'No MBA, just Indian jugaad': Harsh Goenka is amazed by a Mumbai rickshawallah who earns Rs 8 lakh a month without driving

A LinkedIn post by Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Rahul Rupani has gone
viral
for claiming that a Mumbai autorickshaw driver earns between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 8 lakh per month by providing an unofficial bag-holding service outside the US Consulate in Mumbai. The post gained further attention after industrialist
Harsh Goenka
shared it on X (formerly Twitter), calling it an example of 'pure Indian jugaad'.
A makeshift solution for visa applicants
According to Rupani's LinkedIn post, the driver, identified as Ashok, started charging visa applicants ₹1,000 to keep their bags safe while they entered the US Consulate, where carrying bags or mobile phones is not allowed.
'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. Rs 1,000 charge hai (Sir, give me your bag, I will keep it safe, this is my job. I will charge Rs 1,000),'' Rupani wrote.
He estimated that Ashok now earns between ₹5 lakh and ₹8 lakh a month through this informal storage service.
Harsh Goenka praises driver's business sense
The post drew praise from RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka. Sharing the story on X, Goenka wrote, 'A Mumbai rickshaw driver saw long visa queues at US consulate—the no-phone, no-bag rule—and had a genius idea. 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.'
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— hvgoenka (@hvgoenka)
Reactions on social media vary
The story was also picked up by social media platforms such as Humans of Bombay. While some users appreciated the driver's approach, others raised concerns.
'What an innovative idea... With such ideas, there is nothing that you can't achieve,' one user commented.
Another user posted, 'How come no competition for him yet? A vanity van offering lounge kind of services along with baggage holding service will be the next level.'
However, not all responses were positive. 'I can't believe the people gave their bag containing valuables to a Rikshawalla. Unlike a shopkeeper, a Rikshawalla could elope with the valuables,' one person wrote.
Another claimed, 'There is a locker facility inside the consulate. You can put your mobiles and bags in it. I have done this when I was there for a visitor's visa.'
Legal and safety concerns surface
Many users questioned whether Ashok's business was legal or safe. Some referred to it as 'unethical,' while others asked if any authorities had taken note of it.
As of now, ET has not independently verified the claims made by either Rahul Rupani or Harsh Goenka regarding the driver's identity, earnings, or the nature of the service.

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