When Sminu Jindal’s wheelchair was damaged on an IndiGo flight, it wasn’t just about broken equipment—it was about a year of lost mobility. “A custom wheelchair takes about a year to remake,” she says. “No compensation can replace that.”

The incident sparked outrage, but for Jindal, founder and chairperson of Svayam, India’s leading accessibility organisation, it highlighted a systemic gap in how the country treats people with reduced mobility. As managing director of Jindal SAW Limited and chair of CII’s India Business Disability Network, Jindal is uniquely positioned to drive change—and she’s not holding back.

In an exclusive interview to a news agency, Jindal spoke about the urgent need for aviation reforms, how India can leverage accessibility for economic growth, and why the 2036 Olympics bid is a make-or-break moment. Edited excerpts:

After your wheelchair was damaged, what specific changes do you want to see in aviation industry?

First, we need to create awareness about what an assistive device actually means to someone with reduced mobility. A wheelchair is almost like a body extension—it’s as integral as your legs or arms. Most devices are custom-made for a person’s particular disability. When you damage it, you’re essentially making someone unable to live a regular life for however long it takes to remake it.

The aviation industry has very high attrition rates. So once-a-month training should be mandatory. If despite that, assistive devices are still mishandled, there should be bigger penalties and deeper inquiry. Financial impact is the only thing that hurts us all deeply—that’s reality.

Have you received any assurances from the government?

Our ministers and educated people around us are quite sensitive. They just don’t realise how important training is because turnover is so high in this industry. I feel monthly training is critical, and private airlines as well as ground staff need to become more conscious.

This year’s Pandara Road Durga Puja in Delhi was made fully inclusive through Svayam’s collaboration with UN India and UNESCO. Can this model be scaled?

Absolutely. We always hear that when there’s greater footfall, things can’t be made accessible. I feel if America can do it for 10 people, India can definitely do it for a thousand.

In Kolkata also, we’ve started conversations about making puja pandals accessible. You start with a role model, and when that becomes successful, people have the courage to follow through. Whatever we’re doing, we hope people see it can be emulated and carried forward at a bigger scale.

India is bidding for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics. How should accessibility be built into these projects?

We don’t see accessibility as a money-spinner, but we should. We’ve all seen the power para-athletes bring to the nation, the pride they carry when they win medals. When India hosts these games, para-games will follow. Every human being wants to enjoy these games as a family—elderly parents, someone with a temporary setback.

When people from around the world come to India, they want to see more of the country. When transport is accessible, when tourism sites and hotels are accessible, India has a great opportunity to earn foreign exchange. Hotels, transport, ICT should not miss out on this opportunity.

But we don’t create awareness about how we’re making things accessible. Communication, information and technology should be used to our advantage—only then will this opportunity bear fruit.

You’ve argued that accessibility is an economic catalyst, not just a social duty. What’s the business case?

Look around—we all benefit from accessibility right from when we become independent to go out. We want good education where parents don’t have to give up jobs to drop children to school. As we grow into college, into jobs, even women with stilettos have difficulty on roads because some jobs require that footwear. Pregnant women, parents with small children—all need accessibility for better quality of life.

As we grow older, we don’t become a burden to our country because we worked 60 years to make the country productive. When we’re older, we have a right to have accessibility in banks so we can withdraw our own money, at archaeological sites we want to visit with grandchildren.

It’s how you view the world. I want it to be a place where each one of us can live up to our desires, make our dreams come true, and be truly full of freedom and happiness.

As chair of CII’s India Business Disability Network, where do corporate accessibility standards stand? Should they be part of ESG or CSR reporting?

People are realising human potential is far greater than we imagine. The problem comes when schools aren’t accessible, children with reduced mobility can’t go there, adults can’t access colleges or skill centres because transport isn’t available, buildings aren’t accessible.

It should definitely be part of ESG. I’d want it to become part of reportable figures eventually. But there’s a risk—people will just start reporting numbers, make someone a lift operator or tell them to serve water to fulfill quotas. To truly create employment opportunities where they become decision-makers and get important skilled jobs, we need accessible education systems first. That’s foundational.

With India’s ageing population set to double by mid-century, how must cities redesign infrastructure?

The question has the answer in it—because life is so vulnerable, taking care of it today will lead to a better tomorrow, not just for us but for generations that follow.

You prefer the term “reduced mobility” over “disability.” Why does language matter?

Being disabled myself, sometimes it can be hurtful terminology. As I become older, I may have reduced mobility but it still doesn’t make me disabled. There’s nothing wrong with a body that ages—we should be proud of it because we gather experience. It’s beautiful, and we should embrace it without the sting of disability.

Disability benefits from accessibility, but so do different people—anyone with reduced mobility. It gives us the dignity of leading a life. By shifting to “reduced mobility,” people can see wider.

From your audits of airports and monuments, what’s the biggest barrier—attitude, infrastructure or regulation?

Definitely infrastructure, and with infrastructure comes regulation and mindset. They’re all linked. Last-mile connectivity—the more we stress about it, I don’t think we can stress enough.

You’ve been recognised in Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women 2025 and received the Mahatma Award. How has visibility helped?

Every little thing that brings me out in public gives me an opportunity to talk about creating awareness around accessibility. It’s not a disability topic—it’s about creating safety and dignity for anyone to travel to their place of choice without hazard.

How do you balance being MD of Jindal SAW and running Svayam?

We all learn to wear many hats. As women, we juggle a lot. I’m also a mother of two—it’s in our genes to take care of multiple things. I’ve had many role models in my family who’ve done it, and they’re not all women.

You work with UNESCO and the Paralympic Committee. Which international practices could India adapt?

I want my India to create best practices. There are things we have in India where we can beat the world and become a superpower, a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Which emerging technologies—AI, IoT, digital mapping—excite you most for accessibility?

Nothing can replace physical infrastructure, despite technology adding to it. Physical infrastructure needs to be altered to make a difference in every human being’s life. Right now we’re just talking about cities. We need to look at rural India where 70% of our population lives—physical infrastructure will play an extremely important role there.

Looking ahead to 2030, what would a truly accessible India look like?

I don’t talk about my leadership—I really would implore everybody to chip in. This needs to be a revolution. A revolution called accessibility that will make not just India but a better world for each one of us, no matter what circumstances life brings.

Accessibility is like that hidden substance called salt in our food. If it’s there, it makes it tastier. If it’s not, we all miss it.

---

Svayam is one of the CSR implementing agencies of Jindal SAW Ltd.