Wings Rainbow, a radio taxi service launched by Wings Travels and Humsafar Trust, hopes to empower members of the LGBT community by providing a dignified livelihood.

The service is launching with three transgender women drivers and two gay men. They will undergo etiquette training and hope to receive their driving licences by the end of the year.

According to one of the founders, Arun Kharat, the LGBTI chauffeurs will earn Rs15,000 ($220.64; €202.30) per month under the scheme and Rs4,000 ($58.84; €53.95) is being spent per head on training.

‘While the first five are trained, we will continue enrolment from the LGBT community up to 1,500 people across all nine cities,’ Kharat told The Hindu newspaper.

‘We want them to be eventual entrepreneurs and own these vehicles,’ he added.

‘We want to ensure that the LGBT community in India enjoys the same rights and livelihood opportunities in India as their counterparts in the West.’