BusinessWire India
Panaji (Goa) [India], November 20: The American India Foundation (AIF), a pioneering force in advancing equitable and inclusive development in India for over two decades, affirmed its leadership in transforming disability inclusion into an ecosystem imperative at the International Purple Fest Goa 2025 - a landmark gathering for disability inclusion, positioning it as a vital axis of India's social and economic transformation. Hosted by the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of Goa, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, and United Nations India, the four-day festival (October 9-12, 2025) convened at the Entertainment Society of Goa, Panaji, as a landmark convergence of policy, practice, and participation.
The Fest drew a diverse assembly of over 10,000 delegates from more than 25 countries and 50,000 visitors, including individuals with disabilities, industry pioneers, civil society actors, and academic experts. The presence of Dr. Pramod Sawant, Honorable Chief Minister of Goa, and Dr. Virendra Kumar, Honorable Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, along with other eminent dignitaries, underscored the strengthening national consensus on disability and the importance of this discourse.
At the core of AIF's engagement at the Fest was its flagship DI-verse Certification, India's first comprehensive disability inclusion certification for organizations. On October 9, AIF felicitated an unprecedented cohort of 17 companies across industries for their exemplary commitment to inclusive hiring, workplace accessibility, and policy transformation. This year's cohort includes: Lemon Tree Hotels, Nestle India Ltd, Radisson Blu Hotel, Techno India Group, Biocon Biologics Limited, Micron Technology Operations India LLP, Godrej Capital Limited, Infogain India Private Limited, J K Cement Limited, Publicis Sapient, STARTEK, Barbeque Nation Hospitality Limited, Infinite Computer Solutions (India) Ltd, Zomato, Vikas Group, Kailash Institute of Nursing and Para Medical Sciences, and Generic Engineering Construction and Projects Limited. This cross-industry achievement demonstrates the growing momentum of a shared commitment across sectors to embed disability inclusion as a core business value.
Launched in 2024 with the encouragement of Dr Rajesh Agarwal, IAS, Secretary, DEPwD, DI-verse provides a structured roadmap for organizations to embed inclusive practices across leadership, workforce representation, accessibility, procurement, community engagement, and inclusive branding. This systemic approach reframes disability inclusion as a dynamic governance process rather than a compliance exercise, offering measurable impact and replicable pathways to transformation.
In addition, AIF hosted the Purple Charcha on October 10, its dedicated platform within the Fest to advance India's inclusion discourse. Anchored in this year's theme of "Universal Design and Inclusive Thinking," the Charcha, was a clarion call for integrated, intersectional inclusion across policy, governance, corporate practice, and civil society action, placing disability alongside women's empowerment and the participation of marginalized communities.
We were honored to be joined by Manmeet Kaur Nanda, IAS, Additional Secretary, DEPwD, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment; Ravindra Singh, CEO, Skill Council for Persons with Disability; Satyajit Gupta, Vice President, Asst. General Counsel and Head of India Legal and CSR, EXL; Sushmita Jain, Global Disability Inclusion Lead - Inclusion and Belonging, Wipro; Vieshaka L. Dutta, Senior Director - DEI, Publicis Sapient; and Dr M. R. Das, Executive Director (HR), Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. The discussion, moderated by Kamesh Sanghi, Deputy Country Director - Programs, AIF, articulated concrete pathways for embedding disability inclusion in policy, governance, organizational strategy, and product design, with a focus on translating commitments into design-led, actionable models that extend from boardrooms to classrooms and from digital products to public infrastructure.
During the Fest, AIF signed two landmark Memoranda of Understanding. The first with the Government of Goa under the Inclusive Goa Campaign, to co-create a holistic statewide ecosystem that guarantees equal participation in social, cultural, and economic life. The second, with the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre, to launch a 40-hour Basic Sign Language Course for corporate employees, aimed at strengthening communication and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.
Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, IAS, Secretary, DEPwD, Government of India, stated:
"The International Purple Fest stands as a powerful example of collaboration between government, industry, and civil society. Initiatives such as the DI-verse Certification and the Inclusive Goa Campaign are paving the way for disability inclusion to become an integral and sustainable part of our systems, moving beyond aspiration to reality."
Kamesh Sanghi, Deputy Country Director - Programs, AIF, said: "Purple Fest is not simply an event; it is an inflection point in the disability ecosystem. The Purple Charcha is an opportunity to move beyond statements of intent and co-design models that transform accessibility into everyday practice. For AIF, it is part of a larger vision: to make inclusion the standard operating principle of India's social and economic development."
Through interventions, partnerships, and thought leadership at Purple Fest, AIF emphasized its ambition to enable 100,000 jobs for persons with disabilities and certify 1,000 organizations by 2030. The Fest reaffirmed the organization's role as a convenor and catalyst, demonstrating how disability inclusion can be embedded as a cross-sector priority and a shared responsibility.
For more information on AIF's disability inclusion initiatives, please visit: https://aif-india.org/ and https://aif-india.org/diverse/.
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