You may find it very surprising but it's true Shanti Devi is the only woman truck mechanic in India. Her story began 20 years ago when she came to Delhi with her husband. He used to do many different jobs like rickshaw pulling and farming to support his family, but they were still not able to fulfill their basic needs.
Later, they decided to open a tea stall in Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar (SGTN), which is considered as Asia’s largest truck stop with more than 20,000 trucks passing every day.
This decision went quite well for the couple and they tried to expand their services by opening a mechanical workshop too. No surprise, it was a good decision and it helped them a lot.
Shanti was always a quick learner, she used to watch other mechanics and her husband work on the big truck. Soon she picked up all the work and trading skills and became one of the best mechanics at their workshop.
In an interview with Gulf News, she said that "It is always good to be adept at a specific skill. I feel blessed that I could make the most of the opportunities that life gave me."
She was born into a poor family, so she had to take care of the household as well as her younger brothers and sisters. She didn't pursue her education for the sake of her siblings. She gave them all the support they needed for their education, weddings and basic needs. Now, her brother works as a lawyer.
She believes every woman should learn a skill to be truly independent. In her own words, "Life has taught me not to sit and brood over any situation. Rather, I work towards improving it. It was during the low points of my life that I learned the most valuable lessons. Bad times do not last forever. Life is a constant learning process. I feel that success depends on an individual’s determination to succeed."
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