Former Bengaluru corporate employee turns auto-rickshaw driver, says ‘money is not the only necessity’

A Bengaluru man’s candid account of leaving his corporate career to become an auto-rickshaw driver has struck a chord online, with a video he posted gaining widespread traction across social media.

Rakesh, who shared the clip with the caption, “Motivating myself for tomorrow. Trying to help anyone who is about to quit,” opens the video with the text, “Auto driver not a corporate slave anymore.” Speaking directly to viewers, he says he is no longer afraid of beginning again, and hopes his story will encourage those who feel they are at their lowest point.

He recalls a period when he had “given up on life” and believed he would never recover. “But here I am. Driving an auto, and life is not going to end or defeat me,” he says, urging others to keep moving, live fully and focus on doing something meaningful.

Addressing financial concerns, he remarks, “I understand money is a necessity, but money is not the only necessity,” before emphasising that other aspects of life hold equal importance. “Find value for your life, find true purpose,” he advises. He also encourages viewers to confront hardships rather than run from them.

The video closes with Rakesh wishing everyone a good day — a simple sign-off that resonated with many users who flooded the comments with support. One person wrote, “More power to you. I left my corporate job last year… I’m happiest learning and growing. I wish you the best.”

Another applauded him for rising above social expectations: “I don't see a man driving an auto, I see a man who won over ego and social taboo! You are inspiring!” A third commented that his message was “so much more inspiring than the dance ones,” adding that many people were searching for “a moral push.”

Rakesh’s story, rooted in resilience and a redefined idea of success, has opened up a wider conversation about purpose, mental wellbeing and the pressures of corporate life.