'No MBA. Just hustle': How Mumbai auto driver earns ₹5-8 lakh a month

A Mumbai auto-rickshaw driver has become an internet sensation, for offering a paid service to store visitors' bags while they attend their appointments at Mumbai's US Consulate

   

A Mumbai autorickshaw driver is reportedly raking in an astonishing ₹5–8 lakh a month, without even driving his rickshaw. His secret: Tapping into a simple yet crucial need of US visa applicants.

 

The autorickshaw driver, who parks outside the US Consulate in Mumbai, offers a paid service for safekeeping of visitors’ bags while they attend their appointments, as bags are not permitted inside the premises. The story was shared on LinkedIn by Rahul Rupani, a product leader at Lenskart and an experienced entrepreneur, and has since gone viral for its ingenuity.

 

Service gap for visa applicants 

 

Every day, hundreds of people arrive at the US Consulate for visa appointments, often unaware that bags are strictly prohibited inside. With no official lockers or nearby storage facilities, applicants are frequently left confused and anxious about where to leave their belongings. The autorickshaw driver saw an opportunity here. Instead of transporting passengers, he began a paid service for the safekeeping of applicants’ bags.

 

‘I do this daily. Just ₹1,000’ 

Rupani wrote in his LinkedIn post, “I was outside the US Consulate this week for my visa appointment, when security told me I couldn’t carry my bag inside. No lockers. No suggestions. While I stood clueless on the footpath, an auto driver waved at me, saying, ‘Sir, give me the bag. I’ll keep it safe. I do this daily. Just Rs 1,000.’”

 

On an average day, the driver serves around 20 to 30 customers, earning ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 daily. This monthly income places him in the earnings bracket of high-level corporate professionals.

 

Real entrepreneurship doesn’t need a pitch deck

 

Since the autorickshaw cannot hold several bags at once, Rupani revealed that the driver has partnered with a local police officer who owns a small locker facility nearby. The officer provides access to the space, where the bags are securely stored.

 

“The bags go there — legal, secure, zero hassle. The auto is just the funnel,” Rupani stated. “No MBA. No startup jargon. Just pure hustle,” Rupani said. “Real entrepreneurship doesn’t always need a pitch deck. Sometimes it just needs a parking spot.”  Business Standard could not independently confirm the authenticity of the post.