It’s our turn to deliver food to the Mumbai Dabbawalas, together.

Mumbai has a beautiful spirit - no matter what, you’ll end up falling in love with it. The Dabbawalas carry the same resilient and tough spirit wherever they go. Back in 2005, when Mumbai was battered by unusually heavy monsoon rains. More than 25 inches of rain combined with record-high tides, wreaked widespread havoc, bringing everything to a virtual standstill. 

There were hundreds of people stranded in railway stations, trains and even on the sidewalks. Among them were many of Mumbai’s dabbawalas, who deliver meals prepared in customers’ homes to their offices. On the second day of the flooding, even before the city had limped back to life, the dabbawalas were back on the job, wading through the waist-high water. They quickly became a symbol of gritty resilience. 

Their 130-year heritage combined with their tough spirit and dedication became an epitome of Mumbai’s spirit across the world. Today, these dabbawalas form the world’s most efficient logistics supply chain. 

These men, even though they don’t have a strong educational background, they created a system that relies on colour codes, symbols and signs. These dabbawalas took full control of delivering the lunch box or better known as the Dabba to the right person at the fixed lunch hour without any IT infrastructure or mobile phones. Their system of delivery is so robust and strong that it’s included as a case study as part of many business school’s management studies curriculum.  

A Dabba travels through six dabbawalas before it reaches the destination. It also travels through the same number of men on its return journey as well. 

It’s almost an understatement to say that these men are a lifeline for Mumbaikars. If you have ever travelled through the Mumbai locals, you’re bound to come across men dressed in white uniforms carrying a large tray filled with lunch boxes. 

For the first time in over 130 years, the dabbawalas were unable to deliver. 

This cooperative business that the dabbawalas have formed gives them job security. Irrespective of their role, each person earns around Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 12,000  per month. Many of them come from the slums and don’t have a lot of savings. 

Six months ago when the pandemic broke out, it wreaked havoc on their livelihood. With offices, industries, banks, and most establishments being closed during the last six months. 

"Today, we are going through a crisis, our 130 years of history is at stake. Five thousand dabbawalas are going through a crisis. Please help us, we need help," said Dabbawala Enterprises Limited President Sandeep S Gaikar. 

Men who fought through floods, rains, bombings, and even cyclones are now deprived of their livelihood because of COVID-19. The pandemic threw life out of motion and left more than 5,000 dabbawalas out of work. Even though the lockdown is over, there are many industries who have employees working from home. Without the local trains operating, it’s another hurdle for these men to continue their work. 

These men have ensured that our lunch is delivered every day on time, rain or shine. Today, it’s our turn to help them feed their families.

Donate a grocery kit to help the dabbawalas. 

Beneficiary NGO:

1. Making The Difference - Making The Difference (MTD)

Making the Difference was established in 2014 by Mr Meet Vishwakarma. It's an NGO formed with an aim to serve the needy & underprivileged communities. The NGO has been working relentlessly during this time of crisis to serve people from various sections of society. For this campaign, they have joined hands with the Mumbai Dabbawala cooperative to help the dabbawalas who have been affected this year due to the pandemic. They will reach out to the dabbawalas in various parts of Mumbai and Maharashtra to help them with essential supplies.