“My father taught me to ride a Chetak scooter when I was 16. It was pretty unusual for a lot of girls but I grew up in a house where there was no discrimination based on gender. I could do anything that was a ‘man’s job’ according to the society. Initially, I learnt it for fun but over the years, it became something I enjoyed. My friends in college would ask me to teach them to ride a bike. That’s how the idea of launching a startup to help women learn bike riding surfaced. My younger daughter, who loves coming with me on road trips, calls me superwoman because I help other women.

With Streeriders, I want to make women more comfortable and empowered in terms of mobility. I used to see underprivileged girls walk long distances to reach their colleges or offices. It began with training them first. However today, it’s like any other business where people pay me to teach them to ride a bike – both gearless and geared. I have diverse customers who belong to different age groups and backgrounds. I have no rules and I teach anybody who wants to learn. Sometimes, they are as young as 18 and other time, as old as 50. Honestly, it’s a learning experience for me as much as it is for them. Over the couple of weeks that I train them, I try and keep it as professional as possible. But sometimes, we share a special bond and they open up to me about their problems. Most women, I’ve realised, don’t find listeners who care to let them talk and share their troubles. I sit down and chat with them, helping them cope up with whatever’s going on in their lives. It’s not a part of my job but what do I lose in offering a shoulder to cry on?”

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