Ajit Khandelwal (name changed), 29
Sonipat, Haryana
In August 2015, fortunes turned for the worse for 29-year-old Ajit Khandelwal (name changed) when his family discovered that his father was under a debt of Rs. 3 crore.
A resident of Sonipat, Ajit completed his BBA from Delhi University. After his short stint as a trainee at a CA’s office in the Capital, he went to Chandigarh to work at a call centre. Alongside, he pursued an MBA degree via correspondence. Thereafter, he went to Patna where he got a job of Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE). He still keeps the TTE ID card in his wallet as a prized possession. Six months into the job, he was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. He went home for treatment, but never returned to join his railway job.
For the next three years, Ajit ran his family business in Sonipat – wholesale dealers selling over 30 products -- earning a decent living. When the story of the debt his father owed came around – which no one in the family was aware of – the Khandelwals had to sell off the bulk of their property. Consequently, their business suffered and Ajit was rendered unemployed.
Now, after one year of job hunt, Ajit has bought a car financed by Ola’s scheme and has registered with them as a cab driver. Ola for him is a gateway to economic freedom. It was his first day and this reporter was his first customer.
Though determined for this new phase, he gloomily recalled the old days. “There was a time when I used to drive, for leisure, my own sedan, Verna. And today…”
Does he know Delhi’s roads well enough to be a taxi driver? “While in college, I used to ride around on a motorbike with my girlfriend. We left no corner of Delhi unexplored. And back then, there was no navigation app in phones. So, yeah,” he confidently said.
Ajit had conversations with Meru and Uber, before deciding to associate with Ola, which he found the most promising. This first ride with Ola did not end on a rosy note. At the ITO crossing, a traffic policeman noticed that the car did not have ‘Owner Detail’ sticker – which should have the name, phone number, address and other details of the driver –and hauled up the driver, calling for a fine of Rs. 2,000. After 10 minutes of negotiation, a settlement (read bribe) was made for Rs. 300 and he was let off. “The last one year has been extremely tough. But still, I had food to eat, shelter to live and a caring family. I want to rise and get back the old life. I will work extremely hard and drive for long hours. That is what ensures a good business with Ola,” Ajit said.
