Hyderabad: Auto driver Annadurai believes that it is not your fault to be born poor...but it is your fault to die poor. Born and brought up in poverty, he didn't get much education. The dream of becoming a businessman was hindered by financial constraints. Though his family members discouraged him not to take up auto driving, he went ahead and created a new trend as an auto driver. Even so, he became a lesson for business management students and corporate employees. Do you know what is special about him who earns Rs 4 to Rs 5 lakhs per month...!
An auto driver's income can be Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. A little more in crowded areas. It would be surprising to know how much Annadurai, an auto driver in Chennai's IT corridor, earns and what path he chose for it. Around Rs 2 lakhs per month on auto. He will receive another Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakhs for his creativity. That is... he does various experiments by providing facilities to the passengers in his auto.
He made an indelible impression on the minds of the passengers that they wanted to board only Annadurai's auto. He came to the limelight when he spoke at TEDx in 2013. Since then, Annadurai has been invited by educational institutions like IIT, IIM and ISB to teach business lessons to their students.
Vodafone, Toyota, Royal Enfield, Hyundai, Infosys, Serum Institute, Foxconn, Google and Microsoft are trying to teach their employees the lesson of his life. Colleges and schools also call him as a motivational speaker. In appreciation of Annadurai's talent, the organisations are supporting him financially, so his hard work pays dividends.
Annadurai belongs to a poor family in Chennai. He wanted to study well, but due to financial problems, he dropped out in the middle of his studies and tried to get a job. But, nowhere did he get the right opportunities. Finally, in 2009 he learned to drive and started driving an auto. In the beginning, the whole day of hard work was not worth it. One day, an old man came to Annadurai and asked, "Will you give me the phone... he gave it on the condition that should board his auto. The old man alighted his auto after talking over the phone.
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Since then he wanted to do something for the passengers. From that day he started talking to the passengers and taking care of their needs. If the IT employees open the laptop, it does not connect to the internet. Others used to come early in the morning without eating properly. Foreigners would feel bored if they boarded. Therefore, he set up a mini-fridge and put water, cold drinks, coconut water and snacks in it. Similarly, a first aid kit, umbrellas, WiFi facility, laptop, iPod, tab, TV, 35 magazines, newspapers, sanitisers and dustbin have been provided in the auto.
Seeing Annadurai's arrangements, the parents were saddened, "What would left for us?" Relatives used to say sarcastically that would he get money for petrol. Ignoring all this, Annadurai used to ask the paasengers to fill puzzles and tick the answers to the GK questions. Apart from that he used to draw lucky dips every 10 days and distribute prizes to the winners. Some passengers used to give extra money as a compliment. Others used to take selfies.
As far as passenger services are concerned, he does not take money from teachers and doctors. For the past two years, on the birthdays of the founders of companies like TCS, Infosys, IBM, Cognizant and HCL, he has been providing free service to the employees of those companies.
Annadurai, who thinks innovatively with various offers and facilities, spends about Rs 20,000 per month to provide all these amenities. Even wanted to run his cab services, he speaks Tamil, Hindi and English fluently...and welcomes passengers with a smile.
