New Delhi, Aug 15: The 17th NCPEDP-Mphasis Universal Design Awards 2026 were presented today in a ceremony held at Hotel Taj Mahal, New Delhi, in the presence of eminent dignitaries including Shri Arvind Kumar, Director General, Software Technology Parks of India, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, alongside changemakers, industry leaders, and advocates from India’s disability rights ecosystem. Instituted in 2010 by Mphasis and National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), the Awards honoured 14 individuals and organisations this year as a call to move accessibility from an afterthought to the very foundation of how India builds, designs, and innovates.
This year’s cohort of awardees was celebrated across four categories: Role Model Persons with Disabilities, Role Model Working Professionals, Role Model Companies & Organisations, and the Javed Abidi Public Policy Award, named in honour of NCPEDP’s founder and a pioneering voice for disability rights in India. Among the honourees celebrated today were Mr. Nilesh Singit, recognised as a Role Model Person with Disability; Ms. Jayna Kothari, Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Policy Research, honoured as a Role Model Working Professional; Jai Vakeel Foundation, recognised in the Role Model Companies & Organisations category; and Dr. Sruti Mohapatra, Executive Director of Swabhiman, who received the Javed Abidi Public Policy Award. Some of the other awardees included Unilever PLC NCERT, Gabify, among others.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Arman Ali, Executive Director, NCPEDP, said “Seventeen years ago, universal design was a conversation we had to start. Today, after the Supreme Court has affirmed accessibility as a Fundamental Right, it is an obligation. What this year’s awardees demonstrate is that inclusive design is not a constraint on innovation, it is the discipline that makes innovation worth having. Our task now is to ensure that this becomes the default in every procurement decision, every building plan, and every line of code written in this country, and not the exception we gather to applaud. The organizations, infrastructure, products or services which are not based on the principles of Universal Design will cease to exist in next 10 years.”
Deepa Nagraj, Senior Vice President & Global Head – ESG, Sparkle Innovation Ecosystem, and Communications, Mphasis, added “At Mphasis, we have always believed that technology is only as good as the number of people it reaches. This year, artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, and a maturing rights framework are converging in a way that makes inclusive design possible at scale for the first time. The awardees recognised today are not waiting for that future, they are building it. For 17 years, our partnership with NCPEDP through the Universal Design Awards has championed a simple truth: accessibility isn’t an afterthought but a design opportunity, one that’s most powerful when embraced from the very beginning”
The event also featured a keynote address, a fireside chat with Director General of STPI, Mphasis and NCPEDP, and reflections on the Awards’ legacy from catalysing India’s first Assistive Technology Hub in 2022 to the 2025 Supreme Court ruling affirming accessibility as a Fundamental Right for persons with disabilities.
As India’s digital economy accelerates and design increasingly shapes how citizens access services, education, and opportunity, the Universal Design Awards continue to serve as a compass, spotlighting what inclusive excellence looks like, and inspiring the next generation of accessibility champions across every sector, at every scale.