Roshni Rides, A Ride Hailing Startup For Immigrants In Pakistan

Roshni Rides is a ride-hailing startup aiming to solve the immigrant’s transport issue in Karachi. They provide affordable and reliable rickshaw service to the refuges inhabiting in Pakistan.

Pakistan is home to almost 1.6 million refugees. Most of them do have a home but they face transport issues in the country. To cater this problem Roshni Rides provide them with rickshaw service so that they can easily commute. Roshni Rides makes it easier for the immigrants to buy groceries, go to their institution or offices or any other place they need to or wish to visit.

The Startup was founded in 2016 by a Pakistani American Najeeha Farooqi along with COO Hasan Usmani, CMO Hanaa Lakhani, and CFO Moneeb Mian

The unique point of Roshni Rickshaws is that it offer transport service at a fixed price, the price doesn’t go up at peak hours. This is quite an advantage in comparison to other ride-sharing companies in Pakistan having inconsistent prices.

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The ride-hailing service has made life easier for immigrants. They don’t need to ask favors from other friends or neighbors, they can independently visit the places they wish to go.

Another achievement of the startup is that it has been recently acknowledged and given 2017 Hult Prize for its innovative solutions. They were also given $1 million for their effort to make life better for the refugees in Pakistan. The Startup beat other four top teams that are Harvard University’s Kennedy School, the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, the University of Waterloo, and the University of Calgary and York University and won this prize.

Farooqi said on their victory “We are the sons and daughters of immigrants and refugees. This is very personal for us.”