In a candid chat with Shubhang, Associate Editor – CompanyCSR, she spoke about the mission and vision of the upcoming ‘Zero Conference’, scheduled to take place in Mumbai on September 7th & 8th, 2026.
The conference will bring together global leaders and organisations working in the fields of Inclusion, Innovation, Assistive & Digital Technology.
Q: In your view, how has the Zero Project India Conference contributed to changing India’s perspective on disability inclusion and accessibility?
The Zero Project India conference is a high-impact collaboration between the
Zero Project and
Youth4Jobs
Over the last 14 years, the Zero Project annual global conference at the UN headquarters, Vienna, has become a mecca for all stakeholders in the disability space. Regionalising this experience, Zero Project joined hands with India’s largest eco-system and livelihood organisation, Youth4Jobs, to present the annual Zero Project India conference. The Conference has three broad objectives:
- Highlight Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) needs to key decision-makers, such as elected representatives, government and funders.
- Foster an active and engaged community of changemakers, including policy makers, researchers, entrepreneurs, startups, and nonprofits, who can collaborate.
- Showcase AI/Tech and non-tech innovations in the disability space. Funders call me before the conference requesting support to identify good NGOs; government officials visit stalls to understand assistive tech innovations.
Conference topics range from inclusive education to employment; accessibility to talent. We ensure areas that are important for the Global South like grassroot innovations or women with disabilities are included in fireside chats or panel discussions.
The first three Zero Project India conferences were held in Delhi with partners ranging from UN India, CII IBDN, Hans Foundation, Axis Bank Foundation, Omidyar Network, etc. The 2026 Chapter is our entry to the corporate heart of India, Mumbai. Over the years, this annual conference has evolved to become the premier annual summit for the disability sector in India and South Asia. It creates an influential platform for collaboration, exchange of ideas, and showcasing innovative practices, thus driving continuous progress in the pursuit of disability inclusion.
Q: How do you assess the current engagement of the government, private sector, and civil society in advancing disability inclusion in India, and what more needs to be done?
Disability inclusion cannot be advanced by just one organisation. Different stakeholders need to come together with a common vision and passion. Two recent initiatives highlighted this to us. In our grassroot village work the Changemakers are
Divyang Mitr (translated means friends of the disabled) who are people with disabilities themselves. They demonstrated to us how important it is to get all stakeholders on board – local leaders, medium and small scale industries, teachers, public health systems, government through
samarohs (gatherings) to initiate their flagship work of counselling, training and linking to livelihoods youth with disabilities. Likewise
SwarajAbility, our AI triggered award winning accessible livelihood platform for PwDs demonstrates how
samaj, sarkar, bazaar (translated means civil society, government and markets) coming together can result in scale and sustained impact.
Q: Why is AT becoming increasingly important for inclusive development?
35% of my 300+ team face a disability challenge. They travel every day, have independent work portfolios, go on holidays, using assistive tech and assistive aids. They remind us everyday how important AT/AD is for inclusion because it enables persons with disabilities to participate independently and equally in education, employment, communication, mobility and everyday life. We also get to see the range available, since many come with their prototypes to test on our trainees in classrooms. From screen readers and hearing devices to accessible digital tools and smart mobility solutions, technology undoubtedly removes barriers that exclude people from opportunities.
Youth4Jobs works with the eco-system to ensure every youth with disabilities has a livelihood. In this space, it helps us and companies who hire to focus on the youth abilities and potential, rather than viewing disability as a constraint. Data clearly shows assistive technology promotes dignity, confidence and choice, allowing individuals to make decisions and contribute fully to their communities and the economy.
Q: Where do you see innovation in India’s Assistive Technology ecosystem, especially benefiting countries across the Global South?
Innovations in India’s assistive technology ecosystem can benefit the Global South because they are often developed for large, diverse populations and resource-constrained settings. The USP of “Made in India” solutions is they are affordable, scalable and locally relevant. Low-cost devices, accessible digital platforms, AI-enabled tools and locally designed mobility and communication solutions can help other developing countries overcome similar challenges of cost, infrastructure and access. By creating solutions that work beyond high-income markets, India can one hand explore other markets through collaborations like Indo-Japan, etc. It can also do a knowledge transfer to the Global South to help countries move from importing expensive technologies to building accessible innovation ecosystems of its own. India has already demonstrated its global innovation ability in financial inclusion.
The panel discussions, stalls displaying AT/AD at every Zero Project India conference demonstrate when affordable, accessible and widely available, AT can become a powerful bridge to an inclusive society where everyone can participate and thrive.
Q: How can the Indian CSR sector play a proactive and strategic role in strengthening the disability and AT ecosystem?
On one hand, most AT startups struggle with markets even if their product is good. CSR can play a role here. Mr. Siddarth, Founder of Neomotion, who has adapted the wheelchair which helps youth with spine injuries to be Gig delivery partners, just emailed me stating their partnership with Youth4Jobs and CSR funds had helped over 300 youth with spinal injuries be delivery agents in six states! India’s CSR can accelerate assistive technology startups by providing patient capital, funding product development and pilots, and supporting access to users and markets. While Shark tanks and other innovative funding models have emerged, CSR can help promising innovations scale, creating both social impact and a globally competitive assistive technology ecosystem.
Q: Finally, what is your vision for making India a global leader in disability inclusion and Assistive Technology over the next decade?
India can become a global leader in assistive technology by combining its strengths in innovation, digital public infrastructure, manufacturing and scale. Setting up a National Mission that brings together persons with disabilities, start-ups, incubators, universities, industry and government to co-create affordable, accessible and locally relevant solutions is a must. Investing in research, skills, and open standards with partnerships, will ensure India becomes a manufacturing hub in assistive tech, exporting it to the world for its cutting-edge innovation, quality and price. Zero Project India conference provides this opportunity of cross learnings, as 15-20 international innovators come as a part of the delegation. Building bridging between global and India innovators, which is the theme of our conference, makes inclusion both a social and economic goal.
