By Bizz Impact
When Hyundai Motor India Limited launched the Samarth by Hyundai initiative in 2023, it wasn’t just unveiling another CSR initiative, it was sparking a national movement for accessibility, equity, and dignity. Rooted in the powerful belief that mobility and inclusion are fundamental rights, not privileges, Samarth has since evolved into a transformative force. It is uniting policymakers, Para-athletes, urban planners, technologists, and citizens in a shared mission, to build a more inclusive India where persons with disabilities have the freedom to move, participate, and thrive. As Samarth by Hyundai continues its journey, the momentum behind it has only grown stronger. The initiative has now joined hands with the Times Network taking it a step closer towards actionable on-ground change. The focus for this year is relevant and urgent – ‘Assistive Technology and Accessible Infrastructure.’ It’s a theme that reflects the everyday realities of millions, calling for fresh thinking, smart innovation and practical solutions to make inclusion not just a concept, but a lived reality for Persons with Disabilities. In a two-hour special episode, ‘Accessible India Dialogue’ that was released across the Times Network on 21st June 2025, that spirit of inclusion, imperative to the initiative – came alive. The campaign brought together a diverse and passionate group of business leaders, industry experts, policymakers, Para-athletes, startup founders, disability advocates – all united by a single goal – to build a more inclusive, barrier-free India. Their stories, ideas, and lived experiences reminded viewers that true change begins when genuine actions meet honest intent. During the launch Tarun Garg, Whole-Time Director and Chief Operating Officer, Hyundai Motor India Limited, was in conversation with Navika Kumar, Group Editor-in-Chief, Times Now, Times Now Navbharat. He emphasised how the initiative embodies Hyundai’s larger vision of Progress for Humanity, “mobility must not be a privilege but a right for all. At Hyundai, we don’t just make cars, we aim to empower lives”, he said. “Technology is a great leveller,” Tarun Garg added, pointing to innovations like voice-assisted navigation and AI-powered prosthetics. “We believe simple solutions like our swivel seats, or the upcoming driving assist accessory can make mobility a reality for all.” The Honourable Union Minister of Communication, and Development of Northeastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, also joined in applauding the initiative, “Specially abled brothers and sisters are imperative for a new empowered, emerged India. Every citizen must join in this effort of India as a rising nation. The Prime Minister, very early in his tenure, realizing the transformation capabilities of our specially abled brothers and sisters, completely changed the narrative and the paradigm. From being known as viklang, he changed that narrative to divyangjan, and divyangjan means those that have been divinely gifted. Through multiple schemes, Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan and others, we are ensuring their participation in national growth and national progress,” he added. Congratulating Hyundai and Times Network for leading this initiative, Shri Scindia emphasised, “Samarth is about inclusion. Samarth is not a policy; Samarth is about each individual’s rights. Samarth is about creating opportunities. Samarth is about unleashing potential. Therefore, on this day, this transformational effort by all of you, I believe, will go a long way in ensuring not only the capability of our specially abled brothers and sisters to come to the fore, but will aid tremendously in India’s rise as a world power.” The launch episode also unveiled the ‘Samarth Think Tank’, which comprises notable personalities across industries who are lending their support and guidance to the initiative Samarth by Hyundai. Some of the Think Tank joined Times Network anchors in studio, for discussions on themes that address the twin approach of Accessible Infrastructure and Assistive Technology – the mainstay of this year’s chapter for the initiative. Representing the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Additional Secretary Manmeet Kaur Nanda highlighted the policy developments made ever since the RPwD Act came into action in 2016. The Act now recognizes twenty-one disabilities, while the earlier Act recognized only seven. “We have held over 28,000 camps and reached 32 lakh beneficiaries, around 2500 crores of assistive aids and appliances have been distributed to them in the past 10-11 years. The focus now is tech-enabled, data-driven change,” she said. Arman Ali, Executive Director at National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) lauded these efforts but added that true inclusion requires cross-ministerial accountability, and expanding the scope of reach to include rural India as