Autoqueen Trilogy, Part III

Autoqueen Trilogy, Part Three concludes our miniseries chronicling the life of Mohana Sundari. Mohana is part of a small but growing group of women driving auto rickshaws in Chennai. Even in India, many are unaware that women drivers like Mohana exist.

Part One traced her vivid childhood memories, while Part Two followed her into adulthood – through marriage, motherhood, financial struggle, and personal loss.

In this final episode, Mohana reflects on navigating a male-dominated profession, and shares how her journey led her to become president of Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS), a union dedicated to empowering women in non-traditional sectors.

Listen here or on your preferred podcast platform.

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VPMS at a Digital Literacy Camp in 2024. Mohana is front and center. ECTE co-founder Vijay is in a blue shirt in the back.

This episode was produced in partnership with Empowering Communities Through Education (ECTE) and Veera Pengal Munnetra Sangam (VPMS). ECTE leads grassroots, worker-centered initiatives that use education, research, and storytelling to support economic justice and civic transformation in Chennai. At the heart of ECTE’s mission is a commitment to organizing women workers in the informal sector — an often-overlooked majority in India’s labor force.

Mohana with VPMS members and ECTE co-founder Vijay at a Digital Literacy Camp in 2025, which brought together VPMS members and gig workers from Edinburgh, Scotland.

While Tamil Nadu is celebrated for having the largest share of women in the formal manufacturing sector, this progress narrative eclipses the lived experiences of the vast majority of women workers laboring in informal and unorganized sectors. ECTE equips these workers with tools to build worker-owned cooperatives, shape impact media, and advocate for inclusive policy change. In partnership with the Alliance for Community Empowerment (ACE), ECTE played an instrumental role in the formation of the VPMS union and cooperative.

VPMS members photographed for the Chennai city government run campaign “Aval Idam,” which translates to “Her Place.” Mohana is kneeling on the right.

VPMS is a registered union in Chennai committed to advancing economic independence, dignity, and collective power for women in non-traditional occupations. This includes advocating for safer and more inclusive public spaces, and providing training in financial literacy, leadership, and advocacy. VPMS brings women together through a cooperative model, and is the first cooperative to be registered within the transportation sector in Tamil Nadu. Building on the success of its women auto drivers’ movement, VPMS is expanding its work to support women across other informal and gig economy sectors, creating pathways for long-term social and economic empowerment.

Autoqueen Trilogy, Part III

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