a ‘chai pe charcha’ with recipients of e-rickshaws he distributed in Noida on Tuesday, adding weighty symbolism to the launch of his government’s latest initiative – Stand Up India.

Sipping tea from an earthen cup outside a stall specifically set up for this tea-a-tete, Modi spent nearly 14 minutes with his audience of 23 – 17 of them e-rickshaw recipients – for a session of ‘mann ki baat’ in which he heard more than he spoke.

Satish Tiwari, an e-rickshaw driver who has been driving a rented vehicle, told the PM what a boon the micro-credit scheme was to people like him.

“The rent for the rickshaw I drive is Rs 300-400 per day. That’s a lot. Sometimes, I don’t take home enough for the family.” Now he need not pay the rent as he got the E-Rickshaw. The PM, who had asked the recipients about their livelihoods, was thanked by another recipient, a woman, for the initiative.

E-Rickshaw carrying Scooter and 3 persons – Now how many SUVs can do dat?

The stall on the Sector 62 ground was set up by another e-rickshaw recipient and bore his name, ‘Babu bhai chaiwale’. Babu bhai, however, has nothing to do with selling tea. He paints houses and is happy to have an e-rickshaw of his own, linked to the Ola app, that he hopes will fetch him more bookings and transform the e-rickshaw scene, just as it has done for cabs.

Modi himself took an e-rickshaw ride and demonstrated the app for beneficiaries, making a booking through Ola and paying for the ride through a mobile wallet. He distributed 5,100 e-rickshaws to promote self-employment.