Radhamani Amma drives and owns licenses for 11 vehicles, including heavy vehicles like JCBs, excavators, road rollers and cranes.
Fondly called Mani Amma, Radhamani from Kerala is the only woman in India to hold a license for 11 vehicles at the age of 71.
She was encouraged by her husband TV Lal who started a driving school in 1978. Ever since the opening of the school, she started learning to drive and eventually developed a passion for it.
At a time when driving was less explored by women, Radhamani first learnt how to drive a bus and lorry. Gradually, she learnt how to operate cranes, trailers, forklifts, road rollers and JCBs, and acquired licenses for driving each one of them.
“Back then, people were very curious and surprised to see a woman driving a heavy vehicle,” says Radhamani who took over the driving school in 2004 to support her family after her husband’s death.
Watch her inspiring story here:
