Dabbawallah Distribution Sytem
DABBAWALAS OF
MUMBAI
DABBAWALAS OF MUMBAI
WHITE PAPER PREPARED BY MBA STUDENTS
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA’S
KENAN-FLAGLER BUSINESS SCHOOL
AT THE
Authors
Nishesh Patel (EMBA 2006)
Naveen Vedula (EMBA 2006)
Abstract
Despite the current emphasis on high technology for solving complex business logistics issues, a group of largely illiterate Indian entrepreneurs known as dabbawalas has been coordinating the delivery of home-cooked lunches to thousands of Indian office workers for over a century. Using Six Sigma principles to improve their operations, the dabbawalas have capitalized on the high demand among Indians in Mumbai for food prepared in their home villages. Originated under British colonial rule, the dabbawala system of food delivery uses a hub-and-spoke system of foot, bicycle, handcart, and trainbased transport linking local village kitchens to urban consumers in metropolitan Mumbai. For an up-front investment of roughly 5,000 Rupees, a dabbawala can earn an average of 5,000-6,000 Rupees per month. Each dabbawala donates a portion of his earnings to their member association, which invests the funds in community projects and low-interest loans. Known for its ingenious use of simple symbols to coordinate thousands of daily deliveries, the dabba system represents a classic example of using a base-of-thepyramid approach to benefit low-income workers and high-income earners alike. Publication Date
2006
©2006 Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC,
USA. Reprinted by permission. Available online at www.cse.unc.edu. This white paper was prepared by Executive MBA students for class MBA251B Sustainable Enterprise, taught by professors Albert H. Segars and James H. Johnson. It is reprinted for educational purposes. Citations and source accuracy have been reviewed, but cannot be guaranteed; clarifications or comments may be directed to cse@unc.edu.
W06-001
Keywords:
Dabbawala, India,
MUMBAI
DABBAWALAS OF MUMBAI
WHITE PAPER PREPARED BY MBA STUDENTS
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA’S
KENAN-FLAGLER BUSINESS SCHOOL
AT THE
Authors
Nishesh Patel (EMBA 2006)
Naveen Vedula (EMBA 2006)
Abstract
Despite the current emphasis on high technology for solving complex business logistics issues, a group of largely illiterate Indian entrepreneurs known as dabbawalas has been coordinating the delivery of home-cooked lunches to thousands of Indian office workers for over a century. Using Six Sigma principles to improve their operations, the dabbawalas have capitalized on the high demand among Indians in Mumbai for food prepared in their home villages. Originated under British colonial rule, the dabbawala system of food delivery uses a hub-and-spoke system of foot, bicycle, handcart, and trainbased transport linking local village kitchens to urban consumers in metropolitan Mumbai. For an up-front investment of roughly 5,000 Rupees, a dabbawala can earn an average of 5,000-6,000 Rupees per month. Each dabbawala donates a portion of his earnings to their member association, which invests the funds in community projects and low-interest loans. Known for its ingenious use of simple symbols to coordinate thousands of daily deliveries, the dabba system represents a classic example of using a base-of-thepyramid approach to benefit low-income workers and high-income earners alike. Publication Date
2006
©2006 Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC,
USA. Reprinted by permission. Available online at www.cse.unc.edu. This white paper was prepared by Executive MBA students for class MBA251B Sustainable Enterprise, taught by professors Albert H. Segars and James H. Johnson. It is reprinted for educational purposes. Citations and source accuracy have been reviewed, but cannot be guaranteed; clarifications or comments may be directed to cse@unc.edu.
W06-001
Keywords:
Dabbawala, India,