New Delhi, March 25, 2026: At Uddeshya, WRI India’s annual flagship conference on gender-responsive urban mobility, city leaders and researchers discussed how recognizing “mobility of care” journeys — most of which are undertaken by women — can help reshape the planning of a city’s neighborhood services, streets and public transport. They also emphasized that embedding universal accessibility in urban design and mobility systems is critical to ensuring that cities work for all, including persons with disabilities, older adults and caregivers.

Themed ‘Building Inclusive Cities’, the day-long conference convened policymakers, urban planners and civil society leaders to advance the cause of inclusive urban mobility in India.

Speaking at the plenary session, Smt. Stuti N. Kacker, Former Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, said, “Inclusion is not achieved through intent alone. It requires access, opportunity, and strong institutions. Much like the progress we have seen in women’s empowerment, enabling persons with disabilities to participate in the economy reshapes how they are valued. With the right policy frameworks and sustained investment, we can move from marginalization to meaningful participation at scale.” She underscored the importance of economic empowerment as a pathway to inclusion, noting that earning capacity reduces social barriers.

Discussions at the conference centred on designing urban mobility around people's lived realities, with participants examining how inclusive transport systems can expand economic opportunity and drive India's shift toward more equitable and sustainable cities. Speakers emphasized that inclusive mobility is not only a social imperative but also an economic one, with significant impacts on workforce participation and overall productivity. 

Dr. Anjlee Agarwal, Founder and Executive Director, Samarthyam Centre for Universal Accessibility, said, “India has strong laws and frameworks for accessibility, but the real challenge lies in implementation. Apart from infrastructure, inclusive mobility also demands a shift in mindset and systems designed around real user needs. By bringing together policy, design, and lived experience, we can move from isolated progress to truly inclusive transport systems.”

Madhav Pai, CEO, WRI India, said, “Urban mobility must move beyond moving vehicles to moving people — safely, equitably, and with dignity. If our transport systems recognize the lived realities of caregivers and persons with disabilities, they can unlock access to opportunity and participation in city life. Through Uddeshya, we hope to catalyze ideas and partnerships that help cities build mobility systems that are inclusive by design.”

Uddeshya also hosted an exhibition titled, “Everyday Mobility – Gender, Care and Disability” which, brought to life the invisible travel patterns of women through stories and data. Blending art, narrative and lived experience, Uddeshya also featured ‘Sutradhaar’, a performance challenge spotlighting the lived experiences of citizens navigating our cities. The event concluded with the Uddeshya Awards that felicitated organisations and individuals working to further equitable mobility systems. Winners included Surat Municipal Corporation, Raised Lines Foundation and female metro locopilots from Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation.

Uddeshya is being organised under the aegis of MobiliseHER, a three-year project supported by the European Union to enable gender-responsive urban mobility in Indian cities, in partnership with GIZ, Samarthyam Centre for Universal Accessibility, and Asia-Pacific Network for Accessibility. The convening is also supported by the Urban Electric Mobility Initiative (UEMI), WRI India, CEPT Research and Development Foundation and PRIA India.

Uddeshya 2026 underscored the importance of placing lived experiences at the intersection of gender, care and disability, to shape cities where mobility systems work for everyone.


About WRI India
WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being. Know more: wri-india.org

 
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