Accessibility isn’t charity, it’s India’s USD 1 trillion GDP booster, says Sminu Jindal
Speaking after his wheelchair was damaged on an IndiGo flight recently, Jindal called for mandatory monthly training for airline staff and harsher financial penalties for misuse of assistive devices.
“The wheelchair is almost like an extension of the body,” Jindal told PTI in an interview.
“It takes about a year to rebuild a custom wheelchair. No compensation can cover that.”
High attrition rates in the aviation industry require repeated training, he said, adding that financial penalties remain “the one thing that hurts all of us deeply.”
As India prepares bids for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics, Jindal argued that accessibility should be included from the planning stage. “When people from around the world come to India, they want to see a little more of the country,” he noted. “When transportation is accessible, hotels and the entire framework are accessible, India will have a great opportunity to earn foreign exchange.”
Svayam’s collaboration with UN India and UNESCO has made Delhi’s Pandhara Road Durga Puja fully inclusive this year, creating what Jindal hopes will be a replicable model for mass gatherings.
“If 10 people in America and India can have fun, we can definitely do the same for at least a thousand people,” he said.
“You start with a role model and if it is successful, people will have the courage to follow it,” he added, noting that discussions are on to make puja pandals accessible in Kolkata.
Jindal refused to frame accessibility as specific to disability; instead, it positioned it as a universal infrastructure for pregnant women, senior citizens, and anyone with temporary or permanent mobility restrictions.
“We all have to go through periods of reduced mobility, perhaps temporarily or permanently,” he said.
“This is where accessibility comes in.”
As chairman of CII’s India Business Disability Network, Jindal advocated for accessibility to be included in ESG reporting, but warned against companies pursuing numerical targets without creating meaningful employment.
“People will start reporting the numbers, maybe making them elevator operators or telling them to do water service to meet the numbers,” he said.
“Real job opportunities come only through accessible education systems.”
Jindal said the National Accessibility Summit 2025, to be held on November 6, will highlight emerging employment opportunities in sectors from access control to assistive device manufacturing.
“This is an area of opportunity that has been overlooked for too long,” he added.
“Look around us, we need help, we need help around the house, we need better assistive devices, we need help. There are so many things we need to keep our toilets clean and make them accessible. There are so many business opportunities waiting to emerge,” she added.
He refused to rely solely on technology and emphasized that physical infrastructure is crucial, especially for rural India, where 70 percent of the population lives.
With India’s aging population set to double by mid-century, Jindal identified infrastructure and last-mile connectivity as the biggest hurdles, followed by regulation and mindset.
“If each of us started to be a little visionary, we would realize that accessibility is like the secret ingredient in our food called salt,” he said. “It tastes better if it’s there, but if it’s not, we all miss it.”
Jindal also noted that policy language should be shifted from “disability” to “reduced mobility” to broaden the perspective and preserve dignity.
“Because I’m disabled myself, sometimes that can be a bit of a hurtful terminology, and to change the focus so people can see more broadly, we have to add terminology called impaired mobility. It gives us the dignity of living a life,” he said.
“As I get older, my mobility may have decreased, but it still does not make me disabled and that is what I want people to understand and live with dignity. There is nothing wrong with an aging body. In fact, we should be proud of it because as we get older, we gain experience,” he added.
He noted that change reflects universal fragility throughout the human life cycle.
“We all have to go through periods of reduced mobility, perhaps temporarily or permanently. This is where accessibility comes into play,” Jindal said. he said.
Working with partners such as UNESCO and the Paralympic Committee, Jindal said India should aim to set international standards rather than importing them.
“I really want my India to create best practices. There are so many things we have in India, I think we can beat the world, become a superpower and become Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he said.
Looking ahead to 2030, Jindal called for collective mobilization around what he called an “accessibility revolution.”
“I would really implore everyone to come forward and contribute,” he said.
“This needs to be a revolution that will create a better world, not just for India, but for each of us, no matter what circumstances life chooses to throw us at.”
He compared the understated importance of accessibility to a kitchen staple.
“Accessibility is like the secret ingredient in our food called salt. If it’s there, it makes it more palatable, but if it’s not there, we all miss it,” Jindal said.
Jindal was recently recognized in Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women 2025 list and received the Mahatma Award 2024.
