(MENAFN- Live Mint) A Jaipur-based businessman who once drove an auto has gone viral for not just gifting his son a luxury car, but for also purchasing Rajasthan's most expensive registration number.

As per media reports, auto driver-turned-businessman Rahul Taneja gifted his son a brand new Audi RS Q8 SUV for his 18th birthday, and followed it up by buying Rajasthan's most expensive number plate.

How much did the number plate cost?

To go with his gift to his son, Taneja purchased the registration number RJ 60 CM 0001 from the Jaipur Railway Transport Office.

Reportedly, the vehicle number plate itself cost a whopping ₹31 lakh, while the car carries an on-road price tag of ₹2.69 crore in Rajasthan.

A life of hardship to phenomenal success

Born in a small in village in Madhya Pradesh, Taneja spent his early life working as a waiter at a roadside Jaipur dhaba, earning just ₹150 per month.

Taneja's father reportedly used to repair bicycle tyre punctures while his mother worked the fields.

Determined to study as well, Taneja took up admission to at Adarsh Vidya Mandir in Rajapark alongside his dhaba job, and secured an impressive 92% markets by borrowing books and notebooks from his friends.

Throughout his education, Taneja served tea and snacks and took up side jobs, such as selling firecrackers during Diwali and colours during Holi.

By the age of 16, Taneja had taken up driving an auto-rickshaw, basing operations out of Jaipur's Durgapura railway station.

Around this time, Taneja also took up modelling on the advise of his friends: his 6-foot-frame and good looks helped him in this pursuit, and Taneja reportedly went on to win the titles of Mr Jaipur, Mr Rajasthan, and Male of the Year.

During his stint with modelling, Taneja also learnt about how fashion shows were organized and went on to establish an event management company called Live Creations in 200. He followed it up by launching management agency IndianArtist in 2005.

The Jaipur-based businessman also opened up a small car dealership, and later ventured into luxury wedding planning under the banner of Rahul Taneja Premium Weddings.

A fascination with number plates

While Taneja has grabbed the headlines for purchasing the ₹31 lakh number plate, it isn't the first time that he has made the news.

In 2018, he grabbed eyeballs after purchasing a ₹16 lakh number plate (RJ45 CG 001) for his own Jaguar XJL luxury car. Earlier in 2011, he purchased the registration number RJ 14 CP 0001 for his BMW 7 Series luxury car for ₹10 lakh, a record in Rajasthan then.

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