Mahindra & Mahindra has inaugurated India’s first all-women-run automobile service workshop in Jaipur. This is part of the company’s larger initiative named ‘Pink Collars’, which is meant to promote recruitment of women in core productive roles across the company’s automobile workshops.
The nine-women-staffed Compact Qwik (CQ) outlet is a category of Mahindra-authorised, two-bay urban workshops that cater to scheduled services. Owned and operated by Mahindra’s channel partner – Kalyan Motors in Jaipur – the Compact Qwik workshop is (wo)manned by technicians, service advisors, drivers, part managers and security guards.
Speaking on the initiative, Veejay Ram Nakra, Chief of Sales & Marketing, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra, said: “At Mahindra, we are delighted to inaugurate India’s first ever automobile workshop powered entirely by women. Through the Pink Collars, we aim to skill and empower more women, which will result in a gender-diverse and inclusive workforce in our workshops.”
Qwik service at a CQ outlet requires two technicians to work in tandem on one vehicle, following standard operating procedures to maximise productivity. Mahindra says it is committed to scaling up the drive of inducting women employees at its authorised workshops, with inclusive policies for women at its channel partners. The company has waived off the technical training fee for women-dealer employees and encourages dealers to recruit more women – up to one-third of their total trainees.
M&M’s Pink Collar initiative encourages channel partners to tie-up with Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) so that up-to-date industrial knowledge through the company’s expert trainers can be imparted, making ITI students industry-ready. Special recruitment drives are conducted for girl students at these ITIs by Mahindra’s authorised dealers to identify and recruit women talent.
Following their selection in the Pink Collars programme in August this year, the potential employees then underwent rigorous technical training at the Mahindra Institute of Learning Excellence (MILE). There, they honed their skills on Mahindra’s range of vehicles and acquired a hands-on experience.
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