The Tracking Indian Youth Workers Media Fellowship presents the next in a series of stories capturing the lives of young workers across India.
Krishna Kumar, 24 years old, is originally from Dholpur, Rajasthan. He moved to Jaipur in search of better opportunities and to provide for his family. Now, he works nearly 18 to 20 hours a day as a driver to support his mother, wife, and two young sons. In this conversation, he talks about early marriage, lost dreams of becoming a soldier, the financial hardships brought on by the pandemic, and the deep desire to one day own a home for his family.
“By the time I turned 12, I understood that not all dreams come true. I got married young—nine years ago—and soon had two children. That changed everything. My priorities shifted. I had a family to take care of, and earning a living became more important than chasing childhood dreams.”
Read his full story below. Profile by Paridhi Jain.
Paridhi: Thank you for your time. Can you tell me about yourself?
Krishna: My name is Krishna Kumar. I am 24 years old and I work as a driver. I have been in this profession for the past seven years. I have a family of five—my wife, our two sons aged 7 and 4, my widowed mother, and myself. We come from Dholpur in Rajasthan, but we live in Jaipur now.
Paridhi: Seven years is a long time—you must’ve started quite young. What about your education?
Krishna: Yes, I started early. I completed my education up to the 12th grade and then began working as a driver. People often ask, "Why are you doing this?’’ But what they fail to understand is that in situations like mine where you are the sole earner in the family, you’re faced with a choice: either continue your education or start earning to support your loved ones. I chose the latter.
Paridhi: Why did you move from Dholpur to Jaipur?
Krishna: The main reason was our financial situation. There was nothing left for us in Dholpur. My father passed away when I was two years old, and after that, we had no stable source of income. So, after completing my education, my mother, my wife, and I moved to Jaipur in search of work.
Initially, I worked in a factory, but the salary was just ₹8,000 a month— which is not enough to survive. I started falling into debt. That’s when a friend suggested I try Ola bike services. After some time, I saw profits coming in. Slowly, things improved—I started earning better, saved up, took a loan, borrowed a bit, and eventually bought my first car.
Now, I provide cab services to government school teachers in the mornings and drive for Ola at night. I’ve expanded since then—I now own two cars and an auto-rickshaw, which someone else drives. I also occasionally take outstation bookings to supplement my income.
Paridhi: What was your childhood dream?
Krishna: I had aspirations of becoming a soldier and serving my nation. I always dreamed of joining the army and serving the country. But we didn’t even have enough to eat some days, so building physical stamina or getting proper training was out of reach. By the time I turned 12, I understood that not all dreams come true.
I got married young—nine years ago—and soon had two children. That changed everything. My priorities shifted. I had a family to take care of, and earning a living became more important than chasing childhood dreams.
Paridhi: You mentioned you got married nine years ago—you must have been really young?
Krishna: I don’t remember the exact year, but I must’ve been around 16 or 17. My wife was about the same age, a year younger than me. Where I come from, getting married this young is quite common.
Paridhi: What does a typical day in your life look like?
Krishna: I usually work 18 to 20 hours a day. I wake up around 6 AM, get ready, and leave by 7 to drop government school teachers to their schools. Sometimes I even go as far as Raipur and Jamwaramgarh. I return to Jaipur around 6 PM, and after that, I start driving for Ola. There’s no fixed time for when I get home—sometimes it’s midnight or later. I usually manage about 4 to 5 hours of sleep.
Paridhi: You're doing so much for your family. When do you find time to spend with them?
Krishna: Sundays are reserved for family. It’s the one day I’m off work and my children don’t have school, so we get to spend time together and enjoy the weekend as a family.
Paridhi: Do you see any financial improvements since choosing this profession?
Krishna: I’m not entirely sure about financial improvements, but I’m able to earn enough to send my children to school and provide them with a better life. I just don’t want them to grow up feeling like we’re poor. If I have to work 24 hours a day to make sure they don’t feel that way, I will.
Paridhi: If you weren’t a driver, what profession do you think you’d be in?
Krishna: At this point, I’ve come to accept that my destiny is driving. I can’t really imagine myself doing anything else now. In 2017, I took the CISF exams, tried for SSC, and even worked as a cook for a while—but nothing seemed to work out.
Paridhi: How did the COVID pandemic affect you?
Krishna: The lockdown hit me and my family hard; it felt like we were at our lowest point. I had just bought a car, and then everything shut down. Suddenly, I found myself facing a loss of around ₹6–7 lakhs. I had no job and our savings were gone, leaving me in debt.
During the second lockdown, we made the tough decision to return to our village. I started doing farm work, earning just ₹500–600 a day. It wasn’t easy, but it kept us going. Once things reopened, we came back to the city, and I slowly started my driving services again.
Life has always thrown challenges my way, and somehow, I've managed to tackle them all. However, the COVID period was especially hard for us. Now, I feel grateful that we made it through and came out stronger.
Paridhi: Where do you see yourself in five years?
Krishna: I am not sure where life will take me. I haven’t thought much about it because you never know what the future may hold. All I wish for is to have a house of our own. I have lived in a rented house my entire life, and I want my family to have a home they can call their own. I will work hard to fulfill this wish, and I believe that in 2-3 years, I will be able to buy a house.
Paridhi: Thankyou for talking to me. I just have one last question- when was the last time you bought a gift for yourself?
Krishna: No one’s ever asked me that before, and to be honest, I’ve never even thought about it. I have never bought a gift for myself. I lost my childhood too early, and since then, my focus has only been on taking care of my family. I only think about them- everything I do is for them. I don’t even know what I would buy for myself if I had the chance.
This is an ongoing series of profiles documenting the experiences of young people across India. Stay tuned for more stories from young workers across India. Follow us on social media for more updates.
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