Young women duo rev up a four-decade-old family garage in Kottayam

after marriage

When his sons Harish and Girish grew up, they joined their father in business. After their marriage, their spouses also stepped into the workshop, learned the trade, and eventually became mechanics themselves.

Every morning at 9 o’clock, two women take their places in the garage. In many cases, they are the first to inspect motorcycles brought in by customers and decide what repairs or maintenance are required. “Work can be hectic, sometimes extending late into the night or even until 3 am the next day. But it has become our passion, our profession and our life. We enjoy doing it together,” says Amritha.

Since motorcycle repair was still a male-dominated field, customers were often surprised to see women working confidently on powerful machines. However, curiosity soon gave way to admiration.

Today regular customers come with full confidence in their skills. On an average day, four well-maintained motorcycles are delivered to the garage.

Both Amritha and Shruthimol are graduates and their interest in motorcycles only increased after their marriage. “As the daughter of an autorickshaw driver, I had some basic ideas about vehicles from an early age. I knew how to add oil and understood some basic engine mechanics. But during the pandemic period, when the workshop remained closed to the public, I started observing these machines closely. Little by little, I started doing minor repairs and learning more,” recalls Amritha.

Today, he handles most mechanical work in the garage, including fine-tuning engines, installing spare parts, and repairing components. But for now, the physically demanding engine maintenance work is handled by the men in the family.

‘Physically tiring’

“Working on the engine of an Enfield Bullet can be physically tiring. But with the support of our husbands, we started learning that too,” he adds.

Soon after joining the workshop as an apprentice, Amritha gave birth to her son, Sai Madhav. During her pregnancy, she transitioned to managing front desk work. “After my post-pregnancy period, I went back to mechanical work,” she says.

Both Amritha and Shruthimol live with their husbands in the house right next to the workshop. In addition to their work in the garage, they were also members of motorcycle riding clubs. “Running a garage means being available when customers need you. Since we live right next to the workshop, we can respond quickly when someone comes with a problem. Perhaps this is our success mantra,” say the female mechanics.