in Bombay, dabbawalas roam the streets delivering meals

At lunchtime, we see them roaming the streets of Bombay by bike or on foot. Dabbawalas (box deliverers) have been importing meals for office workers that their families have prepared for over a century. A unique logistics system in the world in which Shantaram Gargo, 23 years in the business, is proud to participate. After inspecting his uniform and praying to the Hindu goddess of prosperity, he rides his bike for the first half of his morning and collects the meals his customers have prepared.

A unique system in the world

For 13 euros per month, more than 100,000 families in Bombay call on dabbawallas. The delivery men, once their tour is finished, meet in small groups to distribute the meals to be distributed by neighborhood, using a coded system. Paid 170 euros per month, they have an obligation: deliver all their meals before 1 p.m. A lunch can be delivered up to 70 km from the home where it was collected.

This delivery system was the subject of an Indian film released ten years ago, Lunchbox. After delivering the meals, the dabbawallas meet to eat in turn. A product of a world without technology, they worry about competition from online delivery services. Despite the difficulties, there are more than 5,000 dabbawalas.