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‘How will we pay for our expenses… ’: Many BluSmart drivers return home, stare at joblessness

BluSmart had hit the brakes on Wednesday, just a day after related-party entity Gensol Engineering Limited was pulled up by India’s top markets regulator for fund diversion and document falsification.

Blusmart was different from its peers in that it owned all its cars, unlike Uber or Ola, for whom cab drivers could drive their own or rented cars.

“I was off on Wednesday when my roommate, also a driver with Blusmart, called me to say ‘BluSmart ka message aaya hai, company band ho gayi hai (BluSmart has sent a message, the company has shut down),” Ashish Kumar (42), who had been working for the popular electric cab service till last Wednesday, said.

BluSmart had hit the brakes on Wednesday, just a day after related-party entity Gensol Engineering Limited was pulled up by India’s top markets regulator for fund diversion and document falsification. Questions are mounting over the future of BluSmart’s 8,000-strong electric vehicle fleet, upending the lives of the drivers and their families.

Bothers Anmol and Puneet Singh Jaggi, promoters of BluSmart, stand accused of diverting Rs 262 crore – loaned by government-owned lending agencies to procure 1,700 electric cars – towards personal indulgences and related-party entities.

Kumar, hailing from Karnal in Haryana, lives at Gurgaon’s Sector 86 in a rented room with another driver. BluSmart’s parking hub in Sector 83 is nearby. Like most other BluSmart drivers, he used to earn between Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000 per month.

Now, he plans to return to his village in Karnal. He and his roommate do not have enough money to pay the monthly rent of Rs 4,300.

Kumar, who has to spend around Rs 25,000 every month on rent and education of his two children, said: “We have to pay rent, school fees of our children and medical bills of parents, among so many other expenses. How will we pay for our expenses?”

Jagveer Nagar (37), another driver with the service, said some drivers who have come from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have already returned home. “The rest are packing their bags and will leave anytime soon… Since BluSmart drivers don’t own their cars, we can’t even shift to another cab service like Uber and Ola,” he added. Unlike Uber and Ola drivers, who could drive their own or rented cars, BluSmart owned all the cars in its fleet.

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Nagar, who had been working for BluSmart for more than two years, is now thinking of returning to his previous profession – working as a bouncer.

Every Wednesday, BluSmart used to pay its drivers their previous week’s earnings. According to the drivers, they were lucky that the company, before it shut its operations last Wednesday, released the previous week’s earnings. Only after that did the company send out a message to all drivers asking them to park the cars in their respective parking hubs for an audit. The company, however, still owes most of its drivers money they had earned last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, they said.

BluSmart’s last intimation to the drivers was that they would be called back after the audit. While the drivers said they were told they would be informed on April 20 about resumption of operations, they haven’t heard anything yet.

The Gig Workers Association, forum of workers who work for e-commerce companies, has demanded that BluSmart should immediately disburse all pending payments, including earned income and the weekly incentive of Rs 8,000 owed to drivers. It has also called for compensation equivalent to three months of income to be paid to the drivers.

Devansh Mittal

Devansh Mittal is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in the New Delhi City bureau. He primarily covers civic governance, urban infrastructure, and environmental policy in the National Capital Region. Professional Background Education: He studied Political Science at Ashoka University. Core Beats: His reporting focus includes the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and the Delhi Metro. He has also shown a strong specialization in environmental accountability, particularly during Delhi’s winter pollution crises. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reportage in late 2025 has centered on the severe air quality crisis in Delhi and high-profile civic developments: 1. Environment & "Express Impact" "Express Impact: Action cell, weekly inspections to rid Rohini of its dust" (Dec 21, 2025): Following his investigative report that flagged Rohini as a "dust bowl," he covered the subsequent government action to set up a dedicated Dust Action Cell and mandate weekly joint inspections. "Air toxic, Delhi govt makes 50% work from home a must" (Dec 17, 2025): Reporting on the mandatory WFH advisory and the Rs 10,000 relief announced for construction workers affected by the Stage 3 GRAP ban. "Broken pavements, untarred roads: Why Delhi's Rohini is a dust bowl" (Dec 18, 2025): A ground-zero report detailing how dug-up roads and unfinished civic works have worsened air pollution in North West Delhi. 2. Urban Governance & Infrastructure "New Metro museum at Supreme Court station opens for public on December 19" (Dec 18, 2025): Reporting on the relocation and inauguration of the iconic Metro Museum by CM Rekha Gupta. "Data shows surge in sale of DDA flats in last three years" (Dec 15, 2025): An analytical piece on how the DDA has begun clearing its massive unsold inventory of housing through new schemes. "Birth to death services under one roof: How Delhi's expansion to 13 districts makes citizen lives easier" (Dec 12, 2025): Detailed coverage of the administrative reorganization of Delhi into three new districts (Outer North, Central North, and Old Delhi). 3. Transport & Safety "Govt orders probe after off-duty pilot assaults passenger at Delhi airport" (Dec 21, 2025): A high-impact report on a physical altercation at IGIA involving an Air India Express pilot, which led to a formal investigation by the Civil Aviation Ministry. Signature Style Devansh is recognized for his "spot check" reporting style. His work often bridges the gap between environmental science (source apportionment data) and public health, making complex pollution metrics accessible to everyday residents. He is also a regular contributor to the Express political pulse, analyzing how urban issues like housing and dust affect voter sentiment. Contact X (Twitter): @devanshmittal_ ... Read More

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