The Indian tiffin box system or the dabbawalas report the appointment station at 9 a.m. One man picks up the lunchboxes from the maker’s house and at 10.30 they meet other dabbawalas at the reporting station where the dabbas are sorted on the basis of delivery location.
The sorted lunch boxes are packed in crates and assigned to individual dabbawalas, who transport it by cycle or train depending on the delivery location.
Each crate holds 30 dabbas and the tiffin reaches the office before lunchtime 1 pm. After delivery the Indian tiffin delivery men (or the dabbawalas) have their lunch and then the empty boxes are collected and returned to the maker’s home.