Affordable Housing for Mumbai’s Dabbawalas: 500 sq ft Homes at ₹25.50 Lakh, Announces CM Fadnavis at International Experience Centre Launch

Mumbai, Aug 2025 – On the eve of Independence Day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a historic announcement for Mumbai’s dabbawala community, declaring that they will be offered 500 sq ft homes for just ₹25.50 lakh. This affordable housing project will be implemented through the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and other government schemes.

The announcement came during the inauguration of the “Dabbawala International Experience Centre” at Bandra West, presided over by CM Fadnavis. He assured the dabbawalas that they would soon have access to low-cost housing. Present at the event were Minister of Cultural Affairs and Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister Adv. Ashish Shelar, MLAs Shrikant Bharatiya, Yogesh Sagar, Tamil Selvan, as well as Ulhas Muke, President of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Supplier Charity Trust, Ramdas Karwande, President of the Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association, Secretary Kiran Gawande, and other dignitaries.

Praising the dabbawalas, CM Fadnavis said that over their 135-year journey, they have demonstrated world-class management skills purely through human intelligence, without the use of computers or artificial intelligence—delivering tiffins without error or delay. He lauded the transformation of “Dabbawala Bhavan” into an international experience centre, where visitors can now immerse themselves in dabbawala culture via virtual reality, from morning prayers to local train travel, lunch deliveries, and meal services. He called their alcohol-free, Warkari-tradition-based service a source of inspiration globally, and promised to provide better facilities at the centre in the future.

He specially thanked Mr. Tripathi for providing land for the dabbawalas’ housing project and Jayesh Shah and his team for undertaking high-quality construction without profit. He noted that all procedures had been completed transparently and the agreement was signed on this day.

Minister Ashish Shelar said the centre was a proud moment for Mumbai, as it would inspire tourists worldwide and offer lessons in management, enhancing the city’s global identity. He praised CM Fadnavis for pushing forward housing and redevelopment for mill workers, BDD chawl residents, Dharavi and Kamathipura locals, Koli communities, and pavement vendors.

MLA Shrikant Bharatiya highlighted that 27 universities worldwide are studying the dabbawala culture and said that the next generation of dabbawalas will operate the centre using modern technology.

Earlier, Kiran Gawande, Secretary of the Dabbawala Association, recounted the 135-year legacy of Mumbai’s dabbawalas and expressed gratitude for the public’s support during the COVID-19 lockdown when their work was halted.