ITANAGAR, 19 Jan: Speaking at the 13th Auto Summit in New Delhi, Arunachal’s Pema YK Loyi of Iconic Motors, Lekhi, explained how navigating uncharted terrain strengthened her resolve to succeed in the highly competitive and male dominated auto industry.
The discussion, held as part of the Auto Summit on the topic ‘WiF: Driven by courage – Women navigating the automotive world’, featured leading women in the auto industry, including Loyi, a trailblazer in the auto industry in the region. The event, which was intended to celebrate women empowering the auto industry, took place alongside the 13th Auto Summit in New Delhi.
Loyi shared her challenging journey of becoming a dealer principal at 22 as a first-generation entrepreneur. “Although the automobile industry was considered a man’s domain, I was able to build a strong team, many of whom were older and more experienced in the industry. I learned a lot from their experiences,” she said, adding that it was difficult to find skilled workers within the state at the time.
She explained that banks were hesitant to finance new entrepreneurs, and securing loans for working capital and consumer loans was a significant challenge. “Unlike today, when loans are available at the click of a button,” she said.
Loyi also shared the difficulties she faced while travelling long distances, as there were no airport or trains within the state.
Looking ahead, she says she remains hopeful. “The economy of Arunachal is growing very fast,” she said. “Our state’s GDP growth is higher than the national average, and many infrastructure projects by the central and state governments have increased disposable income.”
Her goal is to take services directly to customers’ doorsteps. She said that her company is expanding throughout the state.
Her message to future women entrepreneurs and leaders? “Believe in yourself, step out of your comfort zone, embrace challenges, and never hesitate to enter a sector that you feel is underrepresented by women. Break stereotypes.”
