Mumbai Auto Driver Earns Up to Rs 8 Lakh a Month, Not by Driving, But by Solving a Visa Woe
Mumbai, 5th June 2025: In a striking example of street-smart entrepreneurship, an autorickshaw driver stationed outside the US Consulate in Mumbai is reportedly earning between Rs 5–8 lakh a month, without ferrying a single passenger. His unique business? Safekeeping bags for US visa applicants who are barred from carrying them inside the consulate.
The story went viral after it was shared by Rahul Rupani, a product leader at Lenskart, on LinkedIn. He recounted his own experience during a recent visa appointment, describing how the driver offered to safely store his bag for ₹1,000, explaining, “I do this daily.”
Every day, hundreds of visa seekers arrive at the US Consulate, many unaware of the strict no-bag policy. With no official lockers or designated storage nearby, applicants often find themselves stranded with nowhere to keep their belongings. This autorickshaw driver spotted the gap and turned it into a full-fledged daily service.
According to Rupani, the driver typically handles 20–30 customers a day, translating to a daily income of ₹20,000–₹30,000—comparable to that of senior white-collar professionals.
Rupani further revealed that the driver has teamed up with a local police officer who owns a secure locker facility nearby. The auto acts merely as the front-end interface, while the bags are safely stored in the officer’s facility—creating a low-cost, high-trust model that works seamlessly for anxious applicants.
“This isn’t about a degree or a pitch deck,” Rupani wrote. “It’s about hustle, observation, and solving a real-world problem. The man turned a parking spot into a business.”
The post has since sparked widespread admiration online for the driver’s creative and resourceful approach to entrepreneurship.
