Mumbai : Godrej Industries Group hosted its inaugural Assistive Tech Conference
2025, bringing together innovators, corporates, researchers, disability-rights
leaders, and athletes to reimagine how technology can transform accessibility
and inclusion at work. Celebrating the
International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the conference served as a
collaborative platform for new ideas and partnerships that can accelerate
India’s journey toward equitable workplaces.
Parmesh Shahani, Head
of Godrej DEI Lab and author of Queeristan, said, “This conference
reaffirms a simple truth: when we design with empathy, collaborate with
intention, and innovate with a commitment to equity, we build a world where
everyone can thrive. Beyond a set of tools, Assistive technology is also a
pathway to agency, dignity, and opportunity. What we showcased today is only
the beginning. The future of accessible work in India will be shaped by
openness, imagination, and the courage to rethink the systems we take for
granted.”
The
conference featured 12 start-ups with expertise in inclusive tech. Some
participated in a day-long exhibition featuring breakthrough assistive
technologies from Access for All, NCPEDP, and AssisTech Foundation, among
others. Godrej Properties limited launched their own app, ThisAbleMe Echo,
which will be available in-house to employees in initial phases. ThisAbleMe
Echo enables communication through sign language and conversation summaries.
Alongside, Godrej's
IT team, the Godrej AI Lab, Godrej Good & Green showcased in-house
innovations, from AI-enabled communication tools and inclusive digital
interfaces to tactile learning aids for visually impaired
students. This was followed by the launch of
the EmployAbility Toolkit by Godrej Consumer Products and
Atypical Advantage to support companies in making their operations more
inclusive. At the afternoon’s EmployAbility in Manufacturing summit, leaders
from the manufacturing and FMCG sectors reflected on how factories are being
reshaped into more accessible, opportunity-rich environments through inclusive
infrastructure, new skilling pathways, and progressive leadership.
The day concluded with an engaging
discussion on ‘India’s Accessible Futures,’ curated by Godrej Capital and
the Godrej DEI Lab, featuring neuroqueer anthropologist Paras Arora
and a dynamic conversation with para-badminton champion Manasi Joshi, NCPEDP
Director Arman Ali, AssisTech Foundation’s Chahat Dubey, and IIM
Bangalore professor Mukta Kulkarni. The panel talked about how assistive
technology, design thinking, and user-led innovation are redefining
accessibility and expanding workforce participation, and called for greater
affordability, collaboration, and policy support to mainstream assistive tech
across the country.
Godrej Industries Group’s aspires to
help build a more inclusive workforce, one where accessibility is integral to
innovation, productivity, and growth across corporate India.