Dabbawallahs of Mumbai

Service Operations Management

Dabbawallahs of Mumbai

Group 8

Aashish Jethani - 2010004

Debashish Bagg - 2010298

Namita Choudhary - 2010127

Prabhuvardhan Reddy - 2010159

Sreechand Nambiar -2010230

Susnata Chakraborty -2010236

Tanuraj Kulshreshtha -2010240

Mudit - 2010123

Service Operations Management Case Submission Dabbawallahs of Mumbai

Group 8

Abstract:

This Dabbawallahs of Mumbai are widely recognized as an outstanding example of

excellent Logistics. They are often quoted as a standard example of six sigma implementation in

Indian context. In this article we study in detail the nature and content of this system critically

examine its salient features and analyze the possibility of extending the system to similar or

related domain.

Table of Contents

Abstract: ........................................................................................................................................ 2

Introduction to Dabbawallahs of Mumbai ...................................................................................... 3

Table 1: Business of Dabbawallahs of Mumbai ............................................................................. 3

Operating Procedures ...................................................................................................................... 4

Table 2: Operating Procedure at Dabbawallahs of Mumbai ........................................................... 4

Table 3: Procedure and resources used in the operations ............................................................... 5

Figure 1: Distribution System of Dabbawallah .............................................................................. 5

Coding of Origin and Destination of Dabba ................................................................................... 5

Figure 2: Coding system of Dabbawallahs ..................................................................................... 6

Table 4: Capacity supportable by Dabbawalla code ....................................................................... 6

Critical Success Factors .................................................................................................................. 7

Answering the questions to the case ............................................................................................... 9

Services supply chain differs from manufacturing supply chain on following points: .................. 9

Measures to assess the effectiveness of services supply chain. ...................................................... 9

Economics of Dabbawallah meal distribution network. ............................................................... 10

Is the model sustainable and scalable ........................................................................................... 10

Assessment of future of dabbawallahs:......................................................................................... 12

Suggestions for Raghunath Medge: .............................................................................................. 12

References ..................................................................................................................................... 14

Figure 1: Distribution System of Dabbawallah .............................................................................. 5

Figure 2: Coding system of Dabbawallahs ..................................................................................... 6

Table 1: Business of Dabbawallahs of Mumbai ............................................................................. 3

Table 2: Operating Procedure at Dabbawallahs of Mumbai ........................................................... 4

Table 3: Procedure and resources used in the operations ............................................................... 5

Table 4: Capacity supportable by Dabbawalla code ....................................................................... 6


Group 8

Introduction to Dabbawallahs of Mumbai

Dabbawallah is a person in Mumbai (Bombay), India, whose job is carrying and

delivering freshly made food from home in lunch boxes to office workers. The word

"Dabbawalla" is literally translated as "one who carries a box"; "Dabba" means a box (usually an

cylindrical aluminum container), while "wala" is a term of reference to the preceding word

(literally translated, the closest meaning would be "Tiffin-man"). Though the profession seems to

be simple, it is actually a highly specialized trade that is over a century old and has become

integral to Mumbai's culture. The dabbawalla originated when India was under British rule:

many British people who came to the colony didn't like the local food, so a service was set up to

bring lunch to these people in their workplace straight from their home. Nowadays, Indian

business men are the main customers for the Dabbawallahs, and the services provided are

cooking as well as delivery.

The Dabbawallah service had an informal and very humble beginning in 1890 in

Mumbai. In 1954, the Dabbawallah had united into a rudimentary co-operative and registered

this umbrella organization in 1956. In 1983, it changed into the Trust and adopted an owner

partner system. By 2003, it has registered 5,000 Dabbawallahs and was delivering 175,000

lunches daily in Mumbai covering an area of 75 kilometers of public transport and generated

Rs380 million per annum. Operational model of Dabbawallahs of Mumbai is a home grown

model, conceived, developed and perfected by a group of individuals who have very little or no

formal education in the area of Logistics. The model is operated by a group of 5000 individuals

organized in the form of a cooperative, delivering everyday 150,000 lunch boxes from home

to customer locations in Bombay with negligible error rate. It is recognized as an outstanding

example of excellence in service delivery also the most talked about Indian example of

excellence in logistics operations and in terms of quality in service operations.

