Food aggregator Swiggy takes dabbawalas’ help to train its delivery staff

BENGALURU: Bengaluru-based food aggregator Swiggy has partnered with the famous Mumbai dabbawalas to train its own delivery fleet ahead of its launch in four Mumbai neighbourhoods.

Dabbawalas were invited to give a presentation on how they ensure efficiency and accuracy of their logistics system, from packaging meals to training new dabbawalas, and even how to deal with emergency situations. This was followed by an interactive session between the dabbawalas and Swiggy’s own delivery boys, according to the company.

"The dabbawalas are something that you immediately identify with when it comes to food delivery in Mumbai," said Nandan Reddy, cofounder, Swiggy.

"We want to understand the dabbawalas’ culture and what drives them with regards to quality and consistency of deliveries, and put them in place in Swiggy."

The Mumbai dabbawalas, a century-old system by which the delivery men bring hundreds of thousands of homemade meals to office workers without the aid of technology, is estimated to have an error rate of one in six million.

"Mumbai dabbawalas can teach delivery companies about making deliveries consistent, timely and accurate. Their passion and commitment is not about work culture, but because work is worship," said Pawan Agrawal, who travels globally to speak on Mumbai dabbawalas. "After such a workshop, they can do best."

As part of its launch strategy in Mumbai, Swiggy also ran a Rs 1 vada pav campaign last weekend, its first in the city.

Swiggy is present in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi and Gurgaon, and is expected to launch in Pune next week. It recently raised Rs 105 crore in a funding round led by Norwest Ventures.