Bengaluru resident Jancy B V worked in a factory for years before deciding to learn to drive an auto-rickshaw to support her family. After obtaining her license and purchasing a vehicle, she found the work provided financial independence and flexibility that her previous job did not.
Recognizing that other women faced barriers to entering the profession — including the cost of training, difficulty accessing vehicles, and social stigma — Jancy began offering free driving lessons to women in her community. She uses her own auto-rickshaw for the training sessions, which cover basic vehicle control, traffic rules, and passenger interaction.
The initiative operates informally, with Jancy scheduling lessons around her own driving shifts. She does not charge fees and does not receive external funding for the program. Women who complete the training still need to obtain their own commercial licenses and arrange vehicles, but several have since started working as auto drivers.
Jancy's students include single mothers and women from low-income households who view auto driving as a viable path to steady earnings. The profession remains overwhelmingly male in Bengaluru, and female drivers often report harassment or skepticism from passengers and peers.
By sharing her skills directly, Jancy addresses a practical gap: formal driving schools can be expensive and may not cater to women's specific concerns, such as safety during night shifts or handling difficult passengers. Her peer-to-peer model also builds a support network among the trainees.
The effort remains small in scale, limited by Jancy's time and the single vehicle she owns. She has expressed interest in expanding if resources become available, but currently manages the training alone alongside full-time driving.
Local observers note that while individual initiatives like this help, systemic changes — such as subsidized licensing, safer working conditions, and better access to vehicle financing — are needed for broader impact.
Jancy continues to drive her auto daily and conduct training sessions when possible, viewing both roles as extensions of the same goal: enabling more women to earn a living on their own terms.
She Learned to Drive an Auto to Support Her Family — Now She Teaches Other Women for Free
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