As Uber gears up for IPO, many Indian drivers talk of shattered dreams

An Uber taxi belonging to Rajesh Raut is seen at a garage after it was damaged in an accident in Mumbai, May 6, 2019. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas/Files

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: In 2016, Rajesh Raut started driving an Uber taxi in Mumbai, hoping he could earn more than the US$215 (RM892) he received each month for making flatbreads at a roadside stall.

Thanks to attractive cash incentives offered as Uber lured drivers in one of its biggest markets outside the United States, Rajesh's monthly earnings jumped to US$1,280 (RM5,310). He managed his car loan and home rent with ease, and sent more money than before back to his family in a village in eastern India.