Now, get Airtel services from your dabbawala

Mumbai's famed dabbawalas, who once shook hands with British heir Prince Charles, are now embracing a new friend - telecom major Airtel.

The hands and feet of these highly-efficient deliverers of the city's lunch tiffins, will now also supply households they visit, Airtel's pre-paid cards, new connections and bundled handsets.

"This is a one-of-a-kind initiative tapped by Airtel for deeper penetration in the market," Manu Talwar, CEO, Airtel, said.

"Airtel has partnered with Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers to sell its prepaid cards, new connections and bundled handsets", he said.

"The company is all set to leverage the large distribution network of dabbawalas to reach out to a larger consumer base," he said.

So why dabbawalas? "They are known for their honest, down-to-earth and gentlemanly nature," said Talwar.The dabbawalas today have a reach of about 2 lakh household and 70 Mumbai suburban train stations.