“I couldn’t study beyond Class 7 because of the family situations at home. My father passed away at an early age due to cancer and we had to survive all our own from a young age. We were four siblings, two sisters, and two brothers. We migrated to Hyderabad city 21 years ago to find some work.

Initially, I used to work in a restaurant to support my family. Unfortunately, every day, a large chunk of my earnings would go to the owner of the restaurant, leaving me with a meager amount. That’s when I made up my mind about buying an auto-rickshaw. I had to work for more than 15 hours a day to clear the EMI but eventually, I was able to clear my loans and it turned out to be a profitable profession. The best part of my job was meeting new passengers all the time, interacting with them, showing them the beautiful places in the town, etc.

To survive in a big city like Hyderabad, we need at least Rs 15,000 just for provisions and rent, above all, we need to take care of the family needs amidst the inflation peaking in the country.

Even post covid lockdown, things are still the same due to a decline in the number of rides per day as people are not preferring to take rides in autos due to the traffic and heat. The handful of passengers who travel by autos to malls and other places are now driving their vehicles. So the only place where I could find a few bookings are railway stations and bus stands.

To contribute my part, I have also started to donate a small amount of my income every month to the orphanage home and also offer free rides to the elderly whoever is in need. I feel it’s my responsibility as a fellow citizen to lend a helping hand during difficult times when people are in need. I believe if we do good to people, definitely it will come back to us in unexpected ways.”