Imran Khan M. Yusufzay, MD, ICE. English (3300002) Section 2-A: Comprehension Passages Dabbawalas: Mumbai’s Best Managed Business Amberish Diwanji Prepared and Presented by Imran Khan Mh. Yusufzay (Asst. Prof. in English) Om Institute of Engineering & Technology, Junagadh. Mobile : +91 99091 30907 II +91 90337 63432

Dictionary Definition Personality The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character: Management The process of dealing with or controlling things or people:

Main Points to highlight… Imran Khan M. Yusufzay, MD, ICE. Main Points to highlight… Who is Dabbawala in Mumbai? History of Dabbawalas. Why Dabbawala? Dabbawals’ Daily Schedule / How they work? What makes Dabbawalas so unique? Their Achievements Mobile : +91 99091 30907 II +91 90337 63432

Dabbawalas’ Story We are Dabbawala, (one who carries the box), in the Indian city of Mumbai. We carry and deliver freshly made food from customer’s home in a lunch box (Dabba) and deliver it to offices. It may sound simple, but it’s not.

Our Story It is actually a highly specialized trade that has evolved in its current form over a century and has become integral to Mumbai’s culture. Information taken from Dabbawalas’ official website http://mumbaidabbawala.in/about-us/

Who is Dabbawala in Mumbai? Imran Khan M. Yusufzay, MD, ICE. Who is Dabbawala in Mumbai? Dabba means a Tiffin box Dabbawals are the people who deliver home cooked meals to the workers working in different organizations of Mumbai at their workplaces and return empty Tiffin boxes to their homes, in some cases, caterers. They are not caterers; they deliver home cooked food to the workers from their home to their office. Mobile : +91 99091 30907 II +91 90337 63432

Who is Dabbawala in Mumbai? Total there are 5,000 Dabbawalas Each one carries at least 40 Dabbas So total they deliver 2,00,000 dabbas everyday! For this they charge 300 to 350 Rs only per month 2,00,000 X 300 = 6,0000000 / 5000 = 12,000

Who is Dabbawala in Mumbai? Imran Khan M. Yusufzay, MD, ICE. Who is Dabbawala in Mumbai? Often house wives send notes to their hubbies in boxes…  Mobile : +91 99091 30907 II +91 90337 63432

History of Dabbawalas It all started about 125 years back when a 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. Registered as Charitable Trust in 1956

History of Dabbawalas Migration to the city had just begun & people wanted home cooked food As the city grew, the demand for dabba delivery grew too. Our forefathers had the vision to create the Dabba coding system that’s going on strong even today. People from different states in Mumbai (like South Indians and Gujaraties) want their traditional food, Dabbawalas’ service began to fill this growing need..

Raghunath Medge President, Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Charity Trust

Why should Dabbawala carry your Tiffin? Person has to leave early in the morning for his office, so it is bit difficult for a mother, wife or sister to make Tiffin so early in the morning Home cooked food has love and affection of mother or wife! Traffic in Mumbai local train makes it difficult for you to carry a Tiffin

Traffic in Mumbai Local Train

Traffic in Mumbai Local Train

Traffic in Mumbai Local Train

Traffic in Mumbai Local Train

Traffic in Mumbai Local Train

Traffic in Mumbai Local Train

Dabbawals’ Daily Schedule How they work and manage time?

Task 1 The process beings early in the morning. Cooked food is picked up from houses and caterers by dabbawallahs and taken to the nearest railway station

Imran Khan M. Yusufzay, MD, ICE. Task 2 There, the different tiffin boxes are sorted out for specific destination stations and loaded onto large, rectangular trays accordingly. Mobile : +91 99091 30907 II +91 90337 63432

Task 3 These trays carrying 40 boxes travel in local trains down to various stations.

