Dabbawala Service in Mumbai belongs to which one of the following economic activity categories?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Tertiary
Economic activities are grouped as primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary. Tertiary activities provide services in exchange for payment; they do not produce goods.
Option (1) Primary — Incorrect. Primary activities depend directly on the environment, such as agriculture, fishing and mining.
Option (2) Secondary — Incorrect. Secondary activities turn raw materials into valuable products, as in manufacturing.
Option (3) Tertiary — Correct. The dabbawala (tiffin) service of Mumbai is a personal service. Personal services are part of the tertiary activities.
Option (4) Quaternary — Incorrect. Quaternary activities centre around research, development and information.
NCERT (2026-27): “Tertiary and Quaternary Activities … Tertiary activities are related to the service sector.” “Personal services are made available to the people to facilitate their work in daily life. The workers migrate from rural areas in search of employment and are unskilled. They are employed in domestic services as housekeepers, cooks, and gardeners. This segment of workers is generally unorganised. One such example in India is Mumbai’s dabbawala (Tiffin) service provided to about 1,75,000 customers all over the city.” |