After Prince Charles and Sir Richard Branson, United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke on Friday met the dabbawalas here to understand their coding system for efficient delivery of lunch boxes and praise them for their management model.
“We are happy that our management model and coding system is receiving world-wide applause. Visits by such big people only make us glad,” Sopan Lakshman Mare, chairperson of Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, said after meeting Mr. Locke with a delegation of around 30 dabbawalas.
The dabbawalas felicitated Mr. Locke by giving him a varkari shawl, a bouquet of flowers, sweets, Gandhi cap and a tiffin box. Mr. Locke gave them a memento seal with his name and department inscribed on it.
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The dabbawalas attracted international attention after Prince Charles and Sir Branson of the Virgin Group visited them and appreciated their efficiency.
“This is our third generation in the business now. We never go on strike. We have been doing this for the past 120 years. Of the 5,000 dabbawalas, half are illiterate, but our functioning has never been hampered. We are Six Sigma certified. We are happy that so many people want to learn management lessons from us,” Mr. Mare said.
He said that however big a dignitary might be, they met the person only if he/she stuck to the time. “Even when Prince Charles came, we gave him a timing of 11.15 a.m. We can't wait for anyone if that person gets late. After all we have to take care of our delivery systems,” he said, adding that the dabbawalas made sure that the tiffins reached their destination by 12.30 pm.
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