He dropped out of school, sold vegetables, and worked as office boy to support family. But travel vlogs changed the life of Indore auto driver. ‘Now, if my kids ask for pizza, I start the auto and take them out.’

Social media is truly a powerful platform. Yes, it may have its own set of disadvantages, but there’s no denying that it serves as a medium for people to showcase their talent and earn a living. Such was the case of Indore-based auto driver Ravi Ratnawat, whose life took a 360-degree turn during the COVID-19 pandemic when he started watching travel vlogs on the internet. Now, besides driving an autorickshaw in the vintage lanes of Indore, he also earns a decent amount of money as a part-time vlogger.

He faced extreme poverty but never gave up

According to a report by Humans of Bombay, Ravi Ratnawat was born in a humble family where his father worked as a security guard and his mother cooked food in hostels. Due to extreme poverty, he was forced to quit studies after the 10th standard. But when his father became weak, Ravi decided to become the sole breadwinner of the family. He did several jobs like selling vegetables in the market, working at a chocolate factory and as an office boy.


During his time in the office, he met a friend who delivered milk in his autorickshaw and Ravi Ratnawat decided to drive the vehicle for a living. He took a loan, bought an auto and started earning. According to him, being a driver gave him freedom, as he met new people and explored the city. Later, Ravi got married and welcomed 2 kids. But during COVID, he got infected with 70% lungs damage and was admitted to the hospital for 10 days.

Travel vlogs changed auto driver’s life

During recovery at home, Ravi Ratnawat actively watched travel vlogs when an idea struck him. He realised that he could do it too. So, Ravi started recording videos on his phone, learning how to shoot and edit all by himself, despite people sometimes mocking him. His first vlog got 1000 views and later another clip featuring Chappan Dukan, a popular eatery in Indore, garnered over 4 million views. Soon, Ravi’s followers increased from 300 to 50k in 3 years. At present, he enjoys 51.6k followers on Instagram.

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Ravi Ratnawat claimed that people now recognise him from the vlogs and click selfies with him. He also earns well from promotions. But the best part about his vlogging life is that when his kids want to have pizza, he does not have to hesitate about starting his auto and driving them to a pizza shop. In conclusion, Ravi shared that despite not having a degree, he is determined to write his own story through courage and determination.