Mumbai, India - May 15, 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Board with information of dabbawalas, known as tiffin box delivery men
2. Dabbawalas on street
3. Various of dabbawala taking order on phone, on delivery mission
4. SOUNDBITE (Hindi) Vishnu Kaldoke, dabbawala (partially overlaid with shot 5):
"Until before the lockdown, we had two lakh dabbas [tiffin boxes] being delivered by 5,000 dabbawalas. As of today, only 2 to 3 percent of tiffins are being delivered by 2 to 3 percent dabbawalas, to people such as workers who provide emergency services, and medical workers like doctors, nurses, etc., and to COVID-19 centers."
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5. Various of dabbawalas waiting for delivery order on street
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6. Various of dabbawala on delivery mission, other dabbawalas
7. SOUNDBITE (Hindi) Shivaji Sakaram Sawant, dabbawala:
"Earlier we used to earn 20,000 or 15,000 or such, and now if we earn 2,000 or 4,000, how are we going to support our families?"
8. SOUNDBITE (Hindi) Prakash Shinde, dabbawala (partially overlaid with shot 8):
"I have a mother, wife, three kids, we live on rent. If customers are going to work, then tiffins are delivered. If they are not going to work, then no tiffins are delivered. How will we fill our stomachs by delivering 3 or 4 Dabbas?"
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8. abbawalas waiting for delivery order
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9. Various of dabbawala on delivery mission, other counterparts waiting

The continuous surging COVID-19 cases in India have further stagnated local businesses and eroded the earnings of Mumbai's lunchbox or 'tiffin box' delivery staff, who are popularly known as dabbawalas.

A number of dabbawalas have not been allowed to enter residential buildings and offices due to pandemic restrictions while job losses of their clients or those working from home have made the tiffin service redundant.

According to a dabbawala named Prakash Shinde, their business shrunk dramatically as a result of the surging epidemic and the subsequent lockdowns.

"Until before the lockdown, we had two lakh dabbas [tiffin boxes] being delivered by 5,000 dabbawalas. As of today, only 2 to 3 percent of tiffins are being delivered by 2 to 3 percent dabbawalas, to people such as workers who provide emergency services, and medical workers like doctors, nurses, etc., and to COVID-19 centers," said Vishnu Kaldoke, another dabbawala.

Dabbawalas, who deliver to more than 200,000 people in the city, have held a long enduring career in Mumbai's history dating back to 1890, when a banker wanted to have home cooked meals at his office and hired the first ever dabbawalla, later the service expanded into a wide reaching industry over the numerous decades.

Each dabbawala has a relatively fixed customer base, delivering a box lunch every weekday for a total of 1,000 rupees (around 13.65 U.S. dollars) a month.

However, the health risks related to food delivery have been greatly increased after the new outbreak of the epidemic in the country.

The income for the dabbawalas have decreased due to the drop in demand while most of the lunch carriers have to return to their hometown or temporarily change careers. Those who chose to stay in the position can hardly earning enough to cover daily life expenses.

"Earlier we used to earn 20,000 or 15,000 or such, and now if we earn 2,000 or 4,000, how are we going to support our families?" said Shivaji Sakaram Sawant, a dabbawala.

"I have a mother, wife, three kids, we live on rent. If customers are going to work, then tiffins are delivered. If they are not going to work, then no tiffins are delivered. How will we fill our stomachs by delivering 3 or 4 dabbas?" said Shinde.