In New Delhi, auto-rickshaw drivers, some of whom agreed to display U.S. President Donald Trump’s image for a packet of tea or to cover a torn canopy, are now part of a U.S. Embassy campaign. Driver Ganesh Kumar initially refused to carry the poster, stating, "I told them I didn’t want it," before relenting after organizers offered him a packet of tea. Another driver, Pradeep Kumar, agreed primarily because the canopy of his auto-rickshaw was torn and needed covering. For many of these drivers, the campaign, which features large images of Trump and the Statue of Liberty alongside the slogan "Happy Birthday America!", carried little meaning.
The unusual advertising campaign was unveiled last month by Sergio Gor, the U.S. ambassador to India. It involves about 100 auto-rickshaws that have appeared across the Indian capital in recent weeks. This initiative is part of a broader push by the U.S. to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence with celebrations, cultural events, and public outreach campaigns planned in several countries. Announcing the initiative on social media last month, the U.S. Embassy posted, "Freedom is on the move … literally!" It also urged people in the capital to flag down the auto-rickshaws, saying, "Catch them if you can — they’ll be popping up all over Delhi soon."
Labor's Cost, Capital's Gain
The deployment of these rickshaws, leveraging the precarious labor of drivers for minimal compensation, serves a larger strategic objective for Washington. The U.S. state is seeking to stabilize relations with India after ties soured over Trump’s tariff policies, which had raised duties on several Indian exports. The current campaign, alongside the expected visit of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to New Delhi this weekend, forms part of this diplomatic push. The U.S. state, through its diplomatic apparatus and its imperial garrison in New Delhi, is actively working to mend economic relations that were disrupted by previous trade policies. This effort aims to secure favorable conditions for capital accumulation for transnational corporations. The nominal payments to auto-rickshaw drivers, such as a packet of tea, highlight the vast disparity in power and resources between the U.S. state and the local working class whose labor and vehicle space are appropriated for its propaganda.
Imperial Outreach and Economic Coercion
The U.S. Embassy's campaign, presented as a celebration of "freedom," relies on the economic vulnerability of workers. Driver Pradeep Kumar, when asked if he knew what the advertisement said, replied, "I know he is Trump. Don’t know much other than that." This statement demonstrates the profound disconnect between the imperial messaging and the material realities of those enlisted to carry it. The use of such minor inducements to secure advertising space on working-class vehicles underscores a form of economic coercion, where the immediate need for basic provisions or vehicle repairs outweighs any political or symbolic alignment. The entire exercise functions as a public relations effort designed to smooth over past trade conflicts, which are fundamentally about the flow of capital and the protection of corporate interests. The state's role is clear: to manage international relations to facilitate capital's global reach, even if it means deploying symbolic gestures that exploit the precarious conditions of local labor, masking the underlying economic objectives with celebratory rhetoric. The "Happy Birthday America!" slogan and the "Freedom is on the move" declaration serve to project an image while the actual costs are borne by the underpaid and the benefits accrue to distant capital.