India Rising Foundation launches accessible research and development platform for researchers with disabilities

Bengaluru: Non-profit India Rising Foundation, in association with Karnataka-based Santosh Lad Foundation, on Saturday launched Innov8Ability, an accessible research and development platform for persons with disabilities.

The initiative will start with a proposed corpus of Rs 10 crore. It also plans a 10,000 sq ft accessible research facility in Bengaluru, the foundation said in a press release.

The platform will focus on research and development across healthcare, deeptech, agriculture, indigenous knowledge systems, education, culture and future technologies.


It will support IP creation, funding, mentorship and incubation for enterprise development.

The organisers said the aim is to address low participation of persons with disabilities in India’s research ecosystem. Key barriers include inaccessible infrastructure and limited access to funding and assistive technology.

India Rising Foundation said in a statement that it plans to set up over 100 research and development labs across India by 2047. It also plans a national fellowship network for researchers with disabilities, said the statement.

The corpus will be used for infrastructure, assistive technology, fellowships, IP support and operations.

Innov8Ability will also institute awards across sectors including healthcare, agriculture, STEM, energy, education, economics, culture and indigenous knowledge systems, statement added.

The launch event was held in Bengaluru on Saturday. It brought together representatives from academia, industry, philanthropy and government institutions.

Strategic partners include the office of the principal scientific adviser to the central government, Samarthanam Trust for the disabled, St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Param Foundation and think tank Brhat.

India Rising Foundation said Innov8Ability is based on the “Purple Economy” framework, which views disability inclusion as an economic opportunity rather than a welfare initiative.

The foundation said the initiative aims to improve access to research and development infrastructure, funding and innovation opportunities for persons with disabilities.