It never rains when you carry an umbrella: anyone who owns an umbrella will vouch for this. G Annadurai, the city’s friendly neighbourhood auto driver who rose to fame by fitting his auto with Wifi, TV, charging point, magazines and newspapers (he has replaced them with tablets, though), knows how unpredictable Chennai’s weather can be. So, he has stocked his autorickshaw with 30 umbrellas for customers to use on a rainy day. He calls this the Umbrella Project. “They can drop off the umbrellas at shops I’ve tied up with on OMR,” says the 35-year-old. “I will collect them later.”

“In our city, it may be sunny in the morning but the skies may open up in the evening,” he says. He wants his customers to reach their offices safe and dry. “I don’t want them falling sick by getting drenched; for if they do, they won’t come to work and if they don’t, they wont ride in my auto. It’s a cycle,” he laughs.

But there’s much more to this exercise. “How would it be if the conductor of the MTC bus you’re in offers you an umbrella with a smile, saying ‘Walk home safe, return this tomorrow’?” he asks. “What if the Metro you take has something similar? Imagine the station master waiting with an umbrella for you on the platform on a rainy day.” Annadurai hopes that his action will inspire others to follow suit.

Of course, there are chances that his umbrellas, for which he’s spent around ₹200 each, may never come back. Point this out to him and the man says that it all boils down to trust. “Such negative thoughts only disrupt positivity,” he feels. “If I’d had such thoughts, I would never have spent over ₹90,000 on an iPad Pro to be fitted in my auto for my customers.”

For someone who’s transformed the humble autorickshaw experience, Annadurai actually did not become an auto driver by choice. “But now that I am, I want to be the best I can,” he says.

His auto also has a box filled with fruits, chocolates, and biscuits. “A lot of people skip their breakfast in their hurry to come to office. They can pick anything they want from the box to munch on on their ride for free,” he says.

Then there is a refrigerator with water, tender coconut water, and juice, not to mention Google Hub and Amazon Echo.

Annadurai ferries people along ECR and OMR. These days, he’s constantly travelling to give talks at corporate events and educational institutions. “I just returned from Goa after a talk,” he says. Does he ever think of changing jobs? “Never,” he says. “The CEOs of several big companies know me and appreciate me. This wouldn’t have happened even if I’d worked for them.”