India is projected to add four new megacities by 2030 and its urban population is estimated to cross 675 million. However, the country still faces issues in creating inclusive and accessible environments in its urban centres. This is where the use of innovative technology and ICT can play a crucial role in ensuring that the development of these cities is inclusive and empowering for all its citizens, including persons with disabilities. With a world-class digital governance system and a dynamic tech sector, India is poised to be a leader in delivering inclusive prosperity and resilience.
Assistive technology and inclusive solutions are often perceived as unprofitable by investors. Therefore, the state&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPUJtTE5OY0xiVEh3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrWWpKTFZrNVVkVGhsWTJOVGNqUktVa2xSWjNGMWR6MDk-8217;s role becomes critical in promoting an ecosystem for transformative technologies, especially where the return on investment may be difficult to measure. Initiatives such as the Smart Solutions Challenge and Inclusive Cities Awards hosted in partnership with the UN by the National Institute of Urban Affairs in India are essential in crowd-sourcing tech-based solutions and innovations to address city-level accessibility and inclusion challenges.
Smart cities such as Bhubaneswar have deployed innovative transport and mobility solutions, showcasing how technology can be leveraged to improve the lives of vulnerable communities. Several solutions and assistive technologies such as Fifth Sense, IncluMaps, AxcessAble, and myUDAAN are supporting independent living for persons with disabilities. Initiatives like these and many others have the potential to help cities localise innovations for inclusive urbanisation. Frontier technologies like AI and machine learning are extensively being used to contextualise solutions. This is reflected in the Government of India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPUJtTE5OY0xiVEh3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrWWpKTFZrNVVkVGhsWTJOVGNqUktVa2xSWjNGMWR6MDk-8217;s development agenda and the globally agreed SDG targets on harnessing and maximising the potential of technological innovations and entrepreneurship.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has launched the G20 Digital Innovation Alliance to showcase innovative solutions and create an alliance of players in the innovation ecosystem. India has also initiated the Start-up 20 Engagement Group to provide a global platform to enable the start-up ecosystem across the member nations. The Urban-20 Engagement Group under G20 has a priority theme called &https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPUJtTE5OY0xiVEh3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrWWpKTFZrNVVkVGhsWTJOVGNqUktVa2xSWjNGMWR6MDk-8216;Catalysing Digital Urban Futures,&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPUJtTE5OY0xiVEh3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrWWpKTFZrNVVkVGhsWTJOVGNqUktVa2xSWjNGMWR6MDk-8217; which aims to discuss how data and technology can be best utilised for making city management more effective and inclusive.
In conclusion, creating an inclusive and accessible India requires behavioural changes, capacity building, investments in accessible infrastructure, and inclusive and accessible innovations. These factors will help inform policies for the country&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPUJtTE5OY0xiVEh3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrWWpKTFZrNVVkVGhsWTJOVGNqUktVa2xSWjNGMWR6MDk-8217;s progress towards an equitable urban future, as envisioned for the Amrit Kaal. It is a future that is inclusive, accessible, safe, resilient, and sustainable for all its citizens, where everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
