A post by a Bengaluru entrepreneur about an auto driver outside the US Consulate in Mumbai has ignited a heated discussion on LinkedIn. Rahul Rupani, who co-founded VenueMonk, claimed that the auto driver earns between ₹5 to 8 lakh per month without driving and by offering a simple service.
“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. Just: ‘Figure it out.’ While I stood clueless on the footpath, an auto driver waved at me: ‘Sir, bag de do. Safe rakhunga, mera roz ka hai. ₹1,000 charge hai.’ I hesitated. Then gave in. And that’s when I discovered this guy’s brilliant business,” Rupani wrote.
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Rupani then explained how the man works, adding that the driver “partnered with a local police officer who owns a small locker space nearby.” He keeps all the bags he collects from consulate visitors in that locker.
“And while most people are sweating over US visa interviews, this guy is running a zero-mile, hyper-profitable, bootstrapped operation. No MBA. No startup jargon. Just pure hustle and street-smart product-market fit,” he continued. He further labelled the auto driver as a “real entrepreneur”.
{{/usCountry}}“And while most people are sweating over US visa interviews, this guy is running a zero-mile, hyper-profitable, bootstrapped operation. No MBA. No startup jargon. Just pure hustle and street-smart product-market fit,” he continued. He further labelled the auto driver as a “real entrepreneur”.
{{/usCountry}}HT.com is unable to independently verify the claims presented. A request for comment has been made to Rahul Rupani, and this report will be updated upon receiving a response.
Social media is divided:
While some appreciated Rupani sharing the post, others expressed doubts and questions. An individual posted, “That’s not his income alone. He has to share with multiple people, including police. Otherwise, what stops other auto wallahs from doing the same at a lower price? Also, I guess they don’t know that there is a locker facility inside the consulate at a charge of ₹500.”
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Another added, “This is a perfect example of smart work and its effective execution. Despite not actively driving the auto or other efforts, people trustingly leave their bags and belongings with him, feeling assured of their safety. Convincing strangers and earning their trust is no small feat. It's really impressive. Wow!”
A third remarked, “Hope you realize what BS you are peddling in the name of hustle. This whole operation is wrong at so many levels… Legally… ethically… that it's not even funny as an anecdote. It's literally making/fleecing money by exploiting someone's misery. And if you feel this is a great inspirational story for Indian entrepreneurs, God save the start-up culture in India.”
A fourth wrote, “And you're saying such a big (unethical, but anyway) opportunity exists, and there's just this one guy exploiting it?” A few slammed the post as a “Fake story.”