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For unskilled labour in India, that’s very good money. The average wage in India is around 350-400 INR per day worked

legolas2412 6y ago
But Swiggy etc pay 25-50k https://www.livemint.com/Companies/cYbdfsYk93HFhMuC0XgaNN/Swiggy-Zomato-hike-delivery-boy-salaries-as-competition-gro.html https://www.livemint.com/Companies/cYbdfsYk93HFhMuC0XgaNN/Sw...
- econcon 6y ago
  I am curious, is there any reason why dabba people don't switch to Swiggy for job? If they'll make more there.
  - _curious_ 6y ago
    "The dabbawalas have deeper reasons for doing it. Serving their customers is like serving their god.” It could be because they see their purpose as delivering food to people on time and it doesn't seem like the nascent services have figured out how to do that well at scale - thus they may make more over there but are less fulfilled in their life mission?
  - manquer 6y ago
    Swiggy and other delivery startups are more demanding in work hours (to make good money you need to do late nights weekends etc) and also needs you be able to drive a scooter . Also these startups need you to be able use their mobile app, maps and gps and find the customer these require literacy and few other skills Dabbawalas may not have readily.
  - pkaye 6y ago
    Dabbawalas are more involved with transporting home cooked food to the worker. The worker leaves early in the morning and some time later the spouse will have a hot meal packed up. The dabbawala will come pick it up and aggregate orders going to common destinations, move it by train, etc. I presume Swiggy is only for restaurant cooked food. Secondly the dabbawala jobs are more like a stable union job. You don't get the top money but everyone looks after each other. Of course with time customer preferences may change towards restaurant food. Or maybe workers start using plastic containers and microwaves.
searchableguy 6y ago
For Mumbai? Will need citation for that but regardless, my point is that it is still not a livable wage regardless of whether it is average or above average. Secondly, the parent compared food delivery startups and companies - both of which pay more than 12k monthly assuming you work 8 hours per day.
- balladeer 6y ago
  They don't live in Mumbai usually and if they do in the slums. They live on the outskirts and commute by Mumbai Local. In main areas of Mumbai that amount may not even fetch a small sized windowless room (no kitchen, or living space - just a room and a common washroom outside) and I am not even talking about "posh" Mumbai.

But Swiggy etc pay 25-50k https://www.livemint.com/Companies/cYbdfsYk93HFhMuC0XgaNN/Swiggy-Zomato-hike-delivery-boy-salaries-as-competition-gro.html https://www.livemint.com/Companies/cYbdfsYk93HFhMuC0XgaNN/Sw...

econcon 6y ago
I am curious, is there any reason why dabba people don't switch to Swiggy for job? If they'll make more there.
- _curious_ 6y ago
  "The dabbawalas have deeper reasons for doing it. Serving their customers is like serving their god.” It could be because they see their purpose as delivering food to people on time and it doesn't seem like the nascent services have figured out how to do that well at scale - thus they may make more over there but are less fulfilled in their life mission?
- manquer 6y ago
  Swiggy and other delivery startups are more demanding in work hours (to make good money you need to do late nights weekends etc) and also needs you be able to drive a scooter . Also these startups need you to be able use their mobile app, maps and gps and find the customer these require literacy and few other skills Dabbawalas may not have readily.
- pkaye 6y ago
  Dabbawalas are more involved with transporting home cooked food to the worker. The worker leaves early in the morning and some time later the spouse will have a hot meal packed up. The dabbawala will come pick it up and aggregate orders going to common destinations, move it by train, etc. I presume Swiggy is only for restaurant cooked food. Secondly the dabbawala jobs are more like a stable union job. You don't get the top money but everyone looks after each other. Of course with time customer preferences may change towards restaurant food. Or maybe workers start using plastic containers and microwaves.

searchableguy 6y ago

For Mumbai? Will need citation for that but regardless, my point is that it is still not a livable wage regardless of whether it is average or above average. Secondly, the parent compared food delivery startups and companies - both of which pay more than 12k monthly assuming you work 8 hours per day.

balladeer 6y ago
They don't live in Mumbai usually and if they do in the slums. They live on the outskirts and commute by Mumbai Local. In main areas of Mumbai that amount may not even fetch a small sized windowless room (no kitchen, or living space - just a room and a common washroom outside) and I am not even talking about "posh" Mumbai.