The 'Bai' Blog

This post is dedicated to the last few days I spent at home...


What is common to Kanchan, Sushila, Vimla, Ranjan, Geeta, Kapila, Urmila & Somi. They are some of the names in the 'list of honor' of all 'bais' who have worked in my house. Although I am sure that my house would have witness some more occupants of the 'house bai' position, these names were all I could recall.

The reason why I am dedicating a whole post to this female free lance housekeeping entrepreneurial venture is because I very recently realized that for us 'Bai' is much more than just a house maid. This 'bai' word has had a very tremendous impact on me since childhood. When years ago when we shifted to Gujarat from Kota, the first lesson that I was taught at home was to call the 'bai' at home 'masi' as they didn't like being called 'bai' ( I still think it is a cool name). As I grew up, the first time when I visited the staff room of my school, the first lady teacher gossip I overheard was 'Aaj humari bai nahin aayee'.

Be it the mightiest of the mothers, the news that the 'bai' won't come sends shivers everywhere in a universe that doesn't get bothered even if Lehman collapses. In my house, I am not even allowed to joke about the 'bai' not getting to work. So what's the big deal about the house maid not turning up to work? I think the first reason why 'bais' get so much importance in India has to do something with our topology. We are a very dusty country and hence our homes and our clothes need more regular cleaning. So we can't survive without everyday or every alternate day cleaning. So that day the 'bai' doesn't come to work, the lady knows she would have to get her own hands dirtied. Moreover in the present times 'bais' are the strongest weapon of the working women. Hence the USP of the Indian 'Bai' Community is not the work she does when she is present but the mess she creates when she isn't.

But that's not all. 'Bais' are the colony's hottest gossip channel and I am sure there must be a cut throat competition among women to acquire the 'bai' that gives the colony's hottest news. After all who wouldn't want to know what's happening in Mrs. Sharma's house. They are also the main driving force behind the TRP success of Ekkta Kapoor serials for hadn't it been for them, our mothers would never have had so much free afternoon time. They ruthlessly waste your washing soap, cleaning detergent, liquid dishwash and floor cleaner thereby giving a boost to FMCG product industry. If this claim appears unconvincing to you just think that even if a 'bai' wastes 15% of these commodities this would automatically lead to 15% increase in product consumption in millions of Indian homes and hence a 15% rise in sales which is something you get in a 'great' year in sales. Moreover, its not just the economic impact, these 'bais' have a significant socio-cultural impact on our society too. "Aaj humari bai nahin ayee' must be rated as the no.1 conversation starter of this country which our house wives have used over tea, office gossips and over the house boundary wall talks.

Now let's have a simple estimate of the 'bai' market size in India. We have a 400 million middle and upper middle class population who must be employing 'bais' (assuming the rich upper class goes for servants). Now taking 5 people per house hold leaves us with 80 million household requiring 'bais'. Now if on an average each house hold spends Rs 500 ($10) a month on bai then this adds up to $ 800 million a month or to say around $ 10 billion per annum business currently suffering from massive attrition, absenteesm & mismanagement. I don't know why corporate and conglomerates who are ready to sell us 'sabzis' have not thought about giving us a better managed 'bai'.

Moreover if the bai service gets centralized then this can become an effective tool for word-of-mouth campaigns, especially for consumer goods. There is anyway so much communication between the bai and the housewives everyday. Why not get leverage out of it and use the communication for product marketing. Think of the mind boggling consumer network these 'bai' campaign can generate leading to mammoth marketing avenues. In the past Microsoft tried something similar with Mumbai Dabbawallas for its asli pc campaign.

Finally, on a positive note, house cleaning is a great workout. You need not worry about heart problems and obesity with a mop and a broom in hand. But then why scare away the luxury. Let's spend 500 a month on bai, 1000 a month in gym and some thousands more on washing machine, vaccuum cleaners and dishwashers to be prepared for the day she doesn't come.