IT worker quits job to become full-time taxi driver, now earns ₹80,000: 'Future of work is gig work'

The Gurgaon-based founder’s video sparked a massive debate on social media after the taxi driver cited “freedom” as one of the reasons he quit his job in IT. A clip shared by Zypp Electric founder and CEO Akash Gupta shows a heartwarming encounter with his driver. During their candid conversation, the driver claimed he quit his corporate job to drive full-time, which he says has doubled his monthly income. The founder celebrated this transition with the words: “The future of work is a concert.”

During the conversation, the founder asked the taxi driver about his monthly earnings, to which the driver replied that he was earning ₹80,000 up to ₹90,000, leaving the founder stunned.

“Aur kitna kamate ho aaj kal? (How much are you earning these days?)” asked Gupta.

“Ho jata hai 80-90 ka mahina,” replied the driver, indicating that he earns between ₹80,000 a ₹90 thousand per month.

“Freedom Wasn’t There”

Gupta then asked about the driver’s previous profession and revealed that he worked in the IT sector on a monthly salary ₹40,000. When the founder asked why he quit, the driver replied, “Freedom nahi tha (there was no freedom).

Driver confirmed that the career change has given him more freedom when Gupta asked about his work-life balance.

He further shared that he spent 19 years working in the IT sector before leaving the profession to become a self-employed taxi driver. He also mentioned that his wife now runs her own beauty salon.

The video ended with Gupta congratulating the driver on his journey and wishing him further success.

How social media users reacted:

The video has since gone viral on social media, amassing over 4 million views and attracting plenty of comments. People were divided in the comments section, with many debating the pros and cons of being a paid employee versus running a business.

“Gas costs 20k out of 80k. Maintenance 3-4k. Annual tax around 40k. Every day the car is driven with a different effort. Clutch daba daba k foot condition bad (From his ₹80,000 earnings, ₹20,000 per month goes to gas. ₹3000-4000 is spent on maintenance. The annual tax is around ₹40,000. Then there is the physical strain of driving all day. The constant squeezing of the clutch takes a toll on the legs as well),” wrote one of the viewers.

“It’s not that easy to earn ₹80,000 up to ₹90,000,” agreed another.

“It’s much better than sending emails asking for permission to take a vacation,” said a third user.

“Sir, why do we have to ask everyone their income? I respect you as a founder and we learn a lot from you. But honestly, asking people how much they usually earn is something we shouldn’t do,” wrote a fourth user.

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified and does not endorse these claims.)