s TV studio debates on whether Pratibha Patil is a suitable presidential candidate turn into gender fist-fights, the TVS Motor Company is doing its bit to empower young women. In a pilot project titled 'Women on Wheels' (WoW), the company is reaching out to young schoolgirls in rural and semi-urban areas of the country to provide two-wheeler training. The company plans to spend Rs 10 crore and take the project to 100 towns and will have women trainers.

The company cites a Francis Kanoi study which shows that among the 15-year plus population in urban areas, the penetration of two wheelers stands at 31.2 per cent for males and a pitiful 2.3 per cent for females. The numbers are abysmal in semi-urban and rural India, where the penetration stands at 0.5 - 1 per cent. Sensing an opportunity, the company investigated the reasons behind the lack of two-wheeler penetration among women - lack of driving skills coupled with a paucity of reasonably priced products emerged as the two most important reasons. In addition, the brand realised that women are afraid of venturing out on their own, in the absence of training from a proper institute. ... more