Zomato and Blinkit customers with disabilities test accessibility features for both apps; Secretary of Department of Persons with Disabilities, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal delivers keynote speech

New Delhi, 07th August, 2025: Zomato, India’s food ordering and delivery platform and Blinkit, a quick commerce company, held a two-day ‘Access-Ability’ Conclave at their headquarters in Delhi NCR. Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary of the Department of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India and Amar Jain, National Awardee and co-founder of Mission Accessibility delivered addresses at the conclave. The conclave was organized to test the real-world usability and accessibility of the Zomato and Blinkit apps for persons with visual impairments and age-related challenges.

Participants provided feedback on assistive technologies like talk back, voice over, zoom, switch control, external keyboards, etc. across areas like account setup, search and discovery, navigating, cart checkouts, notification interaction among others.

The conclave also saw the launch of a key feature to improve accessibility. Available for all users to opt in, customers can now share information about the support they require for a customized experience of the apps, settings for which can be enabled under ‘accessibility settings in the profile section of the Zomato app.

Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, commented on the initiative, “Delighted to see Eternal’s continued commitment to make their platforms truly accessible through their ‘Access-Ability Conclave 2025’ with the launch of relevant features for the community. If designed with empathy and foresight, digital and mobile applications can offer a powerful pathway to empower persons with disabilities and benefit business as well. If more companies take this approach, it will reduce barriers and unlock growth opportunities for all. With accessibility testing conclaves such as these, Zomato and Blinkit are paving the way forward to a corporate ecosystem that is more diverse, equitable and inclusive.

Amar Jain, co-founder of Mission Accessibility and National Award Winner for his pioneering advocacy for accessibility, policy reform and financial inclusion for persons with disabilities in India, said, “Zomato and Blinkit have achieved incredible results with their consistent efforts to improve their platform’s’ accessibility for persons with disabilities and we’re proud to be part of this journey. With accessibility testing conclaves like this, Zomato and Blinkit are setting a bold example, demonstrating how the corporate ecosystem can evolve toward genuine diversity and inclusion.

Speaking on the initiative, Anjalli Ravi Kumar, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eternal said, “Inclusion is at the heart of everything that we do at Eternal. We’re constantly evolving as tech platforms to make our apps more and more accessible for persons with disabilities, older users with low vision and others . This Access-Ability Conclave is a significant step towards enabling inclusive access to essentials and delicious meals through our Blinkit and Zomato apps. It’s been a team effort and we’re very grateful to our ecosystem partners for bringing us their insights and guidance throughout this journey.”

Over 3,000 persons with disabilities are a part of Zomato’s delivery fleet, who have access to dignified livelihood through custom motorized wheelchairs which they use to undertake deliveries. In 2024, Zomato received the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in 2024 from the President of India, for its efforts towards diversity and inclusion.

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