Table 1: Business of Dabbawallahs of Mumbai

Location Bombay, Maharashtra State, India

Product/ Service Collection, transportation and delivery of lunch boxes (daily) from home

to office location and bringing back the (lunch) boxes in the evening.

Need Preference to home food by Indian Executives, Managers and Traders

Target segment Middle income group, owner managers and Small Traders

Environment Long commuting distances (up to 50 miles), congested route (rail, road),

over stretched and slow public transport system

Topography Linear spread (North to South of Bombay)

Price Rs. 250/- per month per Lunch box

Legacy 110+ years old

Actors A group of people from Pune of same ethnic background

Organization Co-operative

Size 5000 employees

Volume 300,000 Transactions a day

Structure Team (5 - 8 individual) Group (5 - 8 team) 120 groups

Performance Less than six errors in two months of operations


Group 8

Operations 6 days a week, No discontinuity in service delivery, One week pre

announced holiday

Operating Procedures

Dabbawallahs are designed to collect, transport and distribute lunch boxes to its customer

routinely (every day) for 25 (working) days in a month, except for a weekly off on Sunday and a

yearly off for four days in April. The flowchart of operations of Dabbawallahs is as follows.

Table 2: Operating Procedure at Dabbawallahs of Mumbai

Time Activity

8:30 am –

9:00am

Collection of lunch box for residential

area by each team member

- Wide Area

- Small Volume

- 30-36 box/ customer per

Dabbawallah

- Responsibility of Member

8:38 am Sorting of the Lunch boxes at the

originating station by destinations

- Team work

- Time bound

- Code based

9:30 am Loading of Lunch boxes in set carts to

the sub-urban train either for a hub or a

final destination

- Rapid operations

9:30 am – 10:30

am

Resorting of Lunch boxes to the final

destinations

- Group Operations

- Rapid operations

10:20 am – 11:

20 am

Transfer to final destination by using

rail network

- Code based

- Individual Groups

11:30 am Unloading and Re-arranging Lunch

boxes based on final delivery location

- Code based

- Mukadams experience

- Individual Team Members

11:30 am –

12:00 pm

Loading on to special carts and transfer

to final destination

- Group of Members

12:30 pm – 1:00

pm

Delivery of Lunch boxes at the final

destination

- Responsibility of Individual

Member

3:30 pm Collection of empty Lunch boxes and

beginning of return journey

- Individual member responsibility

3:45 pm – 4:15

pm

Sorting origin wise Lunch boxes at the

destination station

- Code based

- Group of Members employed

4: 30 pm Transfer to original location by rail

network

- Rapid action

4: 40 pm Unloading at the original station and

regrouping of delivery to individual

houses

- Rapid action

- Code based

5:00 pm Final delivery of empty Lunch boxes at

the households individually

- Member’s responsibility


Group 8

The above stringent operating procedure is executed daily by un educated Dabbawallah

on the basis of the operational efficient procedures that are developed by them on the life span of

119 years.

Table 3: Procedure and resources used in the operations

Operating Procedure Resource / Procedure used

Collection of Lunch box and

delivering them back to origin

Milkman Route (helps to optimally manage time and hence

increase efficiency)

Receiving and sorting at Railway

station (on ward and backward

journey)

Self developed colored alpha- numeric code printed on the

dabbas

Hub – Hub transfer By dedicated compartments of suburban train network of

Mumbai, sorting is specifically done by experienced

Dabbawallahs (Mukadams)

Loading and Unloading of

Dabbas

Rapid action from the Dabbawallah, specific teams railway

station does the same Figure 1: Distribution System of Dabbawallah

Coding of Origin and Destination of Dabba

Coding system of Dabbawallahs is one of the main ingredients of their delivery system

that helps them keep error level to bare minimum. The dabbawallahs chose to evolve a coding

system that “speaks” to its bunch of illiterate workers, fully recognizing the fact that its strength

lies on its cheap labour and committed workforce. The codification system is the core to material

flow and its tracking in the system. The code, which is painted on the dabba top uses colour,

dashes, crosses, dots and simple symbols to indicate the various parameters like originating

suburb, route to take, destination- station, whose responsibility, the street, building, floor etc. The

system by its simple Structure ensures a smooth flow to and from destination, though a dabba

might pass through as many as 6 persons in each direction of movement every day. Since the


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system is operated by strictly controlled but loosely linked groups, each group has a certain

amount of flexibility in personalizing the coding system.

