Now you can hire people to carry your shopping bags in Delhi

Imagine having someone carry your bags as you move from store to store. Or push your little one’s stroller while you shop.

A new start-up is offering just that to shoppers at a busy market in India’s capital, Delhi.

Launched in April, CarryMen offers male and female assistants to shoppers at Lajpat Nagar market for up to four hours; Prices start from 79 rupees ($0.83; £0.62) for 30 minutes. One hour costs 149 rupees.

The service has gone well, with customers saying these CarryMen have made their lives much easier.

But it has also sparked a debate about whether India’s middle class is over-entitled and whether these assistants are “slaves” glorified in exploitative work.

The start-up was founded by friends Ritu Kandari Srivastava and Kanishka Malhotra, both mothers of young children.

“The idea was born last year when Kanishka and I went to Lajpat Nagar with our toddlers. It was really difficult to move our strollers while carrying all our shopping bags,” Ritu told the BBC.

“We also saw an elderly woman struggling with her bags and wanted to help her, but we could barely manage our own belongings. It was very frustrating.

“So we figured if there was a service we could pay for and get help from, we wouldn’t have to beg our family members to take us shopping.”

Lajpat and Ritu, Kanishka and many other markets frequented by millions of Indians are not malls with smooth surfaces, escalators and air conditioning. These are overcrowded open-air markets where footpaths are missing or uneven or encroached upon by vendors, making it difficult to navigate and sometimes even walk in strollers.

That evening, the co-founders discussed the idea with their families, and CarryMen began to take shape.

Over the next few months, they registered their company, obtained all permissions from the municipality and police, and set up a kiosk in Lajpat Nagar.

They then recruited five young men – later they also hired two women – and launched the service after a month of intensive training.

The initiative quickly went viral, with thousands of people sharing the news on social media and divided opinions.

Many people hailed this as a brilliant idea that could be scaled to create thousands of jobs in a country. Urban unemployment consistently remains above 5% Millions cannot find work.

But critics called it the ultimate entitlement exhibited by lazy, wealthy Indians who outsource all unskilled work and household chores to domestic helpers.

Some of the backlash came after AI-generated photos were posted on social media imagining well-dressed wealthy women as potential customers of the service.

“This service seemed to cater to ultra-rich women who had just had their manicures and didn’t want their nails to get damaged,” said labor rights activist and sociologist Akriti Bhatia.

Some also said CarryMen were glorified as “coolies” who would swell the ranks of workers in the exploitative gig economy, and some even called it modern-day slavery; The founders of the start-up denied these accusations.

“First of all, there is no slavery. We do not force anyone to work for us. And all our employees are full-time salaried employees, they are not casual workers,” Ritu said.

“Also, this has nothing to do with eligibility. We only provide assistance to those who have difficulty walking alone on the streets and in overcrowded markets.”

He says the majority of his customers in the last six weeks have been pregnant women, mothers with young children, the elderly and the disabled.

Anand Kumar, one of CarryMen, says their first customer was a pregnant woman. He said during his training he was told to always be courteous and treat customers like family.

CarryMen also carry strollers, umbrellas, foldable chairs, water bottles and portable chargers, and are trained to unlock and lock strollers to ensure safe use.

“We have also been told to familiarize ourselves with the market layout so that we can quickly guide our customers to the stores they want to visit. We also queue up at the food stalls while they sit on chairs and wait,” said Anand.

The 18-year-old, who has previously worked as a helper at a sari shop and as a delivery boy for app-based food and grocery delivery services, says the pay is better here and she feels respected in her new role.

He specifically remembers a man with an artificial arm who gave all his money to Anand and asked him to count the notes and pay for the shopping. “I was blown away by the trust he had in me,” he told the BBC.

Ritu said there were no bookings in the first week after the launch, but “we managed to create interest”.

“People used to stop by our kiosk to check out and learn more about the service. But now we’re getting almost half a dozen reservations a day, and on weekends that number goes up to eight or nine.”

When we visited their store on a hot, humid afternoon last week, Jatinder and Anita Sabharwal arrived at CarryMen’s orange-and-white kiosk looking for an assistant.

Jatinder, who said he would turn 60 in a few months, meaning he would be a “senior citizen”, was carrying a heavy shoulder bag. Anita was also carrying two bags, and the couple still had a few more things to buy.

This was the first time the Sabharwals had hired an assistant despite living in the neighbourhood. Jatinder said he heard about CarryMen from his wife, who learned about the service on Instagram.

Accompanying them, Anand took them to their first stop; He was a chemist because Anita had a migraine and wanted to take a painkiller. The Sabharwals waited outside with their bags as they entered the store.

When they came out, he gave them their water bottles so that Anita could take the tablet.

“He also helps us find our way. We didn’t know where the pharmacy was. I think it is a very good service. When he is around, we get some help and we can shop comfortably,” Jatinder said.

“We can now move freely without the burden of luggage,” Anita added.

The couple said they were unconvinced by the debate around entitlement and exploitation.

“I think people who can handle their bags should carry them. Those who can’t can also benefit from this service. I think it is a very good service for people like us. It should be available in every market,” Jatinder said.

Ritu said they are planning to expand the service and will launch CarryMen in the busy Chandni Chowk market in July. It will gradually expand to other markets in the city and across India, he added.

Labor activist Bhatia noted that CarryMen will need funding to expand, which could determine how long the service continues.

Currently, CarryMen is a very small organization with seven full-time employees.

“But will they be able to follow the same system when they scale up? Many projects and platform efforts started with high payments, start-ups promised many benefits but later failed,” Bhatia said.

“And in India, with the abundance of cheap labor and lack of unionization, companies can continue to squeeze workers. Which way CarryMen will go, we’ll have to see.”