Mobility is more than movement. It is the freedom to live, to dream and to belong.
This is the belief that sits at the heart of Samarth by Hyundai — Hyundai Motor India Limited’s landmark Brand CSR initiative, launched in 2023, to create a more inclusive and barrier-free India for persons with disabilities. The word ‘Samarth’ is simple, yet powerful. In Hindi, it means capable — a reminder that disability is not a limit, but a lens through which we must reimagine the world we build together.
Now in its third year, Samarth has grown from a vision into a movement. One that is rewriting the narrative around disability in India — from charity to capability, from sympathy to systemic change.
Why Samarth? Because India Can Not Wait
India is home to one of the world’s largest populations of persons with disabilities. While the 2011 census recorded approximately 26.8 million persons with disabilities, independent estimates from the World Bank place the actual figure between 40 and 80 million. Despite this, accessible infrastructure remains scarce, representation in public life is limited, and the barriers — physical, social, and systemic — are everywhere.
Samarth was born to confront this reality head-on. The initiative aims to change mindsets and spark change. A shift that encourages us all to push forward as one towards a more equitable and inclusive society. With technology, strategic partnerships, product innovation and storytelling, the initiative is designed to turn the world into a level playing field for all.
Awareness: Starting the Conversation
No change is possible without awareness. Samarth began by bringing India’s disability conversation into mainstream consciousness. HMIL onboarded Shah Rukh Khan as the face of the initiative — a powerful choice that amplified the message to every corner of the country. With Media Partnerships (NDTV, Zee TV & TV 18 in 2024 & Times Network in 2025-2026), Samarth created platforms for disability rights advocates, government stakeholders and community voices to speak together, building both urgency and momentum.
Empowerment Through Sport: Backing India’s Champions
If there is one thing sport teaches us, it is that the human spirit has no disability. Under Samarth, the Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF) partnered with the GoSports Foundation to provide holistic support to 20 para-athletes across disciplines — from badminton and archery to athletics and swimming. The results have been extraordinary: four athletes from this programme represented India at the Paris Paralympics 2024, with the cohort collectively winning 114 medal – 66 international medals and 48 national medals since its inception in July 2024. Since 2023 HMIL is also supporting 6 Para- Athletes via Media partnership along with Wheeling Happiness Foundation. Amongst them, Yogesh Kathuniya and Sheetal Devi went on to win medals for India at Paris, testament to what happens when the right support meets the right resolve.
Samarth also champions blind cricket through a partnership with Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled and the Cricket Association for the Blind in India. India has won the Samarth Blind Cricket Championship twice under this banner — defeating Sri Lanka in 2024 and South Africa in 2025. Beyond the trophies, the partnership supports blind cricketers at the grassroots, investing in their education and long-term skill development.
Enhancing Accessibility: From Products to Policy
Samarth’s third pillar focuses on tangible, on-the-ground change — making mobility and infrastructure truly accessible.
In collaboration with Hyundai Mobis and True Assistive Tech, HMIL introduced TurnPlus — a range of swivel seat solutions that enable independent vehicle access for persons with disabilities and elderly passengers. It is the kind of product innovation that quietly transforms everyday lives.
Through the initiative, Hyundai and its NGO Samarthanam Trust have already provided over 300 assistive devices, to individuals in need. HMIF has also announced a programme to mentor and fund promising start-ups building next-generation assistive technologies — ensuring that the pipeline of innovation for inclusive mobility stays full.
HMIL further continues to evolve its internal HR and infrastructure practices to be more inclusive for its own workforce.
Samarth Accessibility Metric: Setting a National Standard
The most defining milestone of Samarth’s journey arrived in 2025. At the inaugural Samarth India Conclave and Expo in November, HMIL unveiled the Samarth Accessibility Metric (SAM) — