Mumbai's Amruta Mane, 26, Fosters Independence With Women On Wheels

From a young age, Amruta Mane had exceptional prowess in sports. She says she had a 'dabanghood' personality since childhood and was obsessed with motorcycles and cars while growing up. Mane, who learned the gearbike at a very early age, was also sensitive to the world around her where she did not see women riding a two-wheeler or driving a four-wheeler. It was her passion for wheels and her understanding of women's empowerment that made her an entrepreneur eventually.   

In an interview with SheThePeople, Dadar resident Amruta Mane discusses her entrepreneurial journey, how she fosters empowerment through her all-women driving school, the challenges she faces as a young woman on this mission, and why she wants to go pan-India. 

Excerpts from the interview

How did the idea of Women On Wheels strike you?

When I wanted to try my hands on a wheeler no school would help me to learn. I had to request my brother to teach me. Also, just after my graduation, I wanted to start something of my own. I wanted to create something of my own and during my initial days of figuring out what ideas I could implement which would specifically help our society and also empower women, I had gone out for a night walk, when I happened to notice a couple where a husband was trying to teach his wife. He was shouting more at her rather than teaching her. That is when I went into a recap of the same situation I had been through.

There were no motorcycle training schools and no females to teach me when I wanted a proper driving lesson. I also researched and learned that while there were several driving schools there weren't many two-wheeler driving schools. Also, this industry is completely male-dominated. There was no school which would only concentrate on women and their safety and that is when 'Women On Wheels' began in Mumbai. All Women Driving School: For A Woman By A Woman. 

What are some challenges you face as a young woman establishing a business in the automobile sector? 

As driving school is a male-dominated industry; the first biggest challenge is respect or safety. An incident happened in the early stage of starting the organisation. There was a time when a resident used to call the police station and a big van of police would come to stop me from giving training. This happened every alternate day and the police would make me stop from giving training and would ask me to come in the police van. I was just 21 when this incident happened. Since I didn't want to stop I did not take this matter to my parents as out of getting scared they would suggest I stop. Then, one day, I put my guts together and asked the police officer to show me the complaint so I could stop if I was wrong by any means. The registered complaint from the resident read that a young girl was trying to teach motorcycles and there would be chances for accidents to happen. That's when I got more motivated to work harder and shatter this stereotypical thinking that "only males can be safe to teach, drive or ride a vehicle." I knew I had to do this by example.

The biggest challenge includes the obstacles I face with the RTO. Most male officers aren't supportive of women founders. The second challenge is the place. Teaching to drive or ride should have a dedicated empty space. But since we don't get any ground or space to teach, we have to teach in crowded, rush lanes where residents are troubled and not very supportive when they learn it's a woman trainer. 

For as long as we can remember, Indian society has been obsessed with the stereotype that women are bad drivers. This very thought has led fewer women to go behind the wheel and shatter confidence. Today, do you see a result that is both empowering and multiplying?

There was one of our students who learned two-wheeler at our institution and later joined us as an instructor. She didn't inform her family that she was learning with us. She surprised her husband by showing him the skill she learnt but she only got negative feedback from her family. Later, when she requested him to "let her" work as a trainer with us at our training school, her husband commented, "Ladies don't know how to ride, how are they going to teach and empower others." His comment didn't demotivate her but she immediately joined us with a thought of changing the mindsets and stereotypical thinking. She wears a saree when coming out from her house and changes and wears our uniform when she comes to our training location just so her husband does not know that she is working with us. I want to change that for women like her who work at their dreams without any backing.

How did you make Wow Deliveries happen? 

As the pandemic hit our country hard, it hit us as well. In December 2019, the office was set up and immediately within three months, we had to halt operations. The idea of expense and losing my old employees scared me and I was also motivated by starting something which could continue even in the worst of circumstances like the pandemic. 

One of my neighbours had her birthday during lockdown. The cake shop was open but did not provide delivery at home. The elderly man next door shared this situation that he went through and this idea clicked me. As he struggled to get a cake, I realised many elderly people in our surroundings could be struggling to get necessary things. Meanwhile, my trainers constantly asked me for some work and training vehicles were left unused. That is how the concept of wow deliveries came into the picture. Later, slowly when the media started covering our story our concept reached many people, hoteliers and home chefs. We started with the first All Women Delivery Agency in Mumbai.

How challenging was it to keep everything running during the pandemic? 

It was mentally challenging. There were months when I stepped out of the house and did the deliveries almost every day for the first six months. Due to my age, I wasn't ready with extra flowing capital. So, to survive financially I made sure to do deliveries and earn. I had an option of taking funds from my parents but wanted to survive on my funds as the time then was unpredictable. 

What impacts your growth as an entrepreneur? 

There have been days which have completely taken a negative toll on my mental health, especially during the pandemic phase. Some people pulled me down and wanted me to either stop or fail. Completing small tasks each day helped me throughout my entrepreneurial journey. Realising very early that it is you vs society made me even stronger. 

What are your next undertakings? 

My vision is to spread the organisation PAN India. By making women independent, generating employment through our institution and breaking the stereotypical thinking I have a vision of Har Ghar Mahila Swatantra, and I believe driving is one of the factors that can make this happen.