A Mumbai cab driver has gone viral after sharing how he built a small business and now earns around ₹2 lakh a month, despite holding an engineering degree and once being offered jobs that paid just ₹20,000- ₹30,000 per month. In a conversation with Bengaluru-based Canadian content creator Caleb Friesen, the driver recalled starting his business with a single vehicle.
In the video shared on X, the driver explained his entrepreneurial journey, saying that people should not give up after early setbacks. He also drew a comparison with Reliance and said large businesses also start small before expanding over time.
When Friesen asked whether starting a business was risky, the driver replied that taking risks was necessary. “You have to take a risk in your life. Otherwise, you work for someone else… After 60, no one will give you a job,” he said.
The driver also revealed that he currently owns 4 cars. Three are operated by hired drivers, while he drives one himself. He said the arrangement works on a revenue-sharing model, with drivers paying him a portion of their daily earnings after accounting for expenses.
Asked about his monthly income, the driver shared that he earns around ₹2 lakh per month. However, because some of his vehicles are still under loan repayment, his take-home earnings are closer to ₹1.7 lakh after EMIs.
He also explained why he chose entrepreneurship over a conventional career path. He said that after completing engineering, he was offered jobs that paid only ₹20,000-30,000 per month. “I have completed my engineering and was getting ₹20,000 to ₹30,000. This is not good,” he said, adding that he felt he had spent too much money on his education for such salary offers.
Impressed by the driver’s outlook, Friesen concluded the video, saying that India needed more founders and people building their own dreams instead of someone else’s.
Watch the video below:
Social media reactions
The video quickly gained attention online, with many users praising the driver’s mindset and business acumen.
One user wrote, “Wow! What a wonderful real-life motivational video to watch on a Monday morning. I just saw it, and it’s truly inspiring. I especially loved how casually he said at the end, “Build your own label.” Thanks for sharing this wonderful video.”
“before 15 years,my first driver came as just a driver, car owner was different. Now the driver itself ownes 5 vehciles,4 of them driven by others n 1 he himself drives.They earn too much,sometimes more than customers who is using their cars,” commented another.
“Perfect. A job is fine, a business is better, a side hustle is smart-but doing something extra is what makes the difference,” wrote a third user.
“Indian cab drivers sometimes understand hustle, finance and human psychology better than half the LinkedIn ‘growth gurus,’” commented one user.
