Rapido, the bike and auto-rickshaw aggregator, has announced plans to onboard 200 women drivers in the next three months. Currently, Rapido Auto has 50 female ‘captains’ from diverse backgrounds in the city for its ride-hailing service and aims to add over 200 active captains in the next three months through collaborations with Coimbatore-based non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
Rapido will provide these women captains with safety and driving skills training through a comprehensive program in collaboration with NGOs. They also plan to introduce micro-loans and family health insurance for women auto captains in Coimbatore.
This initiative is expected to allow women to earn between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 per day, translating to a monthly income of Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000. Co-founder Pavan Guntupalli emphasized Rapido’s commitment to gender empowerment and inclusivity, stating that their future initiatives aim to provide financial support to empower women auto captains.
In terms of financials, Rapido reported widened losses of Rs 439 crore in FY22, a 2.6X increase from the previous year. However, its revenue increased over 90% to Rs 144.8 crore in the last fiscal year, along with earnings from interest on current investments and other non-operating income.
Rapido offers bike taxis, auto-rickshaws, delivery services, subscriptions, and marketing income as part of its revenue generation strategy.
