India’s booming used car market—expected to touch $100 billion by 2034—faces a critical challenge: trust. With over five million annual transactions and a workforce of more than 10 million gig workers, the sector is ripe for innovation that blends technology, skill development, and career stability.
In this conversation, Mr. Gajendra Jangid, Co-Founder, CARS24, discusses how the company’s latest initiative transforms ex-BluSmart drivers into professional Car Inspectors, marrying AI-driven precision with hard-earned on-road expertise. At its heart, this program is not just about better inspections; it represents a larger shift in India’s mobility landscape—where gig workers evolve into tech-enabled professionals, customer confidence deepens, and the promise of “better drives, better lives” takes on a tangible new meaning.
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Q. How does this initiative align with CARS24’s larger vision of “Better drives, better lives”?
A. This initiative directly supports our vision by creating livelihood opportunities while raising inspection quality. Today, India’s used car market processes over 5 million transactions annually, yet trust remains a challenge. By inducting ex-BluSmart drivers as Car Inspectors, we are professionalising inspections, improving transparency, and ensuring customers get accurate evaluations. Better jobs for skilled individuals translate into better outcomes for car buyers and sellers, perfectly aligning with our mission of driving both mobility and meaningful career growth.
Q. What qualities made you confident these professionals could adapt to this career shift?
A. Ex-BluSmart drivers had clocked an average of 150–200 km daily, handling vehicles under demanding city conditions. This amounts to over 40,000 km annually per driver, giving them unparalleled familiarity with how cars behave over time. Their ability to detect performance nuances and manage vehicles under stress provides a natural edge. Combined with their discipline and adaptability from structured fleet operations, these qualities gave us confidence they could successfully transition into inspection roles with a measurable impact on accuracy and reliability.
Q. From an industry perspective, what does this suggest about mobility and autotech in India?
A. India’s mobility sector employs over 10 million gig workers, but many roles remain volatile. This initiative reflects a shift from gig-based driving jobs to structured, tech-enabled careers. With the used car market expected to touch $100 billion by 2034, the demand for reliable inspections is only rising. CARS24’s program demonstrates how disruptions like EV adoption and ride-hailing transitions can be turned into opportunities, upskilling talent into higher-value roles and ensuring the industry evolves toward formalization, trust, and technology integration.
Q. How do AI-powered tools and proprietary systems shape training?
A. Our training leverages AI-powered inspection simulators and proprietary checklists covering 140+ inspection points. Real-time feedback loops reduce human error by up to 25%, ensuring accuracy and consistency. Inspectors undergo 100+ hours of training, blending AI guidance with hands-on practice. Proprietary tools also digitize inspection reports, improving turnaround time by 30%. By combining AI insights with structured evaluation, we equip inspectors to meet global standards, creating a workforce that is both tech-empowered and highly skilled in precision inspections.
Q. How does on-road driving experience enhance inspections?
A. Many of these professionals had driven upwards of 2 lakh kilometers during their BluSmart careers, building an intuitive understanding of vehicle performance under varying conditions. This experience enables them to detect subtle wear-and-tear issues—like unusual vibrations or brake response—that complement AI diagnostics. In our pilot, inspectors with driving backgrounds reduced missed fault rates by 18% compared to first-time recruits. Their real-world expertise, combined with tech-driven training, ensures CARS24 inspections are both thorough and trusted, directly boosting customer confidence.
Q. What career trajectories are envisioned under Mission Elevate?
A. Mission Elevate is structured to create career ladders. Within the first year, top-performing Car Inspectors can progress into Quality Supervisors overseeing teams of 10–15 inspectors. Beyond that, roles like Regional Training Leads and Data Analysts for diagnostics become accessible. Already, majority of our first batch has shown potential for supervisory tracks. The program ensures professionals don’t see inspections as a ceiling but as a launchpad into diverse, tech-driven growth roles across operations, quality, and analytics within CARS24.
Q. How is this a “career upgrade” compared to driving jobs?
A. Unlike driving roles where income fluctuates with ride demand, Car Inspectors earn a fixed monthly salary 20–25% higher than their average driving income, along with structured benefits. They also gain predictable working hours and career progression opportunities. For instance, while a driver’s earnings might drop during lean seasons, inspectors’ pay remains stable. This upgrade shifts them from the uncertainty of gig work to a career with financial stability, skill development, and long-term growth prospects—truly transforming livelihoods sustainably.
Q. What measurable outcomes can you share so far?
A. We have absorbed ex-BluSmart drivers into inspector roles, with inspection accuracy improving significantly in pilot regions. Customer satisfaction scores in these areas rose by 18 points on our internal trust index. Additionally, inspection turnaround times also dropped thanks to trained inspectors using AI-enabled systems. These outcomes show the initiative is not just socially impactful but also operationally effective, enhancing customer confidence while offering measurable improvements in process efficiency and inspection reliability across the board.
Q. Is there potential to absorb talent beyond drivers?
A. Yes, and the potential is significant. India’s logistics and delivery sectors employ over 8 million workers, many with transferable skills such as operational discipline and vehicle knowledge. Our pilot training modules show that with just 6–8 weeks of upskilling, these individuals can achieve inspection proficiency comparable to drivers. By expanding beyond the driving community, CARS24 can access a much larger talent pool, enabling rapid scale while offering career mobility to workers in adjacent mobility and logistics industries.
Q. Looking ahead, what role will Car Inspectors play in customer trust and emerging tech?
A. By 2030, an estimated 60% of used car evaluations in India will integrate AI and IoT. Car Inspectors will serve as the crucial bridge, validating digital diagnostics and translating data into clear, customer-friendly insights. Over the next five years, their role will expand into predictive analytics, using IoT data from connected cars to anticipate issues. This evolution ensures CARS24 stays ahead in delivering trust and transparency, with inspectors positioned as customer advisors in a tech-first mobility ecosystem.
