New Delhi: Honda India has initiated a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program named ‘Stree Sarthee’ to empower women and enhance road safety, starting with the training of female cab drivers at the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) in Karnal.
The program is part of a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) involving Honda’s IDTR as the training partner, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) as the nodal agency, and Kedman Skilling as the mobilization partner. BluSmart Mobility has also collaborated with NSDC to provide employment opportunities to trained female cab drivers.
The initiative aims to provide women with economic opportunities in emerging sectors like transportation. IDTR plans to train over 250 female participants initially, with further expansion to other centers across India, including Gurugram. Honda’s broader goal is to train a total of 3,000 women nationwide. The first batch of 18 females concluded on Saturday.
Training sessions at IDTR consist of 80 hours spread over 5 days, covering road safety rules, defensive driving techniques, driving simulators, a technologically equipped driving lab, and on-track driving training.
Vinay Dhingra, Vice President of IDTR Karnal, highlighted the facilities at the institute, stating, “The facility has been built with INR 34 crores investment, providing training comparable to standards in Singapore and Japan. 55 lakh people have been trained until now across India.” He emphasized the importance of road discipline and safety, noting, “If Indian doctors and the IT department of India are leading, why not road discipline and safety,” explaining the intent behind the initiative.
Dhingra reiterated Honda’s commitment to gender equality and societal development, highlighting the program’s alignment with the government in women empowerment and road safety education.
The IDTR will also provide road safety and awareness resources to government and private schools to enhance road safety education nationwide.
