Delhi entrepreneur shares elderly Porter delivery agent’s heartbreaking layoff story
A Rs 40 Porter booking in Noida turned into an emotional lesson on layoffs, ageing and the realities of India’s gig economy for social entrepreneur Kiran Verma.
Verma shared his encounter with a 56-year-old delivery partner who said he was forced to take up gig work after losing his corporate job.
A chief serving officer at the non-profit initiative Change With One Meal, Verma narrated the incident in a LinkedIn post that has since resonated with thousands online.
He said he had booked a Porter delivery to send an urgent letter within Noida because “it was costing me just Rs 40”. Expecting a routine pickup, he instead met an elderly delivery partner who climbed to his first-floor apartment to collect the envelope.
“I was at home and I was getting ready so I was half dressed. An old man came as a Porter rider,” Verma wrote.
He apologised for not going downstairs and offered the man a glass of water, which he politely declined. Instead, the delivery partner smiled and said, “Aaj kaam hi nahi tha, wait kar raha tha kaam ke liye (There was no work today. I was just waiting for a delivery request).”
Verma said the rider’s neat appearance and polished manner of speaking stayed with him even after he left. Feeling guilty for making the man climb the stairs, he called him back.
“He got little worried over phone. I called him in and asked him to sit to relax,” Verma wrote.
The delivery partner introduced himself as Manoj, 56, and shared that he had worked in the administration department at Tata AIA Life Insurance for 14 years. In 2023, he was among those who lost their jobs during a round of mass layoffs.
When Verma asked him about the reason behind his layoff, Manoj replied with a metaphor that has since struck a chord online: “Beta jab sabzi banate hai toh curry leaf sabse pehle daalte hai, par jab sabzi khate hai toh sabse pehle curry nikalte hai (Son, when you cook a vegetable dish, curry leaves are added first. But when you eat it, they are the first thing to be removed).”
Verma clarified that he did not know the actual reason behind Manoj’s layoff or how he had performed at work. However, he said the 56-year-old had been unable to find another job because of his age and health.
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Reflecting on the meeting, Verma wrote, “Life is hard, real life situations are harder and the hardest is facing the reality that you wanted to do something but the life don’t consider you worth giving work.”
He added that he paid Manoj more than the delivery fee as a gesture of gratitude and watched him leave from his balcony, “as if I am seeing off someone known to me.”
Porter acknowledged the post in the comments, writing, “We thank you for sharing this heartfelt post and appreciating the effort showcased by our team.”
The post struck an emotional chord with LinkedIn users, many of whom said Manoj’s story reflected the challenges faced by older professionals after layoffs. Others praised his dignity and resilience, while calling his “curry leaf” analogy a poignant reminder of how easily experienced employees can feel discarded in today’s job market.
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