This extraordinary woman has been turning life’s lemons into lemonade for the past 30 years! Nirmala Didi is, at the age of 55, Hyderabad’s favorite two-wheeler driving coach for women.

Nirmala’s Two-wheeler Driving School started in 1997 when her husband’s business was struggling. Instead of seeking help from her father, this bold lady decided to take matters into her hands and earn her own.

This mother of two ventured out of her home, got her dad to buy her a scooty, and learned to ride the two-wheeler all by herself in the street outside her flat in Hyderabad. Fast forward to almost 30 years, Nirmala has now taught lakhs of women to ride a scooter.

“I taught myself to ride when my younger child was in first grade. Petrol cost was just Rs. 20/liter then. My children used to say, ‘Mummy, learn to ride a scooter so that you can pick and drop us at school. We shall never be late for class again and won’t be punished,’” she fondly recalls.

Nirmala’s Two-Wheeler Driving School for Women started with just one student. Her first student also referred her mother, sister, cousins, and aunt to Nirmala, and that’s how Nirmala’s labor of love took root. Within no time, Nirmala had scores of eager students and was booked from 6 am to 6 pm daily.

Nirmala Two-wheeler Driving School’s USP

What sets Nirmala apart from the others is that she only teaches women.

“I wanted to give women like myself a chance at a better life by skilling up. I know what learning to ride a scooter did to my life, and I wanted to pass on the benefit to other women,” Nirmala replied when I asked her why she does so.

Nirmala’s driving lessons are open to women above 13, with no upper limit. Mothers and grandmothers as old as 70 routinely come to learn to drive along with 13-year-old teenagers.

Four generations of women have learned to ride a scooter from Nirmala, a testament to her passion, skill, and deep respect for all her students.

Nirmala’s coaching is marked by constant motivation and encouragement. She always uses positive words when communicating with her students, telling them they can learn to drive no matter what.

Instead of saying -‘You will not be able to learn driving ever‘, she says- ‘You seem to be not in the mood today. Let’s try tomorrow!‘ Nirmala’s uplifting approach instills confidence in her students and allows them to believe in themselves.

How Nirmala teaches driving at her school

Each student gets to attend 13 classes. The first few classes focus on making a new student comfortable handling a two-wheeler. Nirmala first starts her ‘girls’ on lighter vehicles to build their confidence and balance.

A new learner typically begins by wheeling a scooty to become comfortable with the machine. Only after she gets comfortable handling the two-wheeler does she proceed to the next stage, i.e., riding a heavier scooter where she sits on the seat and learns to balance it. After having mastered this, the student’s actual driving training starts.

Most students come with no experience of having ridden a cycle, but they all learn to ride a two-wheeler after training with Nirmala.

Nirmala’s process reminds me of a story I’d read about a Zen guru who used to teach small kids to swim in a river. He would make his wards sit at the banks of the river and just put their feet and hands inside the waters. Then, he would allow the young ones to dip in the shallows.

Only after days of sitting and splashing around at the river’s banks would the teacher allow the kids to enter the river.

When someone asked him when the kids would begin to learn to swim, he replied, “ When they feel that the river is their friend. Then there is no need to teach them swimming; they will start swimming by themselves.”

What attracts students to Nirmala Driving School? 

Most new students opt for Nirmala’s Driving School due to word-of-mouth endorsements, while others are drawn to Nirmala’s unique teaching style after watching videos featuring her on social media.

It’s common for women to travel long distances to come to her school for driving lessons.

I asked the husband of a new student why his wife was learning to drive from Nirmala when there were scores of driving schools near their home. He told me that he had seen a video of Nirmala mam and was drawn to her way of teaching. “She is not like the others”, he said. “She really cares.”

Yes, Nirmala mam cares! She also takes no credit for her achievements and thanks her mother and God for her work ethic and success.

Even after 30 years and a brain tumor operation, Nirmala continues to dream. What she wants to do next is teach women to drive a car!

Despite personal challenges, Nirmala Didi’s determination and perseverance inspire her students. They constantly urge her- “Didi, never close down your school.” 

This is our heartfelt plea to Nirmala Didi as well. Continue to soar to new heights and help other women scale over their barriers.