It is 5 am on a cold and slightly foggy Saturday morning in Delhi. There is no sign of an auto or a public bus, and with daybreak still two hours away, Sheetal* has to rely on ride-hailing cabs to reach Bharat Mandapam. It is a fair distance from Noida. And expensive. But the daily allowance of Sheetal and most of her colleagues are decent enough at Auto Expo 2025, the current home of hundreds of car, bike and real-life models.
The job description is simple even if the job itself may not always be. “We have to basically stand and smile through the day and engage with visitors if they have any inquires,” she tells HT Auto, standing next to a popular sportsbike. “I have to reach by 6 am and the day is till 7 in the evening.” The 21-year-old says she doesn’t mind the long hours because she gets a break of 30 minutes after every one hour of duty.
In a hall right next to where Sheetal is at, Shweta* is standing next to a concept car. Hesitant to speak initially, the 22-year-old whispers this is her second Auto Expo. “I was at the Auto Expo in Noida. It was more fun because I was deputed in the kids zone,” she says. “This is fine too but the music is a bit too loud and it is very crowded today.”
“Can I get a selfie?”
Both Sheetal and Shweta say they are regularly asked for selfies by visitors. “I don’t mind actually. It is part of the job. But if I don’t feel comfortable with anything, I can refuse too. Plus there are security people here and bouncers too,” says Sheetal. “I haven’t had the need to call either of them yet,” she adds.
For 21-year-old Shalini* though, the requests have ranged beyond selfies to even phone numbers. “A few have asked for my phone number but I have politely refused,” she says, standing next to an EV. “ For most parts though, people come and click us and that comes with the job profile.” So what exactly is the job profile and what’s the hiring process like. “We are from an agency. The brands usually contact the agencies and we are then selected. For most parts of the day, we are to pose next to the vehicles here and respond to any queries from visitors about these vehicles.”
Not everyone though is tasked to answer queries from visitors. Sheetal says most models stationed at the pavilions here are ‘to add glamour’ and that most brands have dedicated people who answer car or bike-related questions although even they are expected to have basic idea of the brand they are temporarily with.
Big bucks in the fast lane?
Smiling and standing the entire day, even with breaks, can be exhausting. On crowded days, it can also be very claustrophobic. But the pay usually is good enough to justify the efforts. The young women here can earn anywhere between ₹15,000 to ₹20,000 each day which means around a lakh over the course of six days of the auto show. “I am training to become a lawyer, so this is a nice sum on the side to cover personal expenses,” says Shalini.
And while most of the models here are Indians, there are also models from foreign countries. While none of them was willing to speak on or off record, HT Auto learns that young women from countries like Russia, Hungary and even Brazil are employed. The only standout bit is that most of the people-facing people at the display areas are women which points to a clear gender preference.
All in all though, most models here agree that it is a short stint with a decent pay which justifies the long hours. And while it may get stifling when hoarded of people converge, the general consensus is that proper security and enough opportunities to take a break eases the schedule as the day turns into evening and it is time to call it a day.
* All names have been changed at the request of the persons HT Auto spoke with.
