The world’s largest open-air laundry – a masterpiece of organization

While I was in Mumbai from May 21 to 23, 2026, for In-store Asia, one place in the city impressed me more than anything else: the world’s largest open-air laundry. Even during a brief visit, I was reminded once again how fascinating local everyday worlds can be. The experience showed me just how much organization, speed, and craftsmanship lie behind something that at first glance seems completely ordinary.

At Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat, the laundry facility founded in the 1890s, around 5,000 people (“dhobis”) wash laundry – mostly by hand – for hospitals, hotels, and private households, working 18 to 20 hours a day.

Trips like these give me fascinating new perspectives on how people live and work in other parts of the world – and on how industries such as services and retail operate across the globe.

That is also why I consider attending trade shows like In-store Asia so valuable. Looking at other markets and exchanging ideas with colleagues from the industry almost always broadens your own perspective.

The next edition of In-Store Asia will take place in Mumbai from May 12 to 14, 2027.