NEW DELHI, SEP 1:

Pema YK Loyi, Managing Director of Iconic Automobiles, has been appointed Chairperson of Women in FADA (WIF), the women’s wing of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), at the association’s 63rd Annual General Meeting held in New Delhi on Monday.

Founded in 1964, FADA is the apex national body representing India’s automobile retail industry and represents more than 15,000 automobile dealerships across the country.

Loyi’s appointment marks a significant milestone as she becomes the first woman from Eastern and North-Eastern India to head Women in FADA. An entrepreneur and automotive retail leader from Arunachal Pradesh, she has built Iconic Automobiles into a prominent dealership network in the Northeast. The company is an authorised dealer of Mahindra & Mahindra passenger and commercial vehicles in Arunachal Pradesh, with multiple showrooms and workshop service centres across the state.

Under her leadership, Iconic Automobiles’ facility in Itanagar was recognised as India’s first all-women-run Mahindra showroom, reflecting her efforts to create greater opportunities for women and encourage their participation in the traditionally male-dominated automobile sector.

Loyi has also been an active advocate for women’s participation in the automobile industry. At the 13th FADA Auto Summit 2025, she was among the prominent women leaders invited to speak at the session “Women in FADA – Driven by Courage”, where she shared her experiences and views on women’s participation and leadership in automotive retail.

Her appointment comes after several recognitions for her entrepreneurial and professional contributions. In August 2026, she received the ‘Woman Transforming Auto Retail (East)’ Award at the 9th ETAuto Retail Forum 2026 in New Delhi. In 2025, Bank of Baroda also recognised her as a leading woman entrepreneur from the North-Eastern Region during its 118th Founders’ Day.

Speaking on her new responsibility, Loyi said she would focus on strengthening women’s participation across the automobile dealership ecosystem and creating greater opportunities for women to take up leadership and entrepreneurial roles in the sector.

From starting her journey as a young entrepreneur in Arunachal Pradesh to assuming a national leadership role in India’s automobile dealer community, Loyi’s rise highlights the growing presence of women entrepreneurs and the North-East in India’s automotive retail sector.