A simple ride in a black and yellow Mumbai taxi turned into an unexpected lesson in modern marketing for one passenger when she scanned a QR code inside the vehicle. What she thought would be an online digital payment turned out to be a YouTube channel where the driver’s son uploads his rap videos.
“This is the grind culture in Mumbai I’m so proud of. Got in the back of a local black and yellow cab and saw a QR code hanging from the front seat. I assumed it was a payment code and was already impressed with the efficiency, so I asked the driver. Turns out it’s his kid’s YouTube channel where he makes rap music,” wrote Divyushii Sinha on X.
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In the following lines, she shared her reaction to this unexpected yet sweet surprise. “So simple yet so enterprising.”
She concluded her post with two pictures showing the QR code hanging from the cab's front seat. A note below the QR code read, “Hello myself Raj, I am the son of taxi driver do scan this is my YouTube Channel where I share rapmusic. Please do like, share and subscribe Hope you like it THANK YOU”. HT.com has reached out to the X user, and this report will be updated when a response is received.
{{/usCountry}}She concluded her post with two pictures showing the QR code hanging from the cab's front seat. A note below the QR code read, “Hello myself Raj, I am the son of taxi driver do scan this is my YouTube Channel where I share rapmusic. Please do like, share and subscribe Hope you like it THANK YOU”. HT.com has reached out to the X user, and this report will be updated when a response is received.
{{/usCountry}}In an email conversation with HT.com, Sinha shared, “Right before entering the cab I'd specifically asked him (Sharad Baburao Rane) if he accepts UPI, given like most, I rarely carry hard cash now. He agreed. As soon as I sat in the cab, I saw a QR code hanging from the front seat, and naturally assumed it was a UPI QR code. Already impressed with the efficiency, I asked him if it was, in fact, a payment code. He denied and said 'nahi yeh mere bete (Raj Rane) ka hai. Youtube. Aap dekh sakte ho.'”
In the following lines, he praised the rap created by the driver's son, adding that the songs have “incredible beats.” She added that Raj's YouTube followers have increased since her tweet went viral.
She further shared that she hope famous rappers will take a note of Raj and give him a break. “I'm sure Indian rappers like Hanumankind, Badhshah, Raftaar would be proud to see more aspiring kids such as Raj take inspiration from them and walk in their footsteps.”
How did social media react?
An individual posted, “People who generally go out into the world and fight for their hustle with almost everything they have are the ones who generally win. Maximising out of the minimal resources is an art possessed and mastered by winners.” Praising, another commented, “Very creative way to promote his kid's work.” A third expressed, “Brilliant example of resourceful marketing, hope you supported the kid's channel with a view.”
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A fourth wrote, “That’s actually beautiful, man. It perfectly captures the Mumbai spirit — hustle with heart. No excuses, no waiting for ‘perfect opportunities’ — just making the most of what’s available. A father turning his taxi into his son’s marketing tool isn’t just smart — it’s pure love + street-level entrepreneurship. Stories like this remind you that ambition doesn’t need privilege; it just needs intent. That’s real agency. That’s India.”