Long gone are the days when cars and two-wheelers were considered as something to be exclusively marketed to men. Brands have woken up to the fact that women make up an increasingly key slice of their customer base. And it doesn’t stop there; around the globe, we’re seeing more women stepping up and taking on leadership roles in the auto industry. Even the shop floor isn’t left out. Just recently, MG Motor India rolled out its 50,000th Hector from its Halol plant and women led the end-to-end production of the unit.
From challenging stereotypes to offering special discounts and more – here’s how some of the biggest brands in the Indian auto industry celebrated 2021 International Women’s Day:
Audi - #DriveTheChange
Audi India kicked off its #DriveTheChange initiative by inviting fans online to post some of the gender-related stereotypes they are tired of hearing. The brand then took this initiative on-ground by inviting eight women from diverse industries to show off their driving skills, shattering those very stereotypes.
Offering a play on Audi’s new slogan ‘Future is an Attitude’, Audi India Head, Balbir Singh Dhillon said, “Future is an attitude and it is time now to change the regressive attitudes which have got established over the years”.
Renault, Hero MotoCorp, Okinawa offer discounts and benefits
Renault is offering some exclusive offers for female customers from March 8-14. This includes a 10 percent discount on parts and labour, along with extended warranty and RSA (Roadside Assistance Cover). The carmaker is also offering free pick up and drop off for female customers, assured gifts and more. These offers are available across all Renault workshops in India.
Two-wheeler manufacturers have joined in too. Hero MotoCorp is offering a Rs 5,100 cashback offer on all scooters, in addition to a Rs 3,000 exchange/loyalty bonus.
Okinawa, meanwhile, has announced a month-long campaign. The electric two-wheeler maker is offering assured gifts (worth Rs 3,000 – Rs 1,00,000) on purchase of the Okinawa Lite, Okinawa Ridge+, and Okinawa R30. Additionally, the company’s also running a social media campaign inviting women from its dealership network to share their success stories. The aim is to encourage budding women entrepreneurs to join the EV sector.
FMSCI adds more members to Women Commission for Motorsport
Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) – which is responsible for the governance and promotion of motorsport in the country – has announced the members of its Women Commission for Motorsport, India 2021. Autocar India’s very own Renuka Kirpalani (executive editor, the Autocar Show) joins the commission along with WIM Chairperson, Sita Raina, former National Rally champion, Anita Nanjapa, and Paralympian and Khel Ratna awardee, Deepa Malik.
The commission works towards recognising budding female talent in motorsport and preparing them for competition on the national and international stage.
The FMSCI has also announced that its various commissions will also have members representing the interest of women – Mira Erda (Grassroot), Vijay Lakshmi (Regularity Rally), Anita Nanjapa (Two-wheeler), Bani Yadav (Off-road) and Divya Miglani (Four-wheeler).
Toyota Revvelations Challenge
For Women’s Day, Toyota has released an Instagram reel template and is inviting followers to grab a partner, participate and address one key question – Are we really judging the driving or the gender? The carmaker’s featuring the reels on its Instagram page, so don’t forget to tag the page if you’re participating. You can check out the video below for more details:
Not just one day
While nearly every company had some sort of creative up to celebrate Women’s Day, brands like Volkswagen, Kia and Mahindra highlighted one important message – the fact that this isn’t an isolated day-long event; women should be celebrated every day.
Celebrating our feminine half everyday.#InternationalWomensDay #IWD2021 #WomensDay2021 #VolkswagenIndia #Volkswagen pic.twitter.com/E7t3d5HWiB
— Volkswagen India (@volkswagenindia) March 8, 2021
Last we checked, our cars didn’t see gender :)
— Mahindra Automotive (@Mahindra_Auto) March 8, 2021
Here’s celebrating all the ladies who remind us of the thrill, excitement and joy of driving everyday! #HappyWomensDay pic.twitter.com/BxA0dX8NIOHappy Women’s day..? What is that?
— Kia Motors India (@KiaMotorsIN) March 7, 2021
Women are Badass. They conquer the world, Every day. Tag such Badass #Women below and let them know that one day is not enough to celebrate their greatness.#EveryDayWomensDay #BadassByDesign #ThePowerToSurprise pic.twitter.com/egQEcIU6TrAlso see:
MG India plant tour with MD Rajeev Chaba