The National Summit on Accessibility 2025, organised by accessibility organisation, Svayam, under the leadership of Sminu Jindal, MD Jindal SAW Pvt. Ltd and Founder-Chairperson of Svayam, in partnership with CII Foundation and UNESCO as partners, brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and experts to address a crucial question: How can India’s growth truly be inclusive?
The Summit focused on accessibility across the sectors of ICT, Sports, Tourism, and Transport, emphasising that inclusion must be at the heart of India’s development agenda, especially as the world’s eyes turn to the country ahead of major international events such as the Commonwealth Games.
Among the many compelling sessions, “Bridging the Digital Divide – Accessibility in ICT & Digital Ecosystems” explored how India can make its digital landscape fully inclusive, from government and private platforms to ticketing, tourism, and global sporting experiences.
Delivering the keynote address, Prashant Kumar Mittal, Deputy Director General, NIC, underlined that digital accessibility is not charity but a constitutional right and a driver of economic growth. “Today’s gathering isn’t about one sector or community; it’s about India and ‘Sabka saath, sabka vikas.’ By 2047, everything must be accessible. This is not just social good; it’s an opportunity for national pride and economic growth. As India prepares to host global sporting events, accessibility across ICT, stadiums, transport, and tourism must move beyond silos, toward 100% compliance,” he said.
Moderated by Gaurav Chaudhary, Consulting Editor, CNBC TV18 and Founder of Earshot Media, the session featured a diverse panel of voices from technology, design, academia, and international organisations.
Speaking about the large gaps in inclusivity across ICT systems, Shilpi Kapoor, Founder of BarrierBreak, shared the findings of the organisation’s recent audit covering over 100 Indian websites across sectors, “Every website we tested had accessibility gaps that even a simple automated tool can catch.” Speaking to leaders and individuals working in this space with the intention of advancing accessibility, she said, “The issue isn’t intent, it’s implementation and monitoring. For organisations and leaders who intend to do so, please start now; don’t wait. Train your developers in bite-sized ways so accessibility becomes a habit, not a hurdle.” Speaking on AI, she cautioned, “AI has inherent biases. To build inclusive systems, we must bring persons with disabilities into the room where these technologies are created.”
Ma’aly Hazzaz, Advisor for Communication and Information, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, echoed the need for inclusion right from the start, “We often identify visible disabilities but overlook invisible ones. Systems must be designed with people with disabilities, not for them. UNESCO works through collaborative, capacity-building approaches with governments and civil society to make digital spaces equitable.”
Sharing success stories from Indian innovation, Prof. P.V. Madhusudhan Rao from IIT Delhi said, “Technologies like the Smart Cane and accessible public buses in Bengaluru and Mysuru show that solutions born in India can go global. The next step is human-centred digital design, building for those who cannot see, read, or write. Accessibility is the foundation of digital literacy.”
Concluding the discussion, Sminu Jindal, Founder & Chairperson of Svayam and Managing Director, Jindal SAW Ltd., emphasized the shared responsibility of the moment, “For years, I thought I was alone in this mission. Today, I know I’m not.”
The session was part of the broader National Summit on Accessibility 2025, which also saw the unveiling of the Prithvi Raj Jindal Visionary Scholarships, the Svayam Accessibility Awards, and the release of a groundbreaking KPMG-Svayam White Paper on Accessibility, charting India’s roadmap toward a barrier-free tomorrow.
