactions.
• Prince Charles visited them during his visit to India; he had to
fit in with the schedule of Mumbai Dabbawalas, since their
timing was too precise to permit any flexibility. Charles also
invited them to his wedding with Camilla Parker Bowles in
London on 9 April 2005.
• The New York Times reported in 2007 that the 125-year-old
dabbawala industry continues to grow at a rate of 5–10% per
year.
• ISO 9001:2000 certified by the Joint Accreditation System of
Australia and New Zealand
10. What Is NMTBSA?
(Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Supplier Association)
History : started 1890
Av. Literacy rate : 8 th grade
Charitable trust : Reg. in 1956
Total area coverage : 60 kms.
Employee strength : 5000
Time taken : 3hrs.
11. The perfect delivery of
Dabbawalas
The dabbawala service started 127 years ago.
Dabbawalas reportedly have a six-sigma accuracy
level, which means only one mistake is made every 16
million deliveries.
The average cost is around Rs 450. This covers the
distance from homes spread over distant suburbs such
as Virar and Kalyan to south Mumbai
15. Organizational structure
• Three levels of Hierarchy
• Incentive structure is Group
Based
• Penalty & Reward for whole
group
• Weekly off
• Strict dress code
• Earn Rs. 5000 –
7000/month
Executive
commettie
e
Team of 20-
25 headed by
a group
leader.
Individual
dabbawala
load (30
tiffins)
17. Economic analysis
Each dabbawala, regardless of role, is paid
around 8,000 rupees per month.
Tiffin-wallas are self-employed.
It is frequently claimed that dabbawalas make
less than one mistake in every six million
deliveries, however this is only an estimation
by Raghunath Megde.
18. Awards & Felicitations
World record in best time management.
Name in “GUINESS BOOK” of world records .
Registered with RIPLY’S – “ Belive it or not”
Invited for the marriage if Hon. Prince Charles to
attend the ceremony.
Documentary called dabbawalas –Mumbai’s
unique lunch services by two dutch filmmaker in
1998.
Had been awarded with six-sigma certificate.
The dabbawala services are popular with Indian II
developer community .
19. SWOT Analaysis
Simplicity in organization
with Innovative service
Coordination, team spirit,
& time management
Low operation cost
Customer satisfaction.
High dependability on
local trains
Funds for the association
Limited Access to
Education.
Strength Weakness
20. Wide range publicity
Operational cost is low
Catering .
Indirect competition is
being faced from caterers
like maharaja community.
Indirect threats from fast
foods and hotels
Change in timing
Company transport
Oppurtunity : Threath :
21. Refrences
1) thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
2) Nair, Supriya. "The Tiffin History of Mumbai –
Livemint". www.livemint.com. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
3) http://mashable.com/2016/03/28/kfc-mumbai-
dabbawalas/#l.ZkhFyfOEqw .
4) http://cafemutual.com/news/industry/.
5) https://www.indiainfoline.com/
6) http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/mumbais-dabbawalas-
up-delivery-charges-by-100/article6170725.ece
