Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. declared the inauguration of India’s first all-women-run automobile service workshop in the Pink City. The company named this larger initiative ‘Pink Collars’ to promote recruitment of women in core productive roles across its workshops.
It is a Compact Qwik (CQ) Outlet powered by a team of 9 women in roles such as technicians, service advisors, drivers, managers and security guards. CQ outlet is a category of two-bay urban workshop authorized by Mahindra that caters to scheduled services. CQ facility requires two technicians to work in sync on one vehicle following standard operating procedures and maximizing productivity.
This CQ outlet in Jaipur is owned and operated by Mahindra’s channel partner Kalyan Motors. Expressing the views on this initiative, Veejay Ram Nakra, Chief of Sales & Marketing, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said that “At Mahindra, we are delighted to inaugurate India’s first-ever all women run automobile service workshop powered entirely by women. We call the initiative “Pink Collars”. Through this, we aim to skill and empower more women, which will result in a gender-diverse and inclusive workforce in our workshops.”
Highlights of All Women Run Automobile Service Workshop
According to an executive of Mahindra and Mahindra, “The company has waived off the technical training fee of women dealer employees and encourages dealers to recruit women as one-third of their trainees.”
This initiative encourages channel partners to tie up with ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) and impart up-to-date industrial knowledge through the company’s expert trainers, provide automotive aggregates to support practical training and make the ITI students industry-ready.
Special recruitment drives are conducted for girl students at these ITIs by Mahindra’s authorized dealers to identify and recruit women talent, he added.
Post their selection in the ‘Pink Collars’ program, these women underwent rigorous technical training at the Mahindra Institute of Learning Excellence (MILE) where they learned their skills on Mahindra’s range of vehicles and acquired a hands-on experience.