Women can now ride Yamaha scooters assembled only by women, a company official said Thursday. India Yamaha Motor has hired a workforce of 200 women at its assembly line in Surajpur in Uttar Pradesh for scooters developed for women. "Through this unique initiative, a first in Yamaha's history, we are not just creating employment opportunities for young women recruits but also giving them classroom and on-the-job training," said Roy Kurian, national business head, India Yamaha Motor.

He said the women would undergo a three-year apprentice programme approved by the Maharashtra government and appear for the Industrial Training Institute examinations each year.

Besides, Yamaha has also developed a riding training programme for its women customers, Yamaha Female Riding Training, which will be implemented all over India.

"The move is in line with the company's plans to target young urban women with its recent scooter, RAY," Kurian said.

It has expanded its dealer networks with specially improved customer care quality for women customers by appointing more female staffers at customer contact points and introducing female customer care programmes.