well. “Accessibility isn’t just about cities. It’s about that last village in Himachal or the Northeast. It’s about how we handle disasters, education, health, transport. Everyone has a role to play.” His co-panelist Nipun Malhotra, Co-Founder Nipman Foundation, drove home the meaning of accessibility. “It’s about removing barriers, digital, physical, attitudinal, that prevent full inclusion.” From inaccessible buildings to websites that don’t support screen readers, the gaps remain wide. “We need every ministry from Urban Affairs to Education to prioritise accessibility,” he said. Another panelist, Ira Singhal, Special Secretary of Education, Arunachal Pradesh, added a poignant reminder – “Accessibility begins with how people think. It’s not charity, it’s something we all need at different stages of life.” Para-Athletes Leading the Way In the launch episode, the segment celebrating India’s Para-athletes brought both pride and respect for their resilience. From Sheetal Devi, India’s youngest Para-archer and Paralympic medalist, to Simran Sharma, a national level Para-shooter, each athlete’s journey reflected grit and their unfazed spirit. They also highlighted the gaps and challenges they faced along the way, “The metro near my house is accessible but the footpath leading to it is too high. There’s no ramp into the train either,” shares Simran. It was a stark reminder that partial accessibility is still inaccessibility. 16-year-old Aaron, a national champion in racquet sports, has an intellectual disability, he represents a growing need to recognize and include neurodiverse people in Para-sports. His father, Dr. Ajit Shinto, speaking on behalf of Aaron pointed out, “1 in 6 children have some form of disability. We need policies that understand and integrate the spectrum, from cerebral palsy to Down’s syndrome.” Tech, Innovation, and the Roadmap Ahead In a compelling discussion on ‘Assistive Technology: The Roadmap Ahead’, leaders from diverse fields came together to explore how India can shift from patchwork efforts to systemic inclusion for persons with disabilities. Nidhi Goyal, disability rights activist and founder of Rising Flame, set the tone by challenging the charity mindset. “Accessibility isn’t a favour—it’s about treating people with disabilities as equal citizens.” Shilpi Kapoor, accessibility entrepreneur and CEO of BarrierBreak, highlighted digital exclusion, “We audited 100 top financial websites and found an average of 91 accessibility errors on homepages. The digital world is still locking people out.” From the tech innovation front, Prateek Madhav, Co-founder and CEO of AssisTech Foundation, shared optimism saying “India is becoming a global hub in assistive tech. With over 500 startups—many led by people with lived experience—we’re building AI, AR, and VR-based solutions that are both affordable and scalable.” Urban Practitioner and former Director of National Institute of Urban Affair, Hitesh Vaidya and real estate magnate Niranjan Hiranandani, Founder & MD of Hiranandani group echoed the need for inclusive urban design where every ramp, building code, and housing plan considers universal access from Day 1, from the designing stage. The Vision Ahead: One India, Accessible to All Former NITI Aayog Vice Chairman, Rajiv Kumar concluded with hope, “Mainstreaming Persons with Disabilities into the workforce isn’t just the right thing, it’s smart economics. These individuals bring unmatched resilience and talent.” This thought sums up the efforts of the initiative Samarth by Hyundai in a nutshell. As Tarun Garg said, “We are not just reimagining mobility. We are building a society that’s inclusive and accessible for all.” In a deeply symbolic moment, all guests and attendees who joined the Accessible India Dialogue, took the Inclusivity Pledge, reaffirming their commitment to build a world where everyone, regardless of ability, can move, work, learn, and live with dignity and freedom. In the coming months, aligning with this year’s actionable plan, Times Network as part of Samarth by Hyundai initiative, has committed to move towards a Samarth India. To fully utilise the power of Assistive Technology and Accessible Infrastructure and to develop a universal inclusive design language, we create a Samarth by Hyundai metric to measure the accessibility of already existing built environment, and the innovations that can be employed to make the new infrastructure more accessible for Persons with Disabilities. In the same spirit, Times Network will make fifty public spaces across India accessible by building ramps. With continued collaboration between government, media, industry and civil society, Samarth by Hyundai, in partnership with Times Network, is not just a campaign, it’s a national commitment. A reminder that disability doesn’t disable people, environments do. And together, we can change that. (No Times Now Journalists are involved in creation of this article.)