In 2014, WRI India Sustainable Cities and Shell Foundation mentored three early-stage businesses to deliver large-scale improvements in the auto-rickshaw ecosystems of Pune, Bangalore, and Chennai. Chosen through a competitive process – the Rickshaw Rising Challenge – these businesses stood out for their enterprise-led solutions to improve service quality, driver income, and emissions of this iconic but unorganized mode of transport. This report highlights the pilots run by our mentee companies, the successes and failures of these pilots, and the eventual strategies that emerged from this learning process. As such, the primary audience for this report is startup entrepreneurs.
If you have any questions or comments, or would like to know more about the research, contact Jyot Chadha at jyot.chadha@wri.org.