Over 10,000 driver-partners of BluSmart have been stranded without a livelihood after the company abruptly halted operations. There has been no official communication from the management. What began as a routine message on Wednesday — instructing drivers to return to their respective hubs — has turned into complete silence, leaving the drivers in shock, confusion, and despair.
The shutdown came without a formal notice. The drivers’ WhatsApp group received a vague voice note on Wednesday evening, citing “server issues” and asking them not to report to their hubs until further notice. Since then, the hubs have remained locked, the company has been unresponsive, and the once-bustling parking lots stand deserted.
“I’ve been waiting every day for some update, but there’s nothing. We’re not even allowed inside the hub,” said Sachin Kushwah, who has been with BluSmart for two years adding he doesn’t know who to contact.
Kushwah, like thousands of others, is now on a job hunt. But with so many former BluSmart drivers in the market, opportunities are scarce.
“Even where there are jobs, dealers are demanding ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 as commission,” said Satish John, Kushwah’s fellow driver from Haryana. “And that’s for work that pays half of what we were earning at BluSmart,” John adds.
For many, the financial impact is only part of the loss. Drivers say the company gave them not just a livelihood, but dignity and stability.
Arjun Singh, a postgraduate in commerce, left his ₹10,000-a-month job as a school accountant to join BluSmart, where he was earning up to ₹40,000 monthly. “I fell in love with Blu,” he said. “It helped me pay off all my loans. I felt proud of my work. Now, it’s like a part of my life has suddenly disappeared.”
Adding insult to injury, many drivers are now seeing penalty charges in their apps due to pre-booked work slots for the week — despite the company having shut down operations. “I had booked my weekly slot. Now they’re charging me ₹350 daily for not showing up, even though the hub is locked,” said Randhir Kumar, another affected driver.
BluSmart’s financial structure had been a lifeline for many. Drivers earned between ₹25 to ₹40 per hour and were guaranteed minimum daily earnings of ₹400. Monthly earnings ranged from ₹12,000 to ₹50,000, often bolstered by generous incentives — as high as ₹8,000 a week for top performers.
These earnings transformed lives. Some drivers bought motorcycles, smartphones, plots of land, or built homes. Others joined the platform to escape low-paying jobs or repay debts.
“I have not just paid my loan because of BluSmart but have also bought a bike,” said Ram Kumar, adding “Now I’m scared I’ll fall into debt again.”
At BluSmart’s largest hub in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj, over 450 cars lie idle. The hub is now a high-security zone, with guards stationed at every entry point to prevent anyone from entering. Dozens of drivers gather here daily, hoping operations will resume — but for many, that hope is quickly fading.
“We’ve been abandoned,” said Dinesh Singh from Champaran, a driver with the company for three years. “Hundreds will be left starving. There’s no work.”
“Now I’m left choosing between returning to my village in Champaran or fighting for a job in a crowded market,” he added. With each passing day, thousands of livelihoods — and the dreams they carried — hang in limbo.