The story of a Mumbai auto-rickshaw driver who reportedly makes somewhere between Rs 5 and Rs 8 lakh per month without really driving his vehicle has finally made it to X, courtesy of industrialist Harsh Goenka.
First posted to LinkedIn by Bengaluru-based VenueMonk co-founder Rahul Rupani, the tale of "pure Indian Jugaad", as Mr Goenka likes to call it, is viral again.
Ashok, the auto driver, reportedly keeps his vehicle parked outside the US Consulate and offers baggage store services to the visitors.
In his post, Mr Rupani said he had to pay the auto driver Rs 1,000 for the service after having to leave his bag outside the embassy because of a no-bag rule.
According to Mr Rupani's post, Mr Ashok has teamed up with a local police officer who operates a nearby locker facility to handle a lot of luggage. The officer provides the driver with a safe place to put the bags because his autorickshaw is not sufficient to accommodate them all.
This encounter made Mr Rupani aware of a growing business strategy that takes advantage of the lengthy lines outside the consulate.
In his post on X, Mr Goenka said, "A Mumbai rickshaw driver had a brilliant idea after observing lengthy lines for visas at the US embassy and the no-phone, no-bag policy."
"He started charging Rs 1,000 to hold people's bags outside the US Consulate. Today, Ashok earns Rs 8 lakh a month just by offering "bag-holding" service."
"No app. No MBA. Just pure Indian jugaad," Mr Goenka added.
A Mumbai rickshaw driver saw long visa queues at US consulate- the no-phone, no-bag rule- and had a genius idea.
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) June 9, 2025
He started charging ₹1,000 to hold people's bags outside the US Consulate. Today, Ashok earns ₹8 lakh a month just by offering “bag-holding” service.
No app. No… pic.twitter.com/GIwuzEj785
The post soon went viral.
"Our tech-enabled self use lockers, right now operating at railway stations, they charge an average 100rs for 6 hrs for big size lockers," said an X user.
Our tech enabled self use lockers, right now operating at railway stations, they charge an average 100rs for 6 hrs for big size lockers.
— Ravichandra Reddy (@ravireddy2806) June 9, 2025
"Most of the population of India earns with their time and not with their mind. Be like Ashok & earn with your mind," another comment read.
Most of the population of India earns with their time and not with their mind.
— Vin@life (@VinayMutha1212) June 9, 2025
Be like Ashok & earn with your mind.
"What an innovative idea... With such ideas there is nothing that you can't achieve," said another person
What an innovative idea.... With such ideas there is nothing that you can't achieve.
— Tarana Hussain (@hussain_tarana) June 9, 2025
NDTV can't confirm the authenticity of the claims presented in the two posts.
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