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Sugamya Bharat App 2.0 Launched: A New Dawn in India’s Accessibility Journey
Sugamya Bharat App 2.0 is live - map accessible spaces, get scheme updates, lodge complaints & access AI support in one click.
Goa / New Delhi, 11 October 2025 – In a landmark move for digital inclusion, the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, unveiled the fully revamped Sugamya Bharat App at the Purple Fest in Goa. Led by Secretary Shri Rajesh Aggarwal at the ALIMCO stall, the event was also attended by senior dignitaries like Ms. Manmeet Kaur Nanda (Additional Secretary), Ms. Richa Shankar (DDG), and Ms. Debolina Thakur (JS, FA).
This upgraded version is not just a cosmetic refresh - it marks a transformation of the app into India’s one‑stop digital accessibility hub, designed to empower persons with disabilities (PwDs) with tools, information, and grievance voice, all in one place.
1. Accessibility Mapping & Community Insights:
Users can now map, rate, and review public venues-government offices, metro stations, parks, hospitals-on key accessibility parameters like ramps, tactile paths, signage, auditory cues, and more. This community‑led intelligence helps others and builds pressure for action.
2. Unified Schemes, Jobs & Education Directory:
No more hopping across portals. The upgraded app consolidates government schemes, scholarships, welfare benefits, and job/education listings dedicated to PwDs - making them discoverable in one place.
3. AI‑Powered Chatbot & Real-time Assistance:
The app integrates an AI chatbot to guide users in real time - helping them find relevant schemes, understand complaint process steps, or fetch policy updates. This makes navigation intuitive, especially for first-time users.
4. Geo‑Tagged Complaint Logging & Grievance Module:
Users can upload geo‑tagged photos of inaccessible infrastructure (ramps missing, broken footpaths) to lodge complaints. The app tracks the status of these complaints until resolution. Since 2021, over 2,705 complaints have been filed, and 1,897 resolved so far.
5. Inclusive by Design: Assistive Tech Features:
The interface now fully supports screen readers, voice navigation, multi‑language (23 languages), font adjustments, contrast modes, and more - built with users with visual, motor, cognitive impairments in mind. (sugamyabharat.gov.in)
6. Notifications & Accessibility Circulars:
This upgraded version is not just a cosmetic refresh - it marks a transformation of the app into India’s one‑stop digital accessibility hub, designed to empower persons with disabilities (PwDs) with tools, information, and grievance voice, all in one place.
What’s New & Powerfull
1. Accessibility Mapping & Community Insights:
Users can now map, rate, and review public venues-government offices, metro stations, parks, hospitals-on key accessibility parameters like ramps, tactile paths, signage, auditory cues, and more. This community‑led intelligence helps others and builds pressure for action.
2. Unified Schemes, Jobs & Education Directory:
No more hopping across portals. The upgraded app consolidates government schemes, scholarships, welfare benefits, and job/education listings dedicated to PwDs - making them discoverable in one place.
3. AI‑Powered Chatbot & Real-time Assistance:
The app integrates an AI chatbot to guide users in real time - helping them find relevant schemes, understand complaint process steps, or fetch policy updates. This makes navigation intuitive, especially for first-time users.
4. Geo‑Tagged Complaint Logging & Grievance Module:
Users can upload geo‑tagged photos of inaccessible infrastructure (ramps missing, broken footpaths) to lodge complaints. The app tracks the status of these complaints until resolution. Since 2021, over 2,705 complaints have been filed, and 1,897 resolved so far.
5. Inclusive by Design: Assistive Tech Features:
The interface now fully supports screen readers, voice navigation, multi‑language (23 languages), font adjustments, contrast modes, and more - built with users with visual, motor, cognitive impairments in mind. (sugamyabharat.gov.in)
6. Notifications & Accessibility Circulars:
Users receive real‑time alerts and updates about new government initiatives, accessibility guidelines, court orders, and policy changes - ensuring they stay informed.
This contrast highlights how implementation bottlenecks at state/district levels can slow progress. For the app’s promise to truly materialize, responsiveness, accountability, and execution across jurisdictions must improve.
At the launch, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal emphasized that this is more than a tech update - it is a gateway to empowerment, helping persons with disabilities access opportunities and demand accountability. Officials from DEPwD, SBI Foundation, ALIMCO, and NGOs like NAB Delhi, ISTEM, and Mission Accessibility collaborated to bring this vision to life.
Jagannath Sahu (SBI Foundation President) echoed that inclusive tech has the power to bridge social divides. With partners and citizen engagement, the app aims to unlock the potential of millions.
But success will hinge on timely responses to complaints, interdepartmental coordination, frequent updates, and building trust with the user community.
In summary: the Sugamya Bharat App 2.0 is poised to become a linchpin in India’s pursuit of a truly accessible, inclusive digital and physical infrastructure - provided the machinery behind it matches the ambition.
#SugamyaBharatApp#AccessibleIndia#DigitalInclusion2025
Usage, Impact & Challenges
- As of June 2025, the app had 14,358 registered users and 83,791 downloads - with ~82,291 on Android and ~1,500 on iOS.
- Historically, 1,441 complaints had been lodged between 2021–24, and about 75% resolved (~1,081).
- However, closure rates vary - as of August 2025, of 1,095 total complaints, 528 remain unresolved, showing systemic gaps.
- Some states lead in compliance (e.g. Gujarat) while others lag behind (e.g. Delhi reported zero resolutions).
This contrast highlights how implementation bottlenecks at state/district levels can slow progress. For the app’s promise to truly materialize, responsiveness, accountability, and execution across jurisdictions must improve.
Voices & Vision
At the launch, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal emphasized that this is more than a tech update - it is a gateway to empowerment, helping persons with disabilities access opportunities and demand accountability. Officials from DEPwD, SBI Foundation, ALIMCO, and NGOs like NAB Delhi, ISTEM, and Mission Accessibility collaborated to bring this vision to life.
Jagannath Sahu (SBI Foundation President) echoed that inclusive tech has the power to bridge social divides. With partners and citizen engagement, the app aims to unlock the potential of millions.
Why This Matters Now
- Legal Imperative: Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act 2016 and Supreme Court pronouncements, digital and physical accessibility is no longer optional - it's a right.
- Holistic Tool: Unlike earlier versions which were mainly grievance portals, this version is an ecosystem tool combining mapping, schemes, tracking, and AI assistance.
- Scalable & Inclusive: With multi‑language, assistive tech support, it can reach users across India, including remote and underserved areas.
- Data‑Driven Advocacy: Crowdsourced data can guide planners, civil society, and policymakers in bridging real accessibility gaps.
But success will hinge on timely responses to complaints, interdepartmental coordination, frequent updates, and building trust with the user community.
In summary: the Sugamya Bharat App 2.0 is poised to become a linchpin in India’s pursuit of a truly accessible, inclusive digital and physical infrastructure - provided the machinery behind it matches the ambition.
#SugamyaBharatApp#AccessibleIndia#DigitalInclusion2025
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