Case Study

Greetings, I'm Aditya Gova, a Master's student at TISS, Mumbai. I am immersing

myself in the life of urban nano-preneurs. I spent two days with Mukesh ji Marmat
(47), an e-rickshaw driver residing in Mayapuri, on the outskirts of Ujjain, Madhya
Pradesh. Mukesh ji's family comprises his wife, mother, and son.

Source: thenudge.workplace.com
Mukesh ji is handicapped and suffering from bedsores, still compelled to earn a
livelihood for survival. It was 18 years ago when Mukesh Ji last stood out on his legs;
he fell from the terrace, lost both his legs, and bruised his spinal cord. Due to poor
financial conditions, he did not get good treatment, resulting in becoming
handicapped for life.
He says: ‘hath me pesa nhi tha beta uss time beta,wrna aaj aone perro par
chalta, bahut logo ne kaha tha inko indore le jao’
Mukesh ji, in his early life, started earning a livelihood as a salesman, then as a wall
painter. He started the Kirana shop at his home, but there was no one to help him

Source: thenudge.workplace.com
with business-related activities, so, unfortunately, it was a failure. He has an ancestral
house at Teen Batti Chauraha, a significant marketplace in Ujjain, as this 2-storey
building was constructed on 15*50 square fit land. Here, his mother cares for his son
as it is close to school and market. Mukesh Ji and his wife lived in Mayapuri as
Mukesh Ji could not climb stairs.
He says: ‘kaam toh bahut kiye mene, salesman ka kaam kiya, ganesh ji mataji ki
murtiyann bechi, kirane ki dukaan chalayi, putai ka kaam chalu kr diya, kya nhi kiya ye
pucch beta’
Mukesh ji does not like sitting at home, as it is also the reason behind getting other
diseases, so he decided to buy an e-rickshaw for 1.75 lakh.
He says: ‘ghr me bethe bethe dimaag khrb rehta he din bhr idhr udhr ghumta he,
maa bhi din bhr mujhe dekhkr tention me, aaj 4 pese kma rha hunn toh sb khush toh
henn’
He starts his work at 11 am, he avoids going to crowded places due to physical
disability and personal reasons.
He says: ‘ab kya batau beta teko, pr sunn le ye dekh niche theli pesab(urine) kb nikl
jata he pta nhi pdta, or bhi bahut samsya he isliye bhidbhaad wale area me jaane se
bachta hunn’
due to a nasty sore, he sits on the scooter tube placed at his seat, which causes
problems in high temperatures during the daytime. He finds challenges in finding
passengers; facing the monopoly of auto wallas and magic vans, he is not allowed to
stand at railway stations or bus stands, as these are hotspots for other auto wallas. he
usually finds passengers by standing away from those places or following their route.
That, too, consumes the charging of e-rickshaw. He has built relations with
permanent passengers who call him when needed, and he earns around 100 from a
single ride if they go for a longer route. Bargaining is also a major problem
highlighted by Mukesh Ji. if he has to cross the bridge to drop off the passenger, he
needs a minimum of 50 rupees, which is a difficult task. The e-rickshaw has a capacity
for six people but never finds six people at a time. In Ujjain itself, 5000 e-rickshaws
are on the roads currently.

Source: thenudge.workplace.com
He always keeps a person with him to help him during the day. He continues to work
until he feels tired in the evening, as he finds most of the passengers. He takes tea
breaks on his fixed stalls, buying a cup of tea for 5 rupees. He usually skips lunch and
has a light breakfast whenever he feels hungry. During the daytime, when finding
passengers difficult, he goes home to rest and keep the E-rickshaw charging.
He says: ‘ ek time hi khana khata hunn yr raat ko, nito phirr samsya aati he kaam krne
me.’

Source: thenudge.workplace.com
While at work, he entertains himself by listening to the radio, conversations between
the passengers and looking at the hustling crowd of Ujjain. Also, while crossing the
known shops, he greets everybody by saying, ‘Jai Shree Mahankal.’
E-Rickshaw runs for 80-100 km on single charging for 8 hours. hardly consumes 3-4
units of electricity, costing him around 30. He makes 500-600 daily, and during
festivals and special occasions, it goes to 800. Mukesh's wife is an Anganwadi worker
who earns 5.5k monthly. recently, his son started working in a medical godown at a
hospital and earns 5k monthly. The bigger part of their expenses goes into his
treatment and purchasing medicines.

Observations on what he feels?

 He is compelled to do this work to survive.
 He felt hesitant to talk about his health problems.
 He feels he is very strong and believes no one can work like him

What does he think?

 He thinks he should have gone through the operation.
 He thinks no relatives will help when needed.
 His biggest wish is for his son, who works in a labour job earning 5000 a month,
to be mature enough to handle responsibilities.

Source: thenudge.workplace.com