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Beyond the regular 9-5 job: The rise of part-time bike taxi drivers
Md Kaifee Alam New Delhi
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Rakesh Kumar, 32, works as a sales executive with a Gurugram-based firm between 10 am and 6 pm. His office job pays a modest salary that once covered rent, EMI, and essentials. However, over the last couple of years, that balance has tipped. So, to make ends meet, Kumar has taken to moonlighting — as a bike taxi driver.
'Before heading to the office, I complete at least five or six rides,' he says. 'In the evening, I ride again for two to three hours.' He uses both Ola and Uber to get rides. 'I earn ₹200-300 every day from

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Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Lodha Developers expects to conclude one or more land deals this year, ahead of its Delhi-NCR foray: Abhishek Lodha
Mumbai-based listed real estate developer Lodha Developers expects to conclude one or more land deals in Delhi-NCR this fiscal, paving the way for its first project launch in the region in the next financial year, Managing Director and CEO Abhishek Lodha said during the Q1FY26 earnings call on July 28. Lodha Developers' market share is expected to be more than double by the end of the decade in MMR, Pune and Bengaluru, according to the company''s investor presentation for the Q1FY26.(Macrotech Developers) Looking to expand into the Delhi-NCR housing market, Lodha said the company aims to acquire at least one land parcel this year to develop its first residential project in the region. The foray will begin with a pilot phase, involving a limited number of projects and a moderate level of investment. Lodha Developers plans to enter the Delhi-NCR real estate market within the next year and aims to launch its first project in the region in the next financial year, the company said. "We expect to enter Delhi NCR in the next 12 months and hope to launch in fiscal 2027. The Delhi NCR is an important market for us to get into. We obviously, as we have done in Pune and Bengaluru, will only enter in a gradual manner. We will be starting off with a pilot phase with a moderate number of projects and a moderate level of investment with a view to understanding better how the market operates and how we build out the supply chain for operations as well as sales," Lodha said during a recent investors' call. "Our focus in this period is, first and foremost, on building our local operating team. We expect that we will conclude one or more land transactions either on a joint development basis or otherwise in the course of this financial year, and hope to launch in the next financial year. But obviously, at this stage, the details are limited. We will provide a more detailed update once the first land transaction is concluded," Lodha said. Also Read: DLF's Rajiv Singh is the richest real estate developer, followed by Mangalprabhat Lodha and family: Grohe-Hurun India Location strategy for Delhi-NCR Responding to a question on which micro-markets Lodha Developers has zeroed in on for launching its first project in Delhi-NCR, he said that 'I think we are looking across the Delhi NCR to make sure that locations fit with our brand's premium positioning.' "At the same time, have attractive dynamics when it comes to supply-demand and also profitability for us. So, we are looking across the board, and we will be able to provide a little bit more specific detail once the first land transaction is concluded. I think at this stage it's just a directional thing that, yes, we expect to be entering the NCR in the next 12 months," Lodha said during the call. Also Read: Lodha versus Lodha: Real estate tycoons settle trademark dispute through mediation Lodha Developers' market share is expected to be more than double by the end of the decade in MMR, Pune and Bengaluru According to the investor presentation shared with the stock exchanges as part of the Q1FY26 quarterly financial results, Lodha Developers' market share will more than double in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune, and Bengaluru real estate markets by the end of the decade. The company said in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, its market share as of FY24 is 10%, which is likely to go up to 20% by the end of the decade, followed by 15% in Pune from its existing 5%, and 12% in Bengaluru from 2% currently, the investor's presentation revealed. Also Read: Buying a property is better than renting one: Abhishek Lodha Q1FY26 results The company's sales bookings increased 10% during the April-June period of this fiscal year to ₹4,450 crore. The company's total income increased to ₹3,624.7 crore in Q1FY26 from ₹2,918.3 crore during the same time last year. Lodha Developers has delivered 110 million sq ft of real estate and is currently developing more than 130 million sq ft under its ongoing and planned portfolio.
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Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
Pharma Inc gear up for Day 1 launch of obesity drug in March 2026
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Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Citizenship for sale? Why Canadians are joining the Caribbean passport trend
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