7/27/2019 IM Graduate Who Drives Autorickshaw Business

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IM graduate who drives autorickshaw business

A degree from IIM Ahmedabad could have easily landed Nirmal Kumara job with a fat pay

packet at a multinational company. However Kumar chose to earn !s"#$$$ a month

managing a fleet of %$$$$ autorickshaws in &ujarat.

Haggling with an autorickshaw driverover fare changed the course of life for this physically

challenged '$$( batch graduate from the country)s premier management school. Kumar

was in the city on *unday to speak at the +I,-N meet on promoting entrepreneurship.

Kumar comes from a modest background with the family based in *iwan district of /ihar.

His father is employed as a primary schoolteacher. Kumar was overcharged by an auto while

coming back to the college from a restaurant. He felt cheated and the idea for a business

came to him.

He entered into a deal with the auto drivers who park outside the IIM campus. He assuredthem free newspapers and an health0cum0personal insurance cover for which he spent his

own money. In return they only had to give an undertaking that they would charge proper

fares.

+he idea clicked and the ne1t tranche of funding came from some companies in &ujarat.

+he companies happily agreed since the e1penditure also accounted for their corporate

social responsibility 2-*!3 activities he said. 45hen I needed more funds I contacted

&ujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. +he access was easy and Modi was keen too. I

re6uested his presence at the inauguration too and he obliged. He allotted funds and

designated a senior bureaucrat to ensure we got the money4 says Kumar.

5ith funds Kumar increased the facilities for drivers and developed the brand )& Auto).

+he drivers got benefits like subsidi7ed health care and education for their wards besides

the insurance. +oday revenue comes from mi1ed sources including government corporate

as well as advertisement.

4+he vehicles carry ads from which a si7eable revenue is generated and we can break even.

5e have formed a trust which pays my salary and also '% of my colleagues4 he said. Kumar

is the managing director of the Nirmal 8oundation.

4,ven now anyone flouting the rules loses the benefits and membership of & Auto. /ut we

also fight for the drivers if the cops wrongly harass them4 he says.

& Autowas voted second in the *MA!+ Mobility Awardsby the 9niversity of Michiganon

transportation solutions. !ecently the union urban development secretary has written to all

the states to emulate the model. Kumar who also wants to e1pand recently met :elhi chief

minister *heila :i1it with plans for the national capital.

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7/27/2019 IM Graduate Who Drives Autorickshaw Business

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9se of technology has enabled better monitoring of the vehicles through &;*. +he vehicles

also have computeri7ed meters which cannot be tweaked says Kumar.