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With AI, VR and walls that speak, Bandra museum is immortalising legacy of Mumbai dabbawalas
Speaking at the event, Fadnavis said, 'Your work is like finding a needle in a haystack, but despite that, you have not made any mistake; that is why you are being studied in management schools, as well.'
Now, the legacy of Mumbai's dabbawalas has found a permanent home in the form of a dedicated museum in Bandra. With much fanfare and in true Maharashtrian style, the doors to the Mumbai Dabbawala International Experience Centre (MDIEC) were flung open to the public on 14 August by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Mumbai: Donning their signature white kurta-pyjamas and Gandhi topis, dabbawalas do more than carrry tiffins around—they are synonymous with Mumbai's identity. Navigating the streets with handcarts, bicycles, and suburban trains, they move in step with the city's daily rhythm, dominating its landscape from early morning to evening.
'You have never used computers or artificial intelligence; just with human intelligence, you created coding better than a computer,' he added.
Mumbai's dabbawalas have earned global recognition for their unmatched efficiency, time management, and eco-friendly operations.
Kiran Gawande, secretary of the Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, in an emotional address, said, 'We are known worldwide for our time management. This museum honours that legacy. I also want to stress—we do not use any fuel that pollutes the environment, nor any modern technology, yet our service remains flawless.'
With the new museum, Mumbai celebrates not just a profession, but a tradition that continues to inspire.
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History of Mumbai's dabbawalas & AI, VR experiences
The dabbawalas, who trace their backstory to 1890, transport home-cooked meals to students and office-goers every day. Throughout this 135-year period, their service has remained uninterrupted—save for a brief pause during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like many other businesses, the pandemic dealt a heavy blow to the dabbawala service, with their numbers in Mumbai falling from around 5,000 to just 2,000. Before it, they transported over two lakh dabbas daily—a figure that has now dropped to less than a lakh.
The Mumbai Dabbawala International Experience Centre (MDIEC) is located on the ground floor of the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) building in Bandra. A large replica of a tiffin adorned with a Gandhi topi stands at the entrance.
Upon entering the museum, a moving portrait of Mahadeo Bachche, the founder who started the service in 1890, glows on a large LED screen.
The story of his life and how he established this unique tiffin service unfolds on the wall inside the museum hall. On one of the screens, his first client is brought to life in a colourful animated form.
Since the dabbawalas belong to the Warkari sect, with most hailing from Khed, Maval, and Mulshi talukas, a large idol of Lord Vitthal—the revered deity of the Warkaris—stands prominently at the centre of the museum.
Another wall showcases the evolving history of the dabbawalas from 1890 to 2003, when then-Prince Charles, now King Charles III, met hundreds of dabbawalas at Churchgate in Mumbai. He learned about their unique coding system and praised their unwavering commitment to serving the bustling city. Later, King Charles III invited dabbawalas to London for his coronation on 6 May 2023, an event attended by two representatives.
A third wall features a reel drawing upon the dabbawalas' daily routine, extending nine hours, from 8 am to 5 pm, in a cinematic format.
The Harvard Business School, in 2010, published its observations on the dabbawalas in a case study titled 'The Dabbawala System: On-Time Delivery, Every Time'.
It was graded six sigma in 1998, which means the dabbawalas make fewer than 3.4 mistakes per million transactions.
Renowned for their efficiency and accuracy, the Dabbawalas now have a wall in the museum dedicated to their colour coding system, offering visitors an in-depth explanation.
'The concept [of the museum] began in 2023 when BJP MLC Shrikant Bhartiya dedicated Rs 2 crore from his funds. That time, we thought we would have pictures and photos, not a technologically advanced [museum], but later, when Fadnavis came [as deputy chief minister], he dedicated another Rs 5 crore from his MLA funds, and thus, we decided to add more technology into the displays,' Tukaram Bendure, member, Mumbai Tiffin Box services, told ThePrint.
Technology adds a playful twist to the museum experience. Visitors can step into the shoes of a dabbawala with the help of Artificial Intelligence (AI), see themselves transformed into a dabbawala avatar on a large screen, capture the moment with a photograph, and conveniently download it later, using a QR code.
There is also an element of Virtual Reality (VR) in the experience, giving visitors a taste of what it is like to be a dabbawala and carry tiffin boxes across the city.
The tickets and timings for the museum will likely be decided in the coming days, said Bendure.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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