BBA student drives Rapido auto during holidays! Earned lakhs of rupees in 3 months, told the real truth of gig economy

Often, during the long college holidays, youth plan fun or trips, but a young student studying Business Administration (BBA) decided to become self-reliant. To utilize his college vacation free time and understand practical business operations on the ground, he decided to work as an ‘Auto Captain’ on ride-hailing platform Rapido. After driving the auto on the city roads for 8 to 10 hours daily for three consecutive months, the student has presented a detailed diary of his earnings, fuel expenses, platform cuts and ground experiences on social media, which is becoming quite viral on the internet.

Complete financial statements for 3 months: What is the total income?

In a move to be transparent, the student shared the complete breakdown of his total gross earnings and net profits:

• Total Gross Earnings: The student generated a total ride value of around Rs 1,35,000 to Rs 1,50,000 during the 3 months.

• CNG/Petrol and Maintenance Expenses: Around Rs 35,000 to 40,000 were spent on fuel and general maintenance of the vehicle.

• Platform commission and tax deduction: After deducting the company’s commission and GST, the student got a net savings of about Rs 85,000 to 95,000 (Net In-hand Income).

That means the student earned an average in-hand of Rs 28,000 to Rs 32,000 per month, which can be considered much better than a fresher’s initial internship or entry-level job in tier-1 or tier-2 cities.

The bitter truth of the gig economy: harsh sunlight, traffic jams and constant pressure

The student not only praised the good earnings, but also boldly highlighted the everyday struggle and ground reality of the gig workers. According to the student, the figures visible on the screen seem easy, but behind this, driving continuously for 10-10 hours under the pressure of scorching heat, traffic jams, sudden cancellations and algorithms is very tiring. Apart from this, there is neither any fixed timing during work, nor any social security like paid leave, PF or medical insurance.

Learned more business tricks on the streets than from BBA books.

Sharing his experience, the student said that these 90 days taught him more about customer psychology, peak-hour dynamics, route optimization and stress management than books. Dealing with different temperamental passengers, extracting maximum mileage at minimum cost and maintaining calmness in difficult situations was no less than an MBA case study for him.

On social media, users are praising the hard work, self-reliance and thinking of not considering any task as small.