Bengaluru Auto Driver Accepts Payment Via Smartwatch QR Code, Stuns Social Media

Bengaluru is renowned for its startup scene and for the high level of digital literacy among the general populace. On social media, people often post about their ‘Peak Bengaluru’ moments, meeting tech-savvy individuals in and around the city. Now, a Bengaluru autorickshaw driver has been making rounds on social media after a photo of him receiving money via a QR code on his smartwatch went viral.

The image captioned “Auto anna pulled out the #peakBengaluru move” features a rickshaw driver presenting a QR code to a customer using his smartwatch.

As expected, the comments section has a flurry of reactions commending the tech-savvy driver.

A user said, “Anna: 1. All of us: 0.”

Another user said, “Auto Anna becoming more Digital!”

“This city is something else #peakBengaluru,” said a user.

A user mentioned, “This auto driver looks very smart, this is the magic of Digital India.”

“Modern-day dilemmas need cutting-edge approaches,” read a comment.

An individual highlighted, “With this, you can easily understand why Bengaluru is the tech city of India.”

The internet was captivated by the identical story of another driver in Bengaluru last year when the commuter selected the Namma Yatri service. When the passenger asked to pay using a QR code, the driver displayed his smart watch.

“Today I met namma Tony Stark in @nammayatri. Asked my auto driver for the QR code. Man flipped his hand and showed me his smartwatch. Turns out he’s saved the QR code as his smartwatch screensaver. So much swag,” the caption read.

In another instance of ‘Peak Bengaluru,’ an X user stumbled upon an auto-rickshaw-driving Microsoft software engineer in Koramangala. Wearing a Microsoft brand hoodie, the engineer drove for Namma Yatri on the weekends to help combat loneliness.

In another identical event in Bengaluru, a Rapido chauffeur was discovered to be an administrative officer at a well-known company.

The customer revealed that she discovered her driver was a business manager at one of the large corporations during a routine Rapido trip. The driver, she said, enjoys assisting folks to reach their destination at a reasonable price. The user did not, however, provide any personal information about the individual, ostensibly out of consideration for his privacy concerns.