Mr. Sandeep Shantaram Gaikar
(Dabbawala)
Managing Director, Dabbawala Enterprises Limited
Managing Director, Dabbawala Welfare Council
President, Dabbawala Charity

Mr. Sadeep Shantaram Gaikar is a Dabbawala from Mumbai.  He started working as Dabbawala at a very young age because of financial challenges. He has been delivering tiffin Boxes for around 30 years. After working for around 30 years as Dabbawala, he realized that majority of the Dabbawalas face many financial hardships like no income proof, no bank account, no income tax returns, no financial credit, no insurance, no medi-claim coverage, no housing loan and no financial support. These financial problems have severely affected the quality of life of Dabbawalas. In March 2017, he registered “Dabbawala Charity” under The Societies Registration Act, 1860 for the welfare of the Dabbawala community. Subsequently, in September 2017, he created history by incorporating “Dabbawala Enterprises Private Limited” as the first corporate company of the Dabbawalas. Later on, in June 2023, he incorporated “Dabbawala Welfare Council” as the first section 8 “not-for-profit” company under the Companies Act, 2013 with the Registrar of companies, ministry of corporate affairs, Government of India to carry out large-scale welfare programs for the Dabbawala community. Mr. Sadeep Shantaram Gaikar has limited formal education. He still does hard work of delivering tiffin boxes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Area.

“After working for around 30 years as Dabbawala, and seeing their hardships and problems, I have founded Dabbawala Enterprises Limited, Dabbawala Welfare Council and Dabbawala Charity for the inclusive and all-round development and welfare of the Dabbawala community.”