This presentation shows the way how Mumbai Dabbawalas have grown up from ZERO and are now contributing into the Social Cause as well.

1. For Customers
We Will Always Work For The Need Of Micro, Small And Medium
Enterprises And For The Individual Entrepreneurs. We Will
Always Learn, Upgrade And Develop Our Capacities To Serve
Them, To Empower Them, To Develop Their Confidence And
Make Them Successful And Happy In Life.
Mastermind Credo

2. MUMBAI
DABBAWALAS

3.  Brief on the Unique Business Model
 To Learn Management Lessons from Mumbai Dabbawalas.
 To learn the spirit of “Giving Back To the society”
OBJECTIVE

4.  Brief Introduction to Mumbai Dabbawalas
 Management lessons from Mumbai Dabbawalas
 Achievements
 Unique Social Work
 My Learnings
FLOW OF PRESENTATION

5.  Business is based on fulfilling a basic need of working class people to have “Home
Cooked Meals” in the office.
 Localized for the business district in south Mumbai
 The entire business is run under the MTBSA (Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers
Association)
 Dabbawalas’ are the foot soldiers who actually carry & deliver freshly prepared food
made from customer’s home/in some cases hotels/food mess in lunch boxes and
deliver the same to the customers each day.
 After the customer eats the food the tiffin's are collected back and re delivered to the
original pick up points (Homes)
 Minimal charges (Around 300 INR/PM) are taken from each customer for this service.
 Certified “SIX SIGMA” by Forbes.
BRIEF INTRODUCTION

6.  Started in 1880
 No of Employees: 5000
 Approx. 2,00,000 Tiffin Boxes Delivered each Day
 Turn Over: 50cr.
Continued:

7. Pick up from
Residence
Bring it to
Andheri Station
Journey in Local
Train
Delivery to
respective
customer
Collection of
Empty Dabbas
Sorting at
Destination
Station
Returning
Dabbas
SUPPLY CHAIN

8. CODING SYSTEM

9. CODING SYSTEM

10. MANAGEMENT LESSONS FROM
MUMBAI DABBAWALAS

11.  Colour Coding System: The unique indigenously developed colour
coding system helps rapid sorting of the tiffin’s and faster delivery
along with reduced/elimination of instances of wrong deliveries of
tiffin’s to the customers.
 Relying on the accuracy of the Mumbai suburban local trains
for delivery: Each tiffin is delivered via the local trains to the
business district, the whole delivery scheduled is closely tied with
the schedule and accuracy of the local trains.
TIME MANAGEMENT

12. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION – TOP PRIORITY
 The top focus of each dabbawala is to deliver the correct tiffin to the customer in
time everyday.
 Taking pride in giving “World Class Service” to each customer.

13.  Hard Work,Honesty,Promptness & Time Management only investments.
 Cheap Hand Carts, Cycles – Easy to Maintain
 Public Place for Sorting
KEEPING CAPITAL INVESTMENT TO A MINIMUM:

14.  Minimal Infrastructure
 Minimal Usage of technology
 Keeping Marketing budget to a minimum – marketing is done
mostly by mouth to mouth publicity
KEEP OPERATIONAL COSTS TO MINIMUM:

15.  Only in the business of delivering home made food
 Be “ Master of one trade rather than jack of all”
MAXIMUM FOCUS ONLY ON CORE COMPETENCY

16.  85% percent Dabbawals are illiterate
COMMITMENT MATTERS- QUALIFICATION DOSENT

17.  Knowing the implications of failure, makes you more responsible towards
your work.
KNOW THE IMPLICATIONS OF FAILURE

18.  Due to flat organization structure, fast decision making.
FLAT ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

19.  Responsible.
 Realise their work.
SENSE OF OWNERSHIP – Employee Empowerment

20.  “SIX SIGMA” Rating from Forbes.
 Business Models (Case Studies) Shared in Haward Business School, IIM’s
 Name in “Guiness book”.
 World Record in Best Time Management.
 Outstanding Service Organization Award by NIQR. (National Institute for Quality
Assurance)
ACHEIVEMENTS:

21.  Share It (Video)
 Tie-up’s with Weeding Planners.
SOCIAL WORK

22. MY LEARNINGS
 Customer Satisfaction should be the top priority.
 Qualification should not be a barrier for us to grow.
 Always focus on your core competency.