{"id":43618,"date":"2026-08-01T21:03:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T15:33:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/meet-the-man-who-built-bengalurus-coolest-auto-bengaluru-news\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T21:03:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T15:33:56","slug":"meet-the-man-who-built-bengalurus-coolest-auto-bengaluru-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/banitoday.com\/hi\/meet-the-man-who-built-bengalurus-coolest-auto-bengaluru-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the man who built Bengaluru\u2019s coolest auto | Bengaluru News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Meet<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Bengaluru:<\/span> For years, whenever his workday ended, 72-year-old Manjunath CH would scroll through YouTube<\/a> videos of flashy, customised autorickshaws from Mumbai. He admired their sleek interiors, car-like doors, and the attention they drew on roads. Hoping to find something similar in Bengaluru, he waited \u2014 but never spotted anything.So, he decided to build one himself.Today, the veteran auto driver from Kurubarahalli navigates the city\u2019s traffic in what many passengers initially mistake for a tiny car. His 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and perhaps its biggest attraction in Bengaluru\u2019s unpredictable weather: air conditioning.\u201cYou can say I did it out of sheer craze,\u201d Manjunath says with a smile.It took months of coordinating with multiple vendors and nearly Rs 1.5 lakh to turn his vision into reality. The cream-and-orange interiors resemble those of a compact car, and he is already planning further upgrades, including a small television and CCTV cameras. \u201cI always felt that an innovative city like Bengaluru deserved a unique auto like this,\u201d he says.For Manjunath, however, the modifications are about more than standing out. He points to the city\u2019s increasingly erratic weather, recalling several incidents of trees falling on moving autorickshaws. \u201cIf the roof is stronger, I know I\u2019m at least safer during such situations,\u201d he says.The customised vehicle has become a conversation starter over the past two years. Passengers often step in expecting an ordinary auto ride but leave pleasantly surprised by the comfort inside.The story behind the driver is just as remarkable. Manjunath moved to Bengaluru from Hassan in the 1980s, hoping to start a travel agency. When that plan failed, driving an autorickshaw became his livelihood. More than five decades on, he still takes immense pride in the profession.He says there are two things he has never done: overcharge a passenger or refuse a ride.His workdays have become shorter, not because his passion has faded, but because navigating Bengaluru\u2019s increasingly congested roads has become physically demanding. \u201cWhen I started driving, petrol cost just Rs 2.65 a litre and the minimum fare was Re 1. Today, everything has changed,\u201d he says.Unlike many younger drivers, Manjunath has chosen not to join ride-hailing platforms, saying he does not want to pay aggregator commissions. Instead, he continues to depend on street hails, even though the number of trips has declined over the years.Advice to young drivers<\/span>He believes Bengaluru\u2019s roads have become far more chaotic, with worsening traffic and rash driving making the job especially difficult for senior citizens. Even after decades behind the wheel, his advice to younger auto drivers remains simple. \u201cThose who travel in autos are mostly middle-class and working-class people. They earn their money with hard work, just like we do. If you\u2019ve chosen this profession, you shouldn\u2019t refuse someone who needs a ride,\u201d says Manjunath.<\/div>\n


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Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy roof, partition glass separating the driver and passengers, and air conditioning Manjunath’s 2010-model auto features car-style seats, doors with windows, a sturdy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[299],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-latest-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t