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UCLA podcast spotlights Chennai’s women auto drivers
A three-part Re series follows Mohana Sundari’s journey from auto driver to women’s labor organizer.
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Malvika Choudhary - Sun, 23, Aug 2026
- 16:38 EDT
- 75
Mohana Sundari (kneeling, right) with members of VPMS, a union dedicated to empowering women in non-traditional sectors. / Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE)
A new podcast series from the UCLA Labor Center is highlighting the challenges faced by women auto-rickshaw drivers in Chennai, India, through the story of driver and labor organizer Mohana Sundari.
According to UCLA Labor Center, “Autoqueen Trilogy,” a three-part miniseries produced by the center’s Re podcast, traces Sundari’s journey into a profession dominated by men and her efforts to organize women working in the informal and gig economies.
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Of the roughly 100,000 auto-rickshaws in Chennai, only about 400 are driven by women, according to the UCLA Labor Center. Sundari’s experience reflects the barriers women face in the industry, including safety concerns, limited access to auto stands, restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced earning opportunities through ride-sharing applications.
Sundari, who does not use a surname in keeping with a local cultural convention, grew up in Chennai and developed an early interest in activities traditionally associated with boys. Her mother managed the family finances while her father was her primary caregiver, and Sundari recalled riding bicycles and climbing mango trees with neighborhood boys.
The first episode of the trilogy explores her childhood and family background. The second and third episodes follow her adulthood, including marriage, motherhood, financial difficulties and personal loss before she became involved in organizing women workers.
Sundari eventually became president of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), a union focused on empowering women working in non-traditional sectors. The organization became the first cooperative registered within Tamil Nadu’s transportation sector.
“People are shocked to learn there are so many of us, and I have been in this profession for years without realizing how many women have been driving autos,” Sundari said. “Female auto drivers deserve respect. It is essential that everyone understands we are in this for our livelihood.”
The UCLA Labor Center produced the trilogy in partnership with VPMS and Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE), a nonprofit that organizes women workers in Chennai’s informal sector and helped establish the union.
The series also documents efforts by Sundari and other women drivers to improve working conditions. Their advocacy contributed to the creation of women-only pickup spots at metro stations and legal protections through the union.
In 2024, Sundari and her colleagues won first place in Coop 2024, a pitch competition focused on cooperative entrepreneurship, earning a cash prize and a yearlong mentorship.
VPMS has since expanded its work beyond auto drivers to support women in other informal and gig-economy sectors. Sundari also organizes skills-building workshops, including sessions on financial literacy, while helping union members seek employment and access loans.
“If I can provide a livelihood for many women through this union, I believe that will fulfill everything,” Sundari said.
Sundari was awarded the Kamla Bhasin Award in 2025 for her contribution to gender justice and equity in South Asia.
The “Autoqueen Trilogy” is available through UCLA Labor Center’s Re podcast and major podcast platforms.
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