VMPL
New Delhi [India], October 31: Diwali ushers in a peak travel season, with a surge in demand creating more earning opportunities for ride-hailing drivers. This festive season, Green SM offers a transparent earnings structure that helps its Green Drivers take greater control of their income.
Every year, as Diwali approaches, millions of Indians set out to visit their hometowns, reunite with loved ones, shop for the festivities, attend celebrations, or enjoy a holiday with their families. Streets that are already busy become even more crowded as people across the country join in the festivities, bringing cities to life.
Many businesses in the gig economy, particularly those in the transportation sector, are also ramping up seasonal recruitment to meet the surge in travel demand. In 2026, India's festive season is expected to generate around 200,000 to 250,000 seasonal and gig jobs between July and December, up 15% to 20% year on year[1].
For ride-hailing drivers, this period can bring more opportunities to earn. However, while the volume of work may increase, completing more trips does not necessarily translate into a proportional rise in take-home earnings.
The Peak-Season Paradox
The festive season can mean more ride requests, but several factors continue to influence how much drivers actually earn. Travel time, traffic conditions, demand in different areas, and operating costs all play a part. Congested roads may bring a surge in ride requests without a corresponding increase in the number of trips drivers can complete.
An analysis of gig work during India's 2025 festive season highlights this gap. During peak periods, order volumes could rise by 60% to 80%, while pay per order fell by as much as 25% compared with the previous year[2]. Some gig workers had to extend their shifts to 12 to 14 hours, yet their earnings remained around the same level as before. Traffic congestion also reduced the number of orders they could fulfill, meaning additional peak-hour incentives did not always translate into the expected increase in actual earnings.
Ride-hailing drivers can face a similar challenge, albeit in a different form. The number of trips completed, the fare earned per trip, and fuel costs all affect how much money drivers ultimately take home. This becomes particularly important when petrol and diesel prices rise without a corresponding increase in fares.
As a result, relying on daily earnings alone can make it difficult to plan ahead. A busy day may bring in more money, but drivers still need to know how much they have earned over the week, how far they are from their monthly target, and whether it makes sense to spend more time on the road in the days ahead.
Sustainable earnings can therefore start with something simple: having a reliable basis for planning. Drivers can set weekly or monthly targets, track their progress as they work, and adjust their driving schedules accordingly, rather than waiting until the end of each day to find out how much they have made.
Green SM Expands Its Green Driver Network
As demand for drivers grows ahead of the festive season, premium all-electric ride-hailing platform Green SM is expanding its Green Driver network across Delhi-NCR. The initiative creates more earning opportunities for partner drivers while helping ensure sufficient supply to meet rising travel demand during the festivities. Green SM's key differentiator is its transparent earnings structure, which makes it easier for drivers to track their progress and manage their income.
Under its current policy, Green SM places distance driven at the center of its earnings structure, giving drivers opportunities to earn more based on how far they drive. During the festive season, Green Drivers have the potential to earn up to INR 60,000, with additional pay available during peak hours.
Distance driven is displayed directly in the app, allowing drivers to see how far they have progressed toward their targets and adjust their schedules accordingly. This means they can monitor their progress toward their earnings goals while on the road, rather than waiting until the end of the payment period to calculate their total income.
Green SM drivers also currently benefit from free charging at V-Green stations and partner charging stations at all hours, in accordance with the company's current policy. This helps reduce the operating costs associated with driving, an especially valuable benefit for drivers looking to make the most of increased travel demand by spending more time on the road.
With Green SM's approach, Diwali can be an opportunity for those considering a career in ride-hailing to take a more proactive approach to their work: setting clear targets, tracking their earnings progress, and making better use of the increased demand during the festive season.
(ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by VMPL. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same.)