Uploading Dabbas on Mumbai local trains Imran Khan M. Yusufzay, MD, ICE. Uploading Dabbas on Mumbai local trains Mobile : +91 99091 30907 II +91 90337 63432

Task 4 At each station there are another set of dabbawallahs who quickly take the dabbas meant to be distributed in that area and push in dabba meant for another station.

Please Note A mumbai local halts at a station for about 20 seconds or less and thus the dabbawallahs have to work with precision and speed.

Task 5 At each station, the boxes are once more sorted or localities and offices and taken by handcarts or sometimes carried by individuals.

0% use of technology, they use hand carts

0% use of technology, they use hand carts

0% use of technology, they use hand carts

0% use of technology, they use hand carts

0% use of technology, they use hand carts

Or they use bicycle !

Or they use bicycle !

Or they use bicycle !

Or they use bicycle !

Solid Physical Stamina – 40 Dabbas per tray “We carry up to 35 kg for distance of a couple of kilometers,” points out Medge. Solid Physical Stamina – 40 Dabbas per tray

Solid Physical Stamina – 40 Dabbas per tray “We carry up to 35 kg for distance of a couple of kilometers,” points out Medge. Solid Physical Stamina – 40 Dabbas per tray

Solid Physical Stamina – 40 Dabbas per tray “We carry up to 35 kg for distance of a couple of kilometers,” points out Medge. Solid Physical Stamina – 40 Dabbas per tray

Solid Physical Stamina – 40 Dabbas per tray “We carry up to 35 kg for distance of a couple of kilometers,” points out Medge. Solid Physical Stamina – 40 Dabbas per tray

Task 6 The boxes are placed in the offices’ reception area by 12:30 pm and are picked up from the same spot by the deliverer a couple of hours later.

Task 7 The whole process then starts again in the reverse. The boxes are picked up from the offices, taken to the nearest station and sorted for their journey home.

Let us see their line of action….

Cooked food collected from home Taken to the nearest railway station Sorting & loaded on trays Again sorting according to destination Another group of DW collects on the next station Uploading in the local train loaded onto hand carts or bicycle Placed in the office

Placed at destination home Taken to the nearest railway station Sorting & loaded on trays Again sorting according to destination Uploading in the local train Another group of DW collects on the next station loaded onto hand carts or bicycle Collected Dabba from office

Meet Dabbawala in Mumbai

What makes Dabbawalas so unique? Honesty and integrity Regularity and punctuality everyday Discipline and Time Management Sharp memory – No use of technology Pride for their work Stick to time and work is worship Customer is God! (Example of Prince Charles)

What makes Dabbawalas so unique? Accuracy, commitment and team work Error is horror Precision and speed Solid stamina, man power and unity They are illiterate yet they understand coding system for fault less deliver They are the best in time management and perfection Even in heavy rain of Mumbai, their service continues… All these points are applicable to us also

Even in heavy rain of Mumbai, their service continues…

Even in heavy rain of Mumbai, their service continues…

Even in heavy rain of Mumbai, their service continues…

Dabbawalas’ Ethics & Discipline No alcohol / drinking / smoking is allowed during working hours ID card and white Gandhi topi is must on duty Leave without prior notice is not allowed No Dabbawala ever so misbeviour with the customer or any of his family member while collecting or dropping the Dabba…

Code of Conduct 500 Rs fine for drinking on duty 100 Rs fine for smoking on duty 25 Rs fine for not wearing cap 1000 Rs fine for leave without prior notice, Sacked if repeated more than 2 times

Everyday Work & Perfection Every day 1,75,000 to 2,00,000 Tiffin boxes are delivered Color codes are used for faultless delivery These code may baffle (confuse) a cryptographer and uneducated dabbawalas can understand these codes!

