Inside the Rickshaw of Chennai’s Auto Anna, Who Anand Mahindra Calls a Marketing Guru

Chennai's 'Auto Anna', Anna Durai has gone viral on Twitter after Anand Mahindra hailed his marketing skills that have also impressed big companies like Microsoft, Google, Vodafone and more.

By Anagha R Manoj

January 24, 2022

Among the hundred autos on the streets of Chennai, Anna Durai’s auto is incomparable to the rest.

This tech-loving driver provides free Wifi, has installed a small TV and laptop/iPad/tablet to be used by commuters. There is also an AWS deep lens video camera and an Amazon Echo that enables hands-free calling/messaging or playing music.

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And that’s not all.

Durai also prepares some snacks and drinking water or juice, which are stored in a mini-fridge inside the auto. Customers can go through magazines and newspapers during their short journey.

While all these services are free, he charges the same fare for travel.

Additionally, this youngster also extends free rides to teachers, doctors, nurses and sanitation workers. Asked his motive for offering these services, Anna Durai tells The Better India, “Because my customer is my real god.”

This Chennai auto driver has his own website and app where people can pre-book his services. “There used to be a time when I would wait for them. But today, they wait for me,” says Durai, who became an auto driver by chance.

Today, this passionate driver is a public figure with over 20,000 followers on social media. He conducts seminars for giant global companies like Microsoft and Google. He has also spoken at more than seven TEDx talks at different locations.

In a viral tweet, chairman of Mahindra group, Anand Mahindra wrote, “Let’s learn from him…”

If MBA students spent a day with him it would be a compressed course in Customer Experience Management. This man’s not only an auto driver… he’s a Professor of Management. @sumanmishra_1 let’s learn from him… https://t.co/Dgu7LMSa9K
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 22, 2022
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