“Inclusive Futures: Convergence of Government, Philanthropy, and Society”
October 10, 2025 | Goa
AIF proudly partnered with the International Purple Fest 2025 in Goa — India’s largest and most vibrant celebration of diversity and inclusion. Organized under the joint leadership of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE), the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), and the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Government of Goa, in collaboration with the United Nations in India, the Fest convened over 10,000 delegates from 25 countries and welcomed more than 50,000 visitors, spotlighting the power of collective action to build a more inclusive India.
AIF’s presence at the Fest was anchored by ‘Purple Charcha,’ a flagship national dialogue that reframed inclusion as both an economic and moral imperative. In collaboration with DEPwD, the session “Inclusive Futures: Convergence of Government, Philanthropy, and Society” convened policymakers, corporate leaders, and innovators to chart the next decade of India’s inclusion agenda.
The discussion brought together 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. Moderated by Kamesh Sanghi, Deputy Country Director – Programs, AIF, the discussion moved beyond rhetoric to outline shared goals for policy reform, workplace transformation, and inclusive growth, positioning AIF as a catalyst for systems-level change in partnership with the Government of India and global allies.
As Manmeet Kaur Nanda, IAS, Additional Secretary, DEPwD, noted, “Accessibility and inclusion are not matters of charity — they make complete economic sense.”
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.
“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.” Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, IAS, Secretary, DEPwD, Government of India
Amidst the backdrop of International Purple Fest, AIF signed two landmark MoUs, signaling a powerful, scalable push to drive inclusion across India. The first partnership, established with the Goa State Commission for Persons with Disabilities under the “Inclusive Goa” campaign. Through this collaboration AIF is pioneering a state-wide drive to build an accessible future for PwDs across workplaces, institutions, and communities.
The second, high-impact agreement was executed with the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC), under the leadership of the DEPwD to unveil a groundbreaking 40-hour Indian Sign Language (ISL) course for corporates. This initiative sets a new benchmark for corporate India by overcoming communication barriers and underscoring AIF’s core mission of fostering workplace inclusion at scale.
“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.” Kamesh Sanghi, Deputy Country Director – Programs, AIF
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.
