Tamil Nadu Government ensures Women Steer a New Era in Bike Taxi Services !

From Passengers to Pilots: Tamil Nadu Government ensures Women Steer a New Era in Bike Taxi Services ! 

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 5th March 2025: Rapido, India’s largest ridesharing platform, proudly marks the one-year anniversary of its pioneering ‘Pink Mobility’ initiative in Chennai. This transformative program launched with the support of the Tamil Nadu Government in 2023, has redefined women-centric mobility as well as positioned Rapido as a thought leader in driving an inclusive workforce. This celebratory event was honoured by the presence of Ms. Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, emphasizing the significance of the endeavour. 

The Pink Mobility initiative is a visionary effort to create a safer transportation ecosystem, offering affordable and secure rides “by women, for women”. Beyond transportation, this endeavour empowers women through flexible income generation opportunities, encouraging financial independence and self-reliance. Tamil Nadu Government’s continued support has been instrumental in ensuring that the program is a success, demonstrating the power of public-private partnerships in driving social change. 

Over the past year, the Pink Mobility fleet has grown exponentially, now serving over 2,000 daily riders with almost 700 women captains. The women captains of the pink mobility fleet have earned over ₹ 40,000 monthly, with complete flexibility on their working hours.

Commending the initiative, Ms. Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, remarked, “When we inaugurated Rapido’s ‘Pink Mobility’ initiative in September 2023, it was a promising step towards empowering women through safe and independent mobility. In just a year, Rapido has demonstrated its ability to scale this vision successfully, creating real impact on the ground. As Tamil Nadu government continues to champion women’s economic independence, we are proud to see this initiative set a benchmark—one that can now serve as a model for nationwide adoption.”

Reflecting on the milestone, Pavan Guntupalli, Co-Founder of Rapido, stated, the success of the ‘Pink Mobility’ campaign in Chennai is a testament to the unwavering support of the Tamil Nadu Government and the resilience of our women captains. Their dedication inspires us every day. Building on this momentum, we are proud to dedicate March as ‘Pink Mobility Month,’ with similar launches planned within and beyond Tamil Nadu, across multiple cities nationwide. This reinforces our commitment to economic inclusion and expanding opportunities for women in mobility. Together, we are shaping a future where women take the lead in redefining transport and driving broader prosperity for communities and the nation.”

Commemorating International Women’s Day, Rapido has launched a month-long nationwide ‘Pink Mobility’ campaign, kickstarting with Chennai. Over the next five years, Rapido aims to create approximately 2 lakh new income generating opportunities for women across India, amplifying the program on a larger scale.

The campaign will culminate with an event themed ‘EmpowHer: Driving Financial Inclusion and Empowerment,’ which will spotlight the transformative impact of the ‘Pink Mobility’ initiative. It will feature discussions on key themes such as financial literacy, economic growth, and digital inclusion, reinforcing Rapido’s commitment to advancing equity in India. 

Rapido extends its heartfelt gratitude to the Tamil Nadu Government for lending its visionary support, which has been pivotal to the success of the ‘Pink Mobility’ initiative. As Rapido celebrates this significant milestone and prepares for national expansion, the company reaffirms its purpose to creating a safer and inclusive transportation ecosystem that also creates meaningful opportunities for the female workforce.