Mumbai Auto Driver Earns Rs 5-8 Lakh Per Month Without Driving His Vehicle, His Street-Smart Idea Is Now Viral

Mumbai: An auto rickshaw driver, who earns Rs 5-8 lakh per month is garnering peoples' attention due to a unique way, but the catch is, he's earning all this money without driving his vehicle.

The auto driver offers a simple 'bag-holding' service to visa applicants just outside the US Consulate. This 'no tech, no formal business plan, and no startup funding' brilliance has netizens lauding the driver's business plan.

Bag-keeping service at Rs 1,000

Rahul Rupani, a product leader at Lenskart, shared the auto driver's story on LinkedIn regarding his experience at the US Consulate.

Rahul was outside the US Consulate for his visa appointment when the security asked him to leave his bag outside. This is a standard practice at the consulate where visitors are not allowed to carry their bags inside. However, there are no official alternatives available.

That's when the Mumbai-based auto driver approached him with the proposal to keep his bag in exchange for Rs. 1,000.

“Sir, bag de do. Safe rakhunga, mera roz ka hai. Rs 1,000 charge hai.” (Sir, give me your bag. I will keep it safe. My daily rate is Rs 1,000), said the auto driver to Rahul.

With no lockers or suggestions, Rahul first hesitated but figured he would have to leave his bag with the driver and that's when he understood the master business plan of the driver.  

How does the business work? 

Rupani explained the entire business model in his post. The driver apparently parks his auto outside the consulate and offers bag-keeping service at Rs 1,000 per customer.

He easily gets 20-30 customers daily and makes up to Rs 5-8 lakh/month. He even jumped the roadblocks by partnering with a local police officer, who owns a small locker space nearby, to keep the bag safe, since he legally cannot keep 30 bags in his auto.

Why is the idea a hit? 

The service offered by the auto-driver resolves a hyper-specific problem for people and gains their trust without using technology. The driver created a legal moat by involving a police officer and earned Rs 1,000 per customer by providing an instant solution. 

Auto man impresses netizens 

While some think of the business plan as unjust extortion, others feel the auto driver would face competition after the viral post.

While one wrote, "This is the kind of desi jugaad (resourcefulness) that deserves its own case study," another commented, "What an idea sir ji!" 

Also read: Railway Staff Caught Charging Rs 2,500 for Seats, Railways React