Enabling inclusive growth across tourism, sports, transport and digital infrastructure will unlock huge potential for the hospitality sector along with increasing participation and productivity in these key sectors, said Sminu Jindal, founder of Svajam, India’s leading accessibility organisation.
In a talk on ‘Accessibility is not charity, it is India’s $1 trillion GDP booster’, held as part of the two-day Kerala for All conclave jointly organized by Kerala Tourism and The Hindu here on Sunday, she said India’s domestic tourism market is pegged at $175 billion while 191.8 million people are excluded due to major accessibility issues.
Given that passengers with reduced mobility spend 23.5% more per trip, the realizable economic value is $16.6 billion. In the sports sector, the current market size is estimated at $17.23 billion with 130 million active participants. Ensuring full availability would increase participation by 98.2 million, bringing total participation to 228 million and a realizable economic value of $12.38 billion. The accessibility gap also affects 201 million people in the transport sector, with each severely disabled person coming in at around ₹52,274 annually due to an accessibility problem.
Similarly, about 262 million people face digital accessibility issues, while providing full accessibility could increase engagement by around 37%, Ms Jindal said.
sminu jindal, founder, svayam, India’s leading accessible organization, addresses kerala for all conclaves. | Photo credit: Thulasi Kakkat
A significant number of foreign tourists start traveling after reaching the age of 55. Many films mention how difficult it is for them to get to the Indian destination due to accessibility issues. “It is our duty to make India shine as hospitality and culture are ingrained in our DNA,” she said. “There are so many people among us who don’t look disabled but have some kind of hidden disability. They need to be thought of when we look at our infrastructure,” she said.
“With India set to host the 2036 Olympics along with the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the number of foreigners in Indian destinations will increase and we must be prepared to look at the financial opportunity. If we don’t talk about our accessible features through ICT (Information and Communication Technology) such as websites or booking sites and provide a big picture of lost revenue and accessible rooms,” Ms Jindal said.
Qutub Minar vs Red Fort
For example, when the Qutub Minar was made accessible to all, including the disabled and the elderly, in 2008, it earned more than the Red Fort and Humayun’s Tomb combined. Emphasizing the need for universal accessible design for the entire country including Kerala, she said that Kerala is indeed God’s own country. “We would like God’s own country to be as accessible as God is to each of us,” she said.
Published – 01 Feb 2026 17:36 IST
