'India must bring investment into assisted technology sector'

'Accessible India' campaign has made a far reaching impact on people's lives, an Indian- American champion of the differenctly-abled persons has said and asked the government to bring investment into the huge untapped assisted technology sector to empower such people.
"In 15 months what we have seen has been tremendously energising to all people of disability. That the actions are there, what we did not see in the last 60 years," Pranav Desai, an IT entrepreneur, and founder of the Silicon Valley-based Voice of Specially Abled People said after a meeting Prime Minister Modi at his hotel suit here.
"Launch of the Accessible India campaign is having a far reaching impact on people's lives. I also his intent in many public statements, tweeters and Man Ki Baat. He is the first Prime Minister who is profoundly saying that children with disability are not only responsibility of the family but also responsibility of the nation," Desai said.

After Modi came to power, Desai has been pushing the Indian government to come out with a detailed action plan on the disability sector.
With Modi in the Silicon Valley, he felt the occasion could be used to work towards low-cost technological tools for the disability sector.
"I see a lot of things are happening for good at a transformational level in these 15 months, setting the direction. Obviously a lot of things would need to be done on the ground," he said.

Desai said he urged the Prime Minister to bring the investment into assisted technology sector in India for three reasons - assisted technology is a low cost solution to possible empower and enable people with disability, and this would bring a big difference in people's lives.

Secondly, all the technocrats and entrepreneurs of the Silicon Valley have the capability for the next wave of innovation which should be on affordability.
Finally, this should be looked as a market opportunity.
India has 70 million people with disability, according to the World Health Organisation.
"This is a mega untapped market opportunity, if Prime Minister can make a solid case, come up with incentives, special economic zone and definitely collaboration and focus, then for sure we can invite investment from companies in the Silicon Valley," he said.