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Markets in Mumbai Local
Posted by Kartik Varadpande on March 29, 2010
Mumbai local trains are special. Many adjectives have been attached to them – crowded, chaotic, efficient, (mostly) timely, etc. However chaotic, there are patterns in the chaos. There are rules and norms – mostly unwritten. But today I want to write about something different about these locals.
A passenger is inside the train for an average of 30-45 minutes in each trip. If he is lucky he can get a seat and catch some sleep. If he is still lucky, he can get to stand at the door and enjoy fresh air. Otherwise he doesn’t have much choice. If he looks at others (especially if straight in the eye), that is a gross violation of privacy and only results in dirty looks back (unwritten rule #2363). If he has a newspaper to read, it should be folded vertically (rule # 1522) and so on. Basically there are not many activities one can do apart from looking here and there.
This is a dream situation for a marketer – large number of (frustrated) people generally thinking about futility of their daily routines, with no choice but to look at limited space inside the train, on average for 30-45 minutes each day in the morning and evening. I mean why would you advertise in IPL when the alternative is so potent… and free?
Coming to these ads in local trains, again patterns start emerging from the chaos. Tyler Cowen often points to situations where basic economics seems to work in remote/funny/bizarre settings under title ‘markets in everything’. Here is one such case – Babas/Jyotishis advertising inside Mumbai local trains.
First there was only Adil Shah who had ’100% solution’ on ‘A to z problems’ within ‘ 12 hours’.
Within days, others pitched in offering solutions in ’11 hours’ also offering specializations.
Then more competitors came, cut down the time to ’10 hours’ and also offered more variety of services.
Recently one poster was spotted with ’7 hours’ time for solution. And don’t forget the cashback offer – “Mere kaam ko katne wale ko nagad inaam”.
Then there are others who have found own niches without needing to mention hours for solution. For example, giving a Rin-style slap to the competition – “Bangali babaon se sawdhan, lete hain paisa karte nahi kaam” and then echoing the cashback offer. Free prototype yantra is offered for 3 days (damn that shareware). Then he is also a Gold medalist (in what). Possibilities are endless.
However there are couple of things I have not understood yet which are common to literally every one of these Babas. Why every one of them require exactly two mobile no.s? And What’s with Saibaba’s pic on either of top corners?
Well, to summarize the competition, here are USPs of the Babas spotted recently.
| Name | Time for solution | Speciality |
| Adil Shah | 12 | A to Z samasyaon ka samadhan |
| Rajbharati | 11 | Not much (rip off from Adil Shah) |
| Baba Samani ji | 11 | Guarantee card |
| Baba Ali Khan | 11 | “Pyar me chot khaye avashya mile” |
| Miyan Kamal Khan | 10 | “My promise” “101% solution” (in a different version of poster) |
| Guru Moin ji Samrat | 7 | “Chetavni Chetavni” Cash back Guarantee card |
| Sikandar Shah | - | Gold medallist “Lete hain paisa Karte nahi kaam” Cash back Free shareware prototype |
| Jyotish Ranaji | - | Recognizes name by face Multi-colour poster |
Remember, all these posters are printed and put inside trains without paying anything to the railways. So cost is minimal. Anybody visiting such a crack ‘baba’ is sure to get ripped off. So potential earning comes at negligible cost. There is no wonder this market and the ad-space is hotly contested.
Markets do work in everything.
saee said
LOL nice one. :D
But I am really curious to know what “kam” they can do. Can they write a thesis in 12 hours? :)
Anand Gautam said
LOL!
Now I am slightly more relieved, was getting seriously concerned seeing all those photos on your phone!! :P
Nice article though :)
Andrew said
Don’t you think that when people are completely crammed into those spaces, no one will be able to read the ads. You’d still get the people reading them when the trains aren’t full though. Don’t know if that will be enough.
Gayatri said
LOL!
Nostalgia strikes…! I suddenly miss traveling in local trains now!
But it’s not just the babas.. the advertising of the male “energy” pills can give pfizer a run for it’s money.
This post is awesome! :D
Gayatri said
btw for some reason I can’t see the share on FB button
Kaustubh said
LOL!!
Brilliant Post.
I had also written about marketing in local trains long back. Would like to share it here.
http://mattermhane.blogspot.com/2006/11/blog-post.html
Anand Hingway said
Good post. Contributes another picture for the collage that is Mumbai (or Bombay, to the purists – or was it Mumbai for the purists? Well, I digress).
Kartik Varadpande said
Thanks all…
@Saee – You mean, thesis writing is equally fraud? ;-)
@Anand Gautam – Yea, now you know. Silence was and is golden :P
@Andrew – No no…. they are all over the place – including the ceiling, walls, top of door, virtually everywhere.
@Gayatri – Energy pills, Earn and study at London, Friendship club (should have been fraaandship) are all still there….. Maybe another post later. And thanks for reminding about fb-share. Have added.
@Kausthubh – Nice one! The best part about those salesmen is their perseverance and repeating ability without changing tone. Though they are far more genuine compared to Babas…
@Anand Hingway – Collage it is. Amchi Mumbai.
Sumit said
Brilliantly put,Kartik.
It seems that Adil Shah is the Google of babagiri.
LOL!
Arnab Bhattacharya said
Awesome post!
Over the years I also see that the number of English words used (but written in devnagari) in these train ads keeps increasing. All nouns english and verbs in Hindi. “PAN card ke liye call kijeye. address proof aur colour photo chahiye”
Chaitanya said
Mahaan Post Kartik!! :D
How about going deeper in this market and doing some sting operation.. :P
May be we will come to know about some sales and marketing strategies even Kotler didn’t know..
Next time I come to Mumbai we will surely explore it..
aditya said
Nice article … what are the chances that all (well most of them) the ads are for a single person !!! After all we are talking about babas… they have several aliases :)
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John said
Hi everyone jst like to share some details abt these fraud baba’s who dont do any work even after u hv paid them hefty amount,,on top of it they will give more herat attack to the person vissiting them for solution and will empty ur wallet or amount savings: anything u hv got in ur homes…believe me they r all cheaters and frauds and they should be all punished for falsew rumours and cheatings innocent public.Believe me all of you its reality becoz i was a victim before…thank you all….
Kartik Varadpande said
Thanks John for your inputs. The post was not meant to be another ad for these babas (and many new have surfaced since then), it was just an attempt at humour.