Women in the Indian Aftermarket

Women in the Indian Aftermarket

The global aftermarket is an innovative, fast-growing market which is predicted to grow exponentially in the next ten years. However, it is also a male-dominated industry, with women comprising only approximately 13 percent of workers.

International Women’s Day (IWD), is celebrated on March 8th every year. According to the UN, “the focus of the celebrations ranges from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to a celebration of women’s economic, political, and social achievements.”

According to the website of Women’s Studies Centre Punjab, “An entrepreneur is one who innovates, organizes, manages and assumes the risk of an enterprise, and acts as a catalytic agent in the growth process.” When an enterprise is established and controlled by a woman, it not only boosts economic growth but also has many desirable socio-economic outcomes. Women have an innate flair for entrepreneurship. They are natural organizers and relationship builders. They can perform all the functions of an able entrepreneur in an efficient manner like their male counterparts.

The aftermarket, in general, was traditionally a male-dominated business. However, women are now largely joining and active in the aftermarket business, either alone or in partnership with their family members (usually their husband, brother or father) or taking up managerial positions in large OEM companies.

Women in the industry have opportunities today. Many of the professional courses available today for training and enhancing skills in the imaging industry are available for both men and women. These days, if you walk into a room of imaging industry professionals, there will be an increased number of women compared to the 80s and 90s. Yet there is more demand for knowledge of both products and services, which has become part of a technologically-driven industry, and therefore women must keep up with both.