In Bengaluru’s bustling tech ecosystem, a surprising trend is emerging: software engineers, traditionally tied to keyboards and office cubicles, are moonlighting as cab and bike-taxi drivers on platforms like Ola, Uber and Rapido once their day jobs end. For many, the move is less about money and more about escaping the loneliness, monotony and burnout of high-pressure IT-career life.

Take 27-year-old Abhinav Ravindran: by day he’s a software tester, and by night he drives passengers on his fixed airport route — not because he needs the income, but because the ride offers interaction, agency and a change of scenery. The phenomenon exposes deeper questions: what does life look like when a “prestigious job” doesn’t fulfil emotional needs? Instead of coffee breaks or peer- chats, these engineers find purpose in sharing rides, connecting with strangers, and just being more active.

Some colleagues cheer the hustle (earning ₹3,000-₹7,000 on a couple of nights), while commentators flag it as symptom of a troubling corporate culture — long hours, poor work-life balance, social isolation.