Twenty women and transgender persons who completed professional driving training were provided free electric autos at a special programme in Bengaluru on Sunday, in an initiative aimed at promoting financial independence and inclusive livelihood opportunities.
The vehicles were distributed by Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who said the state government would extend further support to help women and transgender persons purchase electric autos at subsidised rates. He also assured priority in issuing driving licences to encourage greater participation in the sector.
The programme was organised by Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) in collaboration with CGI. Speaking at the event, the minister lauded the initiative, stating that providing both training and vehicles would empower beneficiaries to achieve financial independence. He also announced that an additional 10 electric autos would be distributed in the near future.
Reddy noted that while women’s literacy levels have improved significantly and their presence across various sectors is increasing, participation in the auto-driving sector remains limited. “It is encouraging to see more women showing interest in this field,” he said, while also pointing out that women’s representation in politics continues to be low.
Revathi Ashok, CEO of B.PAC, said the initiative aims to create sustainable livelihood opportunities for women and transgender persons. She added that over 400 women have already been trained under the programme, with a target of reaching around 1,000 beneficiaries by the end of the year.
She further said that selected candidates were provided electric autos to support income generation and called for stronger collaboration between corporates and the government to scale up such initiatives.
Sudhir Sharma, Senior Vice President at CGI, said the training programme has been instrumental in helping participants build careers and secure stable sources of income.
Among those present at the event were Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, head of Biocon, and Jennifer Mecherippaddi, Senior Vice President at CGI.
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