Post their stint in armed forces, they try their hand at driving

BENGALURU: Don't be surprised if your Ola driver turns out to be someone who has guarded your country's frontiers. Dozens of ex-servicemen have joined the cab aggregator as part of its Ola Sainik programme.
After serving the country for 15-20 years and taking part in several high profile missions, they are now working as operators and driver partners on the Ola platform.
Manjunath B N, who served the Indian Navy for 15 years before retiring in 2009, said: “Most people want to hear about war stories and experience in forward areas.It is fun, always a conversation starter and then the journey just passes by ,“ he said.
He joined the programme in 2015 and is now an operator-cum-driver partner with the cab-aggregator. “If you have worked in the forces, a seemingly normal life just doesn't make the cut any more. I have been shifting cities from Mumbai to Vizag to Russia, always meeting and engaging with people from diverse backgrounds. After that, staying in one city, and going to the same office daily was just pulling me down,“ he added.
Sukhbir Singh, who was a part of several defence operations, including Operation Blue Star and Operation Vijay, said he continues to use his military and technical skills at his new profession.
“Wars are not won by weapons or big guns; but by strategy , skill and dedication.The same is valid for every profession. I ensure that my drivers are educated about how they can work effectively. I work with them to provide them technical understanding of how the app works and guide them on how they should speak to customers and behave with them. In a short span of time I have been able to create a sustainable living for myself and the drivers who work with me,“ he said.
Jairam Shukla retired from the Indian Army after serving for over 26 years as a Naib Subedar. Working as a driver in the forces, he has been driving vehicles all his life. After retirement in 2015, providing for his family on just his pension became ex tremely daunting.
“Driving has always been my passion and it seemed logical to work with Ola. Dur ing the rides, I also get a chance to share my stories with my passengers,“ he said.