For many women, the combination of a good income with flexible hours is ideal. They fit in trip bookings when they are not busy with their children.

Mehjabhen Shaikh, 42, who drives in Mumbai in the evenings until late, spends her days sleeping and looking after her family.

Some encounter baleful disapproval from their families. Others receive support, particularly when earnings of 50,000-80,000 Indian rupees ($980-1570) per month start coming home. The generous income is enough to transform their lifestyles.

Noor Jahan, 33, has driven an auto rickshaw in Bangalore for two years. Her husband, a driver himself, supports her decision.

“I had to earn money to supplement my husband’s income in order to educate our four children,” Jahan said. She has paid off the loan she took for the auto rickshaw and is confident about being able to help her children get to college.

Jahan has even set up a driving school to help other women take up the profession. She likes the idea of being a role model and inspiration for others.

“I used to sew school bags at home for a pittance. This income has changed our lives,” she said. In fact, she now earns more than her husband.

Reactions from passengers vary when they get into the back and see a woman at the wheel . Some are taken aback. Some are initially nervous about their driving ability. Many are surprised but pleasantly so.

Chenai-based Jayalakshmi Babu, 40, loves driving because it gives her a sense of independence. She even drives at night, often picking up female IT and call centre employees.

“Being with an app-based company is better than being an ordinary taxi driver. I don’t have to hang around on street corners or roam the streets while looking for customers. That’s when you get funny looks. The bookings come straight through the app," she said. When she is busy with her family chores, she logs off.

Babu's husband supports the mother-of-two, telling her to ignore relatives who tut tut at a woman being in a car on her own with a male passenger. As a freelance make-up artist, his income is intermittent. Babu's 60,000 rupees a month has helped raise the family’s standard of living.

Their aspirations have also grown. Her son’s dream is to become an engineer. “If my income remains at this level, I am confident that I will be able to support my son’s dream,’ she said.

These women are blazing a trail for others. But it’s not always easy.

JasubenRabari is the first woman to drive an auto rickshaw in Gandhinagar. Her family was so shocked at her decision that they have cut off all ties with her. Yet she seized the opportunity because her husband, following an accident at work, was unable to work. Her children supported her decision.

“My daughter used to boost my morale by telling me I was a better driver than her papa,” Rabari  said.