Now that your next Flipkart order will get delivered bang-on time, here are some amazing facts which you should know about Mumbai Dabbawalas rather than worrying about your online order!
1. It all started from a need of a single man!
About 125 years back, when a Parsi banker wanted to have home cooked food regularly in office and gave this responsibility to Mr. Mahadeo Havaji Bache. Other people also liked the idea and the demand for Dabba delivery soared, thus marking the beginnings of the Dabbawalas.
2. These were the gentlemen who started this unique service
Mr. Mahadeo Havaji Bache was the one who started it and Mr. Dhondiba Medge was the first chairman of Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Charity Trust of Mumbai, a Dabbawala cooperative which launched in 1954.
3. Most Dabbawalas hail from rural Maharashtra
Especially Pune district in Maharashtra and belong to Warkari sect.
4. 200,000! Yes, that's the approximate number of dabbas they deliver everyday
5. The Dabbawalas have a unique, fool-proof coding system of delivering Dabbas
They use specific colour codes for source, train station and destination building instead of names.
6. They give the best management gyaan
It's a day long workshop where you can learn about management techniques, the dabbawala way. i.e. almost zero error! In 2005, IIM-A featured a case-study on the management techniques of the dabbawalas. Later, in 2010, Harvard Business School also conducted their own study on the timely and efficient delivery system of this company.
7. Sir. Richard Branson actually delivered dabba when he visited Dabbawalas!
Ofcourse, he learnt a lot more than he had fun at his short stint as a dabbawala!
8. They have Six Sigma accuracy in the delivery process
That means there's only 1 in 6 million chance of mistake! Super, isn't it?
9. ...and they're confident about it!
The Lunchbox
In the movie 'The Lunchbox', there was a scene where Nimrat Kaur complained to one of the dabbawalas, that the tiffin she sends reaches the wrong place. The role of the delivery person was played by an actual dabbawala, who politely mentions there is nobody out there who has ever reported getting the wrong meal or a late delivery.
10. They are eco-friendly
With almost 0% paper work and mostly running on trains and bicycles, dabbawalas are not just doing good to Mumbaikars, but nature too!
11. A typical dabbawala's load is about 65 Kilograms
And the fact that they efficiently carry all of this on their heads, in peak hours, is nothing short of a commendable feat.
12. Prince Charles is their fan!
Prince Charles was so impressed with their service that he had even invited 2 Dabbawalas to his marriage with Camilla Parker in London.
13. They've never been on a strike since 1890
The only exception being the strike in 2011, after a record of 120 years of continuous service, and that too to support Anna Hazare in his anti-corruption campaign. The luck of Mumbaikars, that this strike was on Parsi New Year, a public holiday in Maharashtra.
14. Their work numbers speak for themselves!
They deliver dabbas at the distance of 75 km, across Mumbai. Their customers consist of 11% students, 15% businessmen, 36% government employees, 38% employees of private sector. Their annual turnover is of Rs. 50 Crores. What's more overwhelming is there are 5,000+ dabbawalas of which only 2 are female.
15. They are now tech-savy!
So much so, they have their own website, a Facebook fan page and even Flipkart approaching them for last-mile delivery!