Diya Joseph, a slender, 21-year-old girl from Kottayam, officially acknowledged as Royal Enfield's youngest professional mechanic, couldn't have asked for more when Royal Enfield extended an invitation to join their factory in Chennai.
"It was a huge surprise. I never expected such a call. They came here and filmed a video featuring me. My teachers shared it in class groups, saying they were proud of me. This is the most valuable recognition I could ever achieve," said Diya, a third-year mechanical engineering student at Amal Jyothi Engineering College, Kanjirappally, Kottayam.
For a job that requires skill, patience and exertion, Diya has everything in the right measure. "It usually takes us two to three days to service a Bullet and I usually help Acha with changing oil and cables, tightening chains and handling the unloading and reloading of other parts. The parts; especially the engine, are a bit heavy and can be challenging to handle alone," she says. This was what she always wanted; to ride a bullet and if it needed a repair, she should do it on her own.
As a class 10 student, she began by jotting down glitches related to two-wheelers at her father's workshop. Diya then progressed to mastering basic repair tasks and now handles general servicing and reassembly of Bullet motorcycles.
Her father testifies to her way of work. "Learning new skills is always beneficial. Diya's presence at the workshop adds a touch of fun. She has a great sense of humour that helps us all unwind during our busy days," he said. Joseph recalled an incident when Diya once fainted after she injured her hand while loading the engine of the bullet. She didn't back off, pulled herself together and was back at work, much to his joy.
Even though she stays at the hostel, Diya spends her weekends and whatever free time she gets at the workshop but never compromises on her studies. Joseph has been all support for his daughter. Royal Enfield highlighted in the caption of the video on Diya, released on this year's International Women's Day that it was her father Joseph, who became her source of "inspiration and the path to fall in love with the Bullet."
