For 133 years, the iconic Dabbawallahs of Mumbai have donned their signature white uniforms and caps, pedaling their way through the bustling streets of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and completing their tasks with clockwork precision. This dedicated and highly organised group of locals continue to deliver home-cooked meals to office-goers.

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Dabbawallahs can be seen riding their tiffin-laden bicycles on the roads of Mumbai and travelling in local trains with their tiffins. The bicycles used by Dabbawallahs can be seen outside every local railway station.

Mumbai Dabbawallahs have been a significant part of Mumbai's culture, history, and tradition for the last 133 years.

The foundation of the Dabbawallahs dates back to 1890 when Mahadu Bacche, who worked as a wager at a bank, noticed a Parsi banker traveling home during lunch hours for her food. He offered to pick up her tiffin from her home and deliver it to her office, thus starting Mumbai's Dabbawallah service.

Come heavy rainfall, scorching summers, and even various riots and terror attacks, Mumbai Dabbawallahs have never stopped working. However, when the COVID-19 lockdown was imposed, for the first time in their history, the dabba delivery came to a halt.

The lockdown changed everything for the Dabbawallahs. Many of them took odd jobs, and some returned to their native places, hoping the situation would soon return to normal. But that didn't happen. After months, Dabbawallahs returned to work only to realise that there wasn't enough work for them. With work from home arrangements, job cuts, and COVID-related fears, their livelihood was severely impacted.

Tukaram Bendure, a 24-year-old Dabbawallah, recalls that when he returned from his village in August 2020 and started contacting his old customers, he received no response. He had to work as a food delivery app employee, where the working hours were longer, and the pay was lower. Tukaram says that it took him months to bring the old customers back on board, and even now, most of his clientele has yet to opt for his service again. This meant that there wasn't enough work or clients for all the Dabbawallahs.

Before the lockdown, over 5,000 Dabbawallahs used to deliver more than 2 lakh tiffins across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Now, there are only 1300-1400 Dabbawallahs and only 40,000 customers.

However, the Dabbawallahs have decided not to dwell on the past. They have decided to come up with new ventures of their own to stay relevant and generate enough work for themselves.

They have launched a centralised kitchen where homemade meals are prepared and delivered. They have also decided to venture into the food delivery app market, and that is a work in progress. The Dabbawallahs believe that with their home-cooked meals, a wider range of delivery areas, and much lower delivery rates, they will provide tough competition to other food delivery apps.

Ulhas Muke, President of the Mumbai Dabbawallah Association, told CNBC-TV18, "Our chain system will continue with the app and the kitchen. Our delivery area will be wider and it will be homemade food. We are also sure that Mumbaikars will support our ventures."

Mumbai’s Dabbawallahs are determined on keeping the old-school Dabba delivery style alive. For them, it's more than just earning a livelihood — it's a matter of keeping tradition and history alive. Though they are evolving with the times, they are keen on ensuring that Mumbai will continue to see the iconic dabbawalas in their white caps and white uniforms, delivering fresh homemade food with clockwork precision for many more years.

(Edited by : Anand Singha)