Auto Annadurai goes ‘app’ way to overtake cab market

Also, he says Re 1 from each ride booked through the app will go towards the welfare of farmers. At a time when auto drivers in the city were dubbed as rude outright, Annadurai made news for going the extra mile to provide his customers with amenities such as providing them with WiFi facility as well as their favourite newspaper or magazine to read till they reach their destination. Now, when autorickshaws are slowly losing their space to app-based cab services, Annadurai wants to go the same way — launching an app for autos — to reclaim their means of livelihood. “If a foreign company can establish its market here suppressing our business, we can’t just give in. South India is known for its auto service. It is like a tradition now, I can’t let it die,” says Annadurai. 

While Annadurai drew flak from fellow drivers for the additional facilities he provided, he says it’s time that the community of auto drivers understood the competition and changed for their own better. And the mobile application on the anvil is a step towards it. “It is on the final  stage of development and will be launched by the end of April. Anybody who wants an auto can book through the app and it will connect them to the nearest auto on stand-by. There will also be additional features such as ordering food and picking it up on the way. Also, Re 1 from their trip will be charged for the farmers’ welfare with their permission,” says Annadurai, who has delivered speeches at TEDx platforms. 

Having become popular through word of mouth, Annadurai has grown to have a tech team of his own to develop apps and manage his social media accounts. “Now a lot of aspiring techies and freelancers also want to be associated with me. Start-ups have come up with an idea of gifting my customers for promoting their brand with stickers on my auto,” he says. The 32-year-old school dropout’s journey so far is nothing short of a rag-to-riches story and he thinks there is a long way to go. With a turnover of about Rs 1 lakh per month, he wants to introduce more features such as air-conditioned auto and other luxurious options for passengers in future at a fare decided by the government. 

“The process is underway. There is no end to life’s journey and we have to keep searching for next. I don’t see it as a business, but I believe in the saying Athiti Devo Bavah which means customers are real god. So, it is in a way paying back to them, being grateful,” concludes Annadurai.