External helping hand
Such initiatives are not just restricted to people on the ground. In early 2025, Rotary International District 3234, tied up with the government, distributed 100 pink autos to women in Chennai. Cholan Tours, a private tour agency, launched the women e-auto driver programme in Madurai, where they equipped 20 women with technical skills, customer service training, and tourism knowledge.
For Anandhavalli, this initiative forged her career path. “I was a housewife,” says the 35-year-old driver. “I was always interested in driving, but I didn’t know how to enter this field.”
The company, along with hard skill training, got them a licence, provided uniforms and soft-skills classes, including spoken English. Today, she ferries foreign tourists through the temple streets, receiving plenty of positive reviews from them. But the pride she carries in town is even closer to home. “Now, when my daughter asks for something, I buy it with my own money without being dependent on anyone.”
