Chennai gets its own ‘dabbawala’

Business & Economy
The business in Chennai is currently being promoted through the social media and word of mouth publicity. Picture used for representation purpose.
The business in Chennai is currently being promoted through the social media and word of mouth publicity. Picture used for representation purpose.

Start-up aims at replicating the most successful business model

Even in today’s age, when a couple of taps on the phone are all you need to get food at your doorstep, the ‘dabbawalas’ of Mumbai remain legends. The enormously successful business model, marked by highly efficient food delivery to thousands via cycles and suburban trains, has not only been studied by management students, but is also a cultural phenomenon with books and at least one famous recent movie focussing on it.

Chennai Dabbawala as it is called has been launched in the first week of October by L. Deva. Having nil knowledge about the working of the Dabbawalas of Mumbai, Mr. Deva who is the proprietor of Chennai Dabbawala, does not find it a shortcoming in launching the food box delivery in the city.

The Computer Science graduate having had a hand in courier service in Guindy finds food delivery an extension of it. He said Chennai Dabbawala has been launched with the motto: ‘Delivered on time, each time’.

At present the business is being promoted through social media such as Facebook (@ChennaiDabbawala) and word of mouth of their courier clients. Mr. Deva said: “Already we have a number of clients particularly north Indians who prefer home-cooked food being delivered fresh and fast.”

Mr. Deva said the lunch box delivery rate for the first three km is ₹600, for three to six km ₹700 and for six to nine km ₹900.

From cab to food

Uber, the taxi-aggregator, has entered the bandwagon of food delivery by launching UberEATS. The mobile app of food delivery service was launched in the city on Friday.

UberEATS has partnered with more than 200 restaurants in the city including A2B, Aasife Biryani, Cream Store and Fruit Shop on Greams Road.

Bhavik Rathod, Head of UberEATS India, said the food delivery app UberEATS has been launched in the city within five months of commencing the food delivery operations in the country.

To tap the festive season, UberEast has started FestiveEATS where customers could order their foods on the UberEATS app at exclusive offers with an introductory delivery fee being ₹1. The FestiveEATS service would be open from October 14.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by R. Srikanth / Chennai – October 24th, 2017