Suresh Kochattil was travelling between studios in Hyderabad for Union Budget debates when he booked a cab. Two drivers cancelled his ride before a third accepted.
He noticed that the driver’s name was a woman’s and waited to see who would arrive.
The driver was Nandini, a single mother of three. She has been driving with Uber for the past year to support her family and to make sure her children can continue their education.
During the ride, Nandini spoke about her life, the challenges she has faced and why she chose to keep working despite the difficulties.
India’s ride-hailing and taxi industry remains overwhelmingly male. Women currently make up only a small fraction of drivers with aggregator platforms such as Ola and Uber, at less than about 5 per cent of the total driver pool.
After the ride, Kochattil shared the story on X. He described it as a real example of women’s empowerment, pointing out how often the term is used without looking at everyday realities.
“These days when women’s empowerment is bandied about in the media. Here is a wonderful example of how a woman overcame adversity and continues to work hard,” he wrote.
