SVKM’s NMIMS successfully hosted the Disability Inclusion Conclave & Research Symposium 2026 on 21st and 22nd January 2026 at the NMIMS Main Building, Mumbai. The two-day event was organised by SVKM’s NMIMS School of Business Management and SVKM’s NMIMS Sarla Anil Modi School of Economics, with support from The Mirae Asset Foundation – SVKM’s NMIMS ESG Research Chair. The conclave brought together policymakers, academicians, development practitioners, researchers, NGOs, and person with disabilities to engage in meaningful dialogue on disability inclusion, inclusive education, assistive technology, and social protection frameworks. The event commenced on 21st January 2026 and witnessed participation from over 100 delegates. Shri Tukaram Mundhe, IAS, Honorable Secretary, Persons with Disabilities Welfare Department, Government of Maharashtra was the Chief Guest of the event and Padmashree Dr. Mithu Alur, Founder President of ADAPT (formerly the Spastics Society of India), was invited as the Guest of Honour and Keynote speaker.
The inaugural session commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Meena Chintamaneni, Pro-Vice Chancellor, SVKM’s NMIMS Deemed-to-be University. Dr. Chintamaneni stressed on the critical role of higher education in embedding inclusion within research, teaching, and community engagement to create sustained social impact. Shri Tukaram Mundhe, IAS, highlighted that disability should be approached not merely through empathy but with compassion, emphasising the need to translate policies into effective action at the grassroots level. He stated, “Disability inclusion must be an integral part of governance and public administration to ensure dignity, accessibility, and equal participation for all.” Emphasising the importance of transforming societal attitudes, Padmashree Dr. Mithu Alur advocated a shift from charity-based models to rights-based disability policies. Drawing from her extensive experience, she remarked, “Inclusion becomes meaningful only when systems are designed to recognise potential, empower individuals, and enable independent living.”
The theme address was delivered by Dr. Anita Sharma, Founder, Drive On My Own Foundation and Professor of Practice (Entrepreneurship), IIM Amritsar, with Ms. Anuja Gulati, Program Management Specialist, UNFPA, as the Special Invitee. The inaugural session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Subramania Raju Rajasulochana, Associate Professor, SBM, SVKM’s NMIMS and Convenor of the Disability Inclusion Conclave & Research Symposium 2026. This was followed by four panel discussions on health and wellbeing, inclusive education, assistive technology, and legal rights and community inclusion, and closing remarks by Dr. Mohd Imran Khan, Assistant Professor, SAMSOE, SVKM’s NMIMS and Co-Convenor. The Conclave was followed by a Research Symposium on 22 January 2026 featuring interdisciplinary presentations by scholars from India and abroad.
