Delhi's Lajpat Nagar Market, already a beloved chaos of crowds, bargains and street food, has added something new to its offering: a person to help you navigate all of it.
A start-up called CarryMen, now operating in the popular shopping district in the capital, allows visitors to hire an assistant for Rs 149 per hour. The assistant will carry bags, stand in food queues, walk shoppers to the metro, find seating, and even set up a foldable chair when needed.
Idea emerged from first-hand experience
India Today reported earlier this week about the unique service, and it soon set the internet abuzz. It said the idea originated from a frustration most Indian shoppers know well. Both the start-up's founders grew up in Delhi, tagging along on family trips to crowded markets - and watching the pleasure of shopping slowly collapse under the weight of bags, sore feet, food queues and sheer exhaustion.
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It also quoted a spokesperson of CarryMen as saying that while people are fond of shopping, they dislike the physical stress part of it. The company, thus, aims to ensure that people enjoy their shopping experience which, can also include tasting some roadside food. The weight limit is up to 12 kilograms, and for additional ones, one can hire another aide, the report added.
The service package comes for two, three or four hours. During this time, the shoppers get dedicated assistants who are trained and follow them throughout the market. The service has become popular with people who genuinely require a helping hand. They include pregnant women, parents with toddlers and elderly shoppers, particularly women, the report said, adding that CarryMen also rents out strollers along with the assistant.
Officially launched just in April, the service has seen more than 50 bookings in the inaugural month. Word of mouth and social media circulation have given it real traction on the ground, and plans are on to begin the services in Chandni Chowk, another iconic market of the capital.
Internet abuzz
One X user @YesKhush_5, who cited the India Today story, posted a photograph of a woman walking through the market alongside a man wearing a T-shirt labelled "CARRYMEN." The post quickly went viral, pulling in thousands of reactions - some impressed, some amused, and some sharply critical.
Business model finds backing
Not everyone who saw the post reached for scepticism. Several users pointed to the genuine gap the service fills.
"High end malls and shops have personal shoppers but none provide end to end services like this," journalist Smita Prakash noted. "These kind of businesses are surely going to succeed in other towns and cities."
The user, @YesKhush_5, also defended the concept against those who called it exploitative. "People calling this 'cheap labour exploitation' are mixing up two things," he wrote. "Physical work is not exploitation. Underpaid, unsafe, humiliating work is. If the assistants are paid fairly and treated with dignity, this is a legit service solving a real pain. Criticize labour terms, not labour itself."
Some doubted the model would even survive Indian shoppers. "This business won't work in India due to chindichor people. They can't even spare the poor sabziwala and maid," one comment read.
A more philosophical objection came from a user who questioned the concept itself: "I don't know if this is evolution backwards or forwards yet. This is basically the function of a trolley."
Many also pointed out whether the employment problem is reflected in such ideas, and the youth are finding it difficult to come up with work opportunities and are resorting to such menial gigs. It has also raised questions about the commission the apps would deduct, which has been an issue for the gig workers of platforms like Swiggy and Zomato for a long time now.