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Meet Kamla Negi, 60, Nainital's 'Iron Lady' who repairs even JCB tyres

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

Kamla Negi initially entered the trade in 2004 while managing a children's bicycle rental business, choosing to master puncture repairs alongside her husband, a former Delhi repairman. Despite facing early local taunts for working as a mechanic in a sari, she steadily expanded her skills to handle complex tyres for dumpers, buses, and JCBs. Today, her shop also provides essential maintenance such as changing gear oil, greasing, and minor mechanical fixes. To further aid travelers navigating the winding routes, she posts her contact number outside her shop for emergency roadside calls.

Key points

  • Hands-on technical experience allowed Negi to overcome early community skepticism and bui…: Hands-on technical experience allowed Negi to overcome early community skepticism and build a thriving mechanical business.
  • The workshop serves as a critical infrastructure stop for tourists and commercial transpo…: The workshop serves as a critical infrastructure stop for tourists and commercial transport navigating the Nainital district.
  • Negi mastered demanding heavy-vehicle tyre repairs alongside her husband following his pr…: Negi mastered demanding heavy-vehicle tyre repairs alongside her husband following his prior mechanical work in Delhi.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

At an age when many people slow down, Kamla Negi started a new life, new job and took on one of the toughest jobs in the hills of Uttarakhand. She is 60-years-old and is repairing punctures in scooters and cars. Not only this, she is also handling the massive tyres of trucks, dumpers, buses and JCB machines. The woman belongs from Nainital's Ramgarh region and has built a reputation for doing work traditionally associated with men. The lady is also famous as the ‘Tyre Doctor’ and ‘Iron Lady’. However behind these titles is a story of determination, partnership and a willingness to learn a skill that few women in her region have pursued.

Negi comes from Odakhan village in the Ramgarh block of Nainital district. She has a repair shop which is situated along the Ramgarh–Mukteshwar road, a route frequented by local residents, tourists and commercial vehicles. For those travelling through this mountainous stretch, her shop has become an important stop.

Meet Kamla NegiKamla's journey into the world of vehicle repairs started back in 2004. She started with her modest…

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