The code of Dabbawallahs can be bifurcated into 4 parts as shown in the below figure.

Each of the code part speaks of the dabbawalla who is suppose to handle the dabba at that

specific location.

1. Residential station dabbawalla code: As each dabbawalla is assigned uniquely to a

locality to collect dabba this code of a letter or so says where the dabbas have originated

from and who is the dabbawalla who is supposed to handle it on its way back home.

2. Destination station: It speaks the route that the dabba has to be taking to reach its

designated destination in time.

3. Designated Location: This part of the code can is further divided into four parts

a. Dabbawallah who is handling at the destination

b. Building of delivery of the dabba

c. Floor to which the dabba needs to be delivered.

4. Location of delivery: this is more specifically noted to keep in track of the delivery of the

dabba. This takes care that the dabba is not routed to different location of delivery.

Figure 2: Coding system of Dabbawallahs

This four part model helps dabbawalla to not only make the dabba reach its ideal

destination and origin in to and forth direction it also gives flexibility to dabbawalla in terms of

total capacity that can be handled.

Table 4: Capacity supportable by Dabbawalla code

Code Capacity multiplication factor

Destination name As many codes that can be developed

Dabbawalla 6-8 in a group

Building name 30-36 (assume that each customer in a building)

Floor 30 + floor in a building

Destination stations Number of stations in Mumbai suburban rail route


Group 8

According to the above table if n is the number of stations in Mumbai suburban rail route

and if there are an average there are 8 dabbawalla in each group serving to 36 customer each

(average over the last 110 + years) then number of customer that can be distinguished uniquely is

8n*8(n-1)*36*(average number of floor in a building). This code developed by Dabbawallahs is

hugely scalable.

Dabbawallahs of Mumbai on their member’s pride in work, they do not consider

themselves as logistics provider but their job is to provide food to their customers. This is source

of pride for them. It is a great motivator to improve and sustain their performance. The members

belong to a homogeneous (ethnic) group. There is a well developed apprenticeship program. The

compensation is same at the group level. There is no subsidy since group is a homogeneous and

logically a differentiating entity. Each team has slack capacity. Substitutability among members

in a team is easy. Flexible manpower deployment at the destination ensures operational

accuracy. More than one team operating in an originating train station ensures

internal competition and operational efficiency. Let’s see the earnings to cost effectiveness to

find how well they are placed financially and in terms of competition.

Cost per delivery

Fuel cost Rs 0

Transportation cost Rs 2 (Monthly pass Rs 120)

Maintenance cost Rs 1 (Monthly pass Rs 60)

Human resource cost Rs 0

▪ Recruitment by reference

▪ Commitment due to ownership

Technological cost Rs 0

No inventory of cooking Rs 0

Revenue per delivery

Revenue per delivery Rs 6 – 8 (Rs.150 - 200/month )

Overall Cost – Revenue gap Rs 3 -5 per day

Earning by 1 dabbawalla

(Rs 3- 5 per dabba * 30-35 customer) *(6 days a week)*(4 weeks a month)

= (Rs 3120 – Rs 4200) per month – 15 fees

Rs 3105 – Rs 4185 per month * 12 = Rs 37,260 - Rs 50,220 per annum

This is earning of one dabbawalla for a year.

If we consider even in the scenario of average of Rs 175/- is earned by each dabbawalla

for each customer and each dabbawalla on an average serves 32.5 customer on an average then,

his earning is Rs 5,688. i.e. 688 can be spared for a new dabbawalla under training who is paid

Rs 2000 per month. Thus a group of 8 dabbawalla on a average can train 2.75 dabbawalla i.e.

financially it’s scalable.

Critical Success Factors

Dabbawallahs are known and recognized for their negligible number of transactional

errors. A few causes behind their successful performance are as follows.

1. Flexible Infrastructure: The back bone of Dabbawallah’s network is the higher

frequency of sub-urban train services. There is a train service virtually every minute. The


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entire operational area of Mumbai dabbawalla is serviced by the well developed railway

infrastructure. Further, the train services are inexpensively priced.

2. Customer Co-operation: The members of the co-operative do not wait for lunch boxes, if

they are not ready when they arrive for collection at residences. The household

understands the need to be punctual to support the functioning of this organization and

extend appropriate co-operation.

3. Appropriate Network Structure: The logistics network is a combination of milkman

route, hub-hub transfer, and hub and spoke distribution. There is perfect symmetry in the

reverse logistics operation.

