New Delhi: They say women cannot be good drivers, but Shanti Devi (50) has proved that women can be good mechanics. Considered to be Indian’s only female mechanic, this mother of eight children has swiftly entered the ‘male bastion’ and has carved a niche for herself.
Shanti Devi works for 12 hours a day and in her automobile workshop at Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar (SGNT), she does all that her male counterparts in the business do. With greased hands and stained clothes, Shanthi Devi has shown to the world that no avenue is reserved for the men any more.

It was about 20 years ago that Shanthi came to Delhi along with her husband Ram Bahadur from Madhya Pradesh.

“This job is difficult, but I have managed to do all that I am supposed to do. It has been a worthwhile experience. I feel extremely proud when people say that I must be India’s only female mechanic,” says Shanthi Devi.

She also co-owns a tea stall near her workshop.