Industry leaders vow to unlock $18 trillion global opportunity at Purple Dialogues by EnAble India

• Purple Economy is $18 trillion opportunity globally, $150 billion in India
• Aim to drive disability-inclusive solutions via innovation and business growth

Bengaluru, 18 July, 2025: EnAble India, the catalyst for the purple economy movement, today organised a virtual Purple Dialogues with industry leaders from across the country. Over 30 leaders participated and vowed to address inequalities for PwDs (people with disabilities) in the workplace. They discussed personal experiences and company-wide policies to promote inclusion that creates value.

Disability-inclusive business practices, where PwDs are not excluded, but empowered, is the essence of the purple economy. It is a $18 trillion global market opportunity. Through #ThePurpleEconomyMovement, EnAble India is evangelising the benefits to business leaders and entrepreneurs to build solutions, services, and products that empower PwDs and create a virtuous economic cycle. In India, the purple economy is estimated to be a $150 billion opportunity.

Shanti Raghavan, founder of EnAble India, said, “Conditions for success through systematic inclusion rather than retrofitting accessibility will herald the next big economic opportunity. Samaj-sarkar-bazaar (society-government-market) alignment can unlock unprecedented economic value. Organizations are recognizing the need to move from charity-based approaches to value-recognition models. This would unlock innovation and market opportunities. With 1 billion PwDs globally, the Purple Economy represents one of the world’s largest underserved customer segments.”

The dialogue highlighted how solutions initially designed for people with disabilities—from eyeglasses to computer keyboards—have become universal innovations driving significant economic growth.

Kannan Hariharan, a former PepsiCo executive, developed inclusive practices which were appreciated and implemented globally by the then-CEO Indra Nooyi was one of the hosts. He said, “We need to change our approach from rights-based to value-based.”

Entrepreneurs and leaders from leading companies like Godrej, Cisco, Brigade, Standard Chartered Bank, and others discussed ways to unlock opportunities by designing solutions for inclusivity. The dialogue noted the economic impact of inaccessible businesses, leading to potential revenue losses that go unnoticed. Simple changes like improving accessibility in malls, hotels, and shops can normalise inclusion.

EnAble India is promoting the concept of Purple Economy at the United Nations forums and global disability inclusion initiatives. The movement positions India as a potential global leader in disability-inclusive innovation. People who want to know more can visit www.purpleeconomy.org