4. Codification system: The codification system is the core to material flow and its tracking

in the system.

5. Topography: The Dabbawallah has evolved in the context of Mumbai city. The

operational area topography is linear. At the origination it is dispersed over a large area.

At the destination it is concentrated on a smaller geographical area. The traffic pattern is

characterized by low volume spread over larger area to high volume spread over small

area.

6. Process Capability: The total time required from collection to delivery is about 3 hours.

End to end (conservative) travel time - 1.30 hrs. Travel time to the nearest railway station

at the origin 30 mts. sorting and material handling etc. - 30 mts. and final dispatch - 30

mts. All this adds up to 3 hours. However, the time available for end-end delivery is at

least 4 hours. Thus the BDO process is inherently capable of meeting customer

expectations and specifications.

7. Transport economics: The public infrastructure (sub-urban rail network) is used to

deliver lunch boxes. This keeps the cost low, and hence affordable price to consumers.

Lower price induces volume and scale economics. Depending on the need (at the origin

and destination locations) the allocation of manpower is dynamic and flexible. There are

more members to handle large volume at destination. At collection centers it is more of

spread and appropriate volume and member ownership. Every customer location is

identified with a team member. It is his (members) responsibility to collect lunch boxes

and return empty boxes back home. The codification system incorporates this specific

need. Actually the BDO assigns specific collection routes to individual members.

8. Redundancy: Each route is assigned to an individual member. Often, this information on

collection route is known to every other member in the team. Should there be a need to

substitute a member on collection route it can be done effortlessly, without affecting the

collection process and its accuracy. It can be seen for the above calculation that each

group has a capability to employee an excess of 2-3 dabbawalla for urgent needs.

9. Coordination: The responsibility to collect, transport and deliver lunch boxes is at the

individual member level. There are no managers or supervisors in the system. Every

member is motivated, trained, disciplined and empowered to do his job to the best of his

ability.

10. Structure: The structure is decentralized. The model is scalable (in volume both in terms

of market size that can be served and financially). It is a three tier structure, co-operative

organization. The basic units are individuals, teams and groups. There are in all 120

business units.

11. Compensation: Compensation in a group is same to every member irrespective of work

load and responsibility.


Group 8

Answering the questions to the case

1. How does a services supply chain differ from a manufacturing supply chain? Do you

need different set of measures to assess the effectiveness of a service supply chain?

Services supply chain differs from manufacturing supply chain on following points:

- Flow of Information: Information flow is the backbone of services supply chain enabling

decentralization of divisions and work. There is less physical transfer of material required;

technology can be used to pass on information very fast and rapid. However in

manufacturing, there is a need to transfer physical goods for distribution purposes.

- Inventory: As services have simultaneity of production and consumption, and they are

perishable, inventory management is not an integral part of service supply chain as compared

to manufacturing one.

- Quality: Owing to the heterogeneity factor, the continuous service provided by the supplier

may not be perceived as uniform quality by consumers. So, the Service level agreements

plays a major role in meeting customer expectations whereas product specifications and

product performance determine the quality in manufacturing SCM.

- Capacity Planning: Comparatively higher number of skilled workforce requirement makes

the capacity planning crucial in services SCM. The demand in service industry is highly

inelastic and with high perishability, capacity planning becomes complex

- Demand management: The services supply chain has less flexibility to deal with uncertain

demand due to inability to inventory the service.

- Movement of goods: In a services supply chain, there is little or no movement of goods

between supplier and consumer.

- Bundling: Services can be bundled to extract better consumer surplus (and sell more

services). So, in a services supply chain, there are mostly multiple services offered whereas

in manufacturing supply chain, the possibilities of product bundling are less.

- Pricing: In a service supply chain, due to simultaneous consumption, the end pricing is

difficult to pre-estimate. Also, there is little value addition through physical materials. Hence

pricing in the services supply chain is very complex task.

- Outsourcing: In a services transfer from supplier to a consumer, the consumer can choose to

outsource the supplier need either fully or completely have it in-house. It is difficult to

outsource partially and produce partially in house. Alternatively, in a manufacturing supply

chain, the consumer can produce some and outsource rest of them.

Measures to assess the effectiveness of services supply chain.

- Service Effectiveness: Ability to serve the right customer at the right time than competitors.

