Every time heavy rain lashes Mumbai, commuters rush to book app-based cabs to avoid getting stranded. But for drivers like Mohsin Sheikh, the monsoon is less a time of opportunity and more a season of mounting losses.

“The common perception is that we earn more because demand increases during the monsoon season. The reality is exactly the opposite,” says Sheikh, who has been driving an app-based cab in Mumbai for several years. According to him, the biggest challenge is not the rain but the city’s crumbling infrastructure.