At 15, Puja left her village in Jharkhand for Delhi with no money or contacts. Years later, after surviving homelessness, pandemic-induced unemployment, and long days on a bicycle, she has built an independent life while supporting her mother back home.

From sleeping on a Delhi railway platform to forging a new life on two wheels, Zomato delivery partner Puja's journey is one of quiet resilience. (Pics: Zomato)

A childhood marked by hardship

Puja lost her father at 13. With the family struggling to survive, she and her mother took up odd jobs, sometimes earning only enough for two rotis and a cup of tea for an entire day. At 15, she left her village for Delhi alone. With nowhere to go, she spent her first nights sleeping on a railway station floor before finding work cleaning houses, shops and hotel receptions. 

When one door closed, another opened

The Covid-19 pandemic brought another setback, leaving Puja unemployed. Sitting on a roadside and unsure of what to do next, she was approached by a stranger who suggested becoming a Zomato delivery partner. Having never seen a woman doing the job herself, Puja nevertheless decided to try. She began delivering orders on a bicycle.

For four years, she cycled across Delhi, including late into the night, working towards her financial goals. Her perseverance was later recognised through Zomato’s annual programme supporting delivery partners in transitioning to electric vehicles. She received an e-bike, replacing the bicycle that had carried her through those years. 

From surviving to standing on her own

Today, Puja lives independently in a rented home in Delhi and regularly sends money to her mother in Jharkhand. Her journey, she says, has taught her that dreams are not realised overnight but through continuing to show up, even when circumstances seem impossible. 

A journey measured in more than miles

Puja’s story is not simply about becoming a delivery partner. It traces a gradual movement from uncertainty towards stability—one job, one ride and one difficult day at a time. Her own words offer the simplest measure of that journey: keep going, and do not give up on the possibility of building something of your own.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/art-culture/this-zomato-delivery-partner-went-from-sleeping-at-a-railway-station-to-being-financially-independent-know-pujas-story-101790323147389.html