Make the customer feel that he has got value for money regarding the service consumed.

- SLA’s: Due to heterogeneity in services, the quantification of a service is not the same across

all consumers. So, the measurements are specified in terms of SLAs. SLAs should


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incorporate clearly measurable and quantifiable service specifications in a range and not

absolute values to have client and supplier on the same page.

- Customer Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction is the highest priority in services supply chain.

The satisfaction can be measured through creation of customer satisfaction index addressing

critical experience or touch points.

- Employee Satisfaction: Another important contributor to success in services is the

relationship built by the employees with the customers. The number of employees in

interaction with the customers may vary based on the level of customer interaction. However

a higher employee satisfaction and retention will maintain the quality of service provided.

Employing the above measures of effectiveness we can see that dabbawallahs of Mumbai are

effective in not only ensuring quality of service delivered but also able to meet to customer

expectations in terms of parameters like punctuality, helping hand to customer, customer

satisfaction but also Employee satisfaction and have a highly motivated and self driven staff.

2. What are the economics of Dabbawallah meal distribution network? Is it a sustainable

and a scalable business model? What is your assessment of the future of Dabbawallahs?

Do you have any suggestion for Raghunath Medge?

Economics of Dabbawallah meal distribution network.

Economics of a system can be explained on the following factors:

- Efficiency: The dabbawalla model offers the best cost effective service and value for money.

The business motive of Dabbawallah is non-profit, but at the same time it is fulfilling the

basic needs of the partners and the Trust appropriately. A nominal fee is charged to the

customer with volumes driving the profit centers.

- Growth: The dabbawalla partners are highly productive and over the years they have been

able to manage the growth in customer base with existing infrastructure and addition of more

dabbawallahs. Of late they have also started providing new services such as supplying lunch

to school children and contracting with caterers as a part of expansion.

- Liberty: The Trust considers dabbawallahs as partners and not employees. The partners take

responsibilities for their actions; the Mukadams back the dabbawallahs in times of need; the

public namely the pedestrians understand the urgency of the dabbawalla system and give

them the free of way.

- Equality: All partners in the Dabbawallah get the same pay irrespective of age, experience

and type of work. The operations are fully decentralized and each group is responsible for

their work.

Is the model sustainable and scalable

Dabbawallahs competitive strategy elements include identification of a long lasting

customer segment or need, effective use of public infrastructure, standardized operating

procedures, partnership with customer, motivated and empowered employees and an

appropriate material flow tracking system. A brief detail of these elements follow.


Group 8

- Perpetual Need: Dabbawalla caters to the basic yet perpetual demand of (serving) delivering

home prepared (ethnic) food to Indian middle income executives working in Bombay. The

need is more acute because of long commuting time, congested traffic conditions and long

travel distances. This market segment would exist for long time to come. The only erosion to

this market size or need is from changing food habits of Indian middle income group

executives. While this is a reality, the change is surely expected to be slow. Therefore, in the

immediate future, Dabbawallah is assured of its business so long as it can meet customer

expectations on delivery and price (service charges).

- Value Pricing: The core to Dabbawallah's operational efficiency is the well managed

Bombay metro rail network. On any scale of comparison, for its wider reach and frequency

of operations, the members use the rail network for a nominal price. The 5000 members are

paid a reasonable compensation. The entire sets of operations are done manually. All these

contribute to lower operational cost and hence a reasonable price (or value pricing) to the

consumers. Complemented by a large customer base, satisfied customers and an ever

increasing working class population at Bombay, this business model is a passport to

perpetual growth.

Looking at the competition on the price base

Dabbawalla provides home food at the office at a marginal cost of Rs 120 –Rs 200 a month

where restaurants and other food centers including caterer charge Rs 120 to Rs 20 per meal

with the quality of food is not assured.

- Standard Operating Procedures: Dabbawallahs over a period of time has evolved as an

outstanding example of standard operating procedure. There is no uncertainty in the delivery

model at any stage. The individual member's role is clearly articulated. The information flow

to track material (codification system) is perfect. Members are empowered in task execution.

There is an element of internal competition: multiple teams in the same geographical location

are operational to generate additional business volume. Fair business practices and joy of

work, pride in activity, fun mixed with work break the mono-tonicity is embedded in the

DNA of operating procedure of Dabbawallah.