Coding System The Coding system evolved through various stages with time. In the beginning it was simple colour coding. Now Mumbai is a widely spread metro with 3 local train routes. Our coding has also evolved into alpha numeric characters. Information taken from official Dabbawalas’ official website http://mumbaidabbawala.in/about-us/

Coding System

Short Film on Mumbai Dabbawala

Not Employees but it’s a Trust All are share-holders and they share earnings No unions and strikes since 1890 Trust provides schools for the children and health care in emergency to its members

Secret of their unity! All Dabbawalas are tight knit (well organized) because all come from same region, Pune district in Maharashtra. They join outsider as an employ on a fixed salary, after he wins their trust, they make him a share holder

Secret of their unity! All the share holders have common customs & traditions and they worship Vithoba of Pandharpur They fast on Prabhodini Ekadashi

Why this business is most befitting in Mumbai? Mumbai’s geography is like this: All the residences are in the north and offices in the south so this makes Dabbawala’s job very simple In Delhi, this business didn’t work as it is a circular city

Mumbai’s Geography matches Delhi

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Prince Charles (the King of London) meets Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Prince Charles (the King of London) meets Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Prince Charles (the King of London) meets Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Mr Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group,

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Mr Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, travelled with Dabbawalas like a Dabbawala and delivered a huge tiffin to his own employees at Virgin, Mumbai.

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Mr Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, travelled with Dabbawalas like a Dabbawala and delivered a huge tiffin to his own employees at Virgin, Mumbai.

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Bollywood film actor Baman Irani (C) promotes a business channel's reality show “The Pitch” with Mumbai’s Dabbawala (Tiffin service) in Mumbai on October 13, 2010.

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Karisma Kapoor Unveils Tempo Products with Dabbawalas - Pics

Dabbawalas’ Achievements

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Dr. Pawan Agarval has done Ph.D. on Dabbawalas

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Dabbawalas’ lectures in Prestigious Institutes & B-Schools

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Raghunath Medge is invited as a guest of honor at Business School

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Mr. Medge was invited to deliver a talk in IIM, Lucknow

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Dabbawalas with the students of IIM, Raipur.

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Dabbawalas with the students of IIM, Raipur.

Dabbawalas’ Achievements iLEAD In Association With Shark’s International Hosted A Talk Show On “Mumbai Dabbawalas”

Dabbawalas’ Achievements iLEAD In Association With Shark’s International Hosted A Talk Show On “Mumbai Dabbawalas”

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Dabbawals with Volkswagen

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Dabbawals with Volkswagen

Dabbawalas’ Achievements World Record in Time Management! Name in Guiness World Record! Eminent personalities like Prince Charles have visited Dabbawalas & Prince even invited them to his wedding. Registered with Repley’s “Believe it or not”

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise, founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. The Believe It or Not panel proved popular and was later adapted into a wide variety of formats, including radio, television, comic books, a chain of museums and a book series.

Dabbawalas’ Achievements Forbes (an American Magazine) gave this services its highest quality rating of Sigma 6, which means that per million transactions, there is just an error of one. Dabbawala got Sigma 6 without any application Documentary called “Dabbawalas, Mumbai’s unique lunch service” by two Dutch Film Makers

Dabbawalas’ Achievements In 1998 two Dutch filmmakers, Jascha De Wilde and Chris Relleke, made a documentary called "Dabbawalas, Mumbai's unique lunch service" and in 2001, the Christian Science Monitor, the Boston-based newspaper, covered the Dabbawalas in an article called "Fastest Food: It's Big Mac vs. Bombay's Dabbawallahs.“ http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2006/06/27/Bombay-Dabbawalas-go-high-tech/UPI-40191151437008/

Only Mumbaikars alone in the world would have the option of eating home made food in the offices without bother of having to carry a cumbersome (troublesome) lunchbox…. Credit goes to Dabbawalas….

Meet Mumbai Dabbawala on www.mumbaidabbawala.in

References Dabbawalas’ Official Website : www.mumbaidabbawala.in Active English, Diploma Engineering Sem I, GTU. www.google.com

Thank you Imran Khan M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed. in English Asst. Prof. in English Om Engineering College, Junagadh. www.imkeng.wordpress.com