- Partnership with stakeholders: There are three important stakeholders groups with whom

dabbawalla enjoys an excellent relationship. The first set is its primary customers. They

support customers in meeting no delay in delivering lunch boxes and accepting delivery at

the floor level in the destination locations. The members are delighted to work for

dabbawalla (supported by empowerment, compensation and an economic activity for

livelihood).

- Operational excellence: Dabbawallahs have a remarkable and enviable quality record. This

is a combination of flexible infrastructure, adequate buffer in material handling, reasonable

and achievable service level specifications, elaborate and efficient codification system, self

motivated and empowered employees, dynamic and flexible deployment of members to

execute a given task, adopting a variety and mix of transportation models, and commitment

to work ethics.

- Performance measures: Dabbawallah performance measures are real time transactions

based. As a matter of fact every transaction is monitored in terms of its collection,

transportation, and delivery. Revenue collection is periodic and systematic. Employee


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(member) productivity is volume based. Compensation is equal; group based and is a

function of revenue generated. Given internal competition at the group level this model is

self corrective. Broadly there are no fixed assets. Therefore assets productivity is irrelevant.

- Customer focus: Dabbawalla is a service organization focused on customer expectation

management. The service is priced low to attract and retain relevant customer segment and

base. The process is capable enough in the context of assurances made to customers. They

have elevated the purpose of their business to an opportunity to provide food (higher order

objective than transport logistics support to deliver lunch boxes). The discipline,

empowerment, commitment to work of members are all consequences of this higher order

objective in meeting customer expectations.

Assessment of future of dabbawallahs:

Dabbawallah system thrives on three major pillars – efficient and reliable work force,

willingness of people to have home food (yet not carry the lunch box themselves) and cost

effective model.

- The efficient and reliable work force continues to exist. There are many aspirants in the

“mavla” villages that are still willing to work as dabbawallahs with the hope of becoming

Mukadams one day.

- There will always be a demand for home food during lunch. Hence, the sustenance of the

model is strong given the continuing market opportunity.

- The business model is very cost effective as it uses the reliable local suburban train network

and there is no profit motive yet overall welfare motive.

Suggestions for Raghunath Medge:

The dabbawalla model is operationally efficient. So, there are no improvements/suggestions

on operations front. But we have suggestions on marketing and diversification front.

- Since, more families have dual income; cooking food at home for lunch is becoming a distant

phenomenon. Still, the demand for quality food delivered at office desk is there.

Dabbawallah system could enter into partnerships with good quality caterers to address this

upcoming need.

- Mr. Medge can target bachelors and college students living in hostels and relying on mess

food.

- The strength of dabbawalla system is their network and their honest and truthful partners. Mr.

Medge can diversify and provide services such as day time document delivery/courier

service, free sample deliveries, etc. by riding on the same infrastructure that they are

comfortable with. They can also tie up with businesses and market products that require more

market penetration.

- Parallel and contemporary market that is not served is that of the dinner market. If

dabbawalla could tap on to the same it could be fruitful as a business.


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- Medge and his dabbawalla can tap on to transportation of perishable valuables like flowers in

short haul distance.

- If dabbawallahs can overcome their language barrier they can extend their services to other

metro cities in India where a similar market could have been waiting.


Group 8

References

1. Dabbawallahs of Mumbai (A), Richard Ivey School of Business, University of Western

Ontario, Case No. 9B04D0111998.

2. Ajay Kumar Chourasia and CSV Ratna, Dabbawallahs: Food line of Mumbai, ICFAI Press,

Hyderabad (ICFAI Case No. 804-020-1).

3. Dabbawallahs await their date with Prince Charles, Afternoon Dispatch & Courier,

October 30, 2003.

4. Dabbawallahs - epitome of management skills, Times News Network, January 18, 2004.

5. N. Ravichandran (2004), Logistics: The Bombay Dabbawallah's Operations, Presentation in

INFORMS Meeting, Denver, Oct. 24-27, 2004.

6. Gangaram Talekar and Raghunath Medge (2005), Six Sigma in Practice: Bombay

Dabbawallah Operations, Invited Presentation in 37th Annual Convention of Operational

Research Society of India, Ahmedabad, January 8-11, 2005.

7. The Wonder of Dabbawallahs Unfolded, Presentation in the One Day Workshop on Supply

Chain Management, July 23, 2004, CII, Kerala, Ernakulum.

Dabbawallahs of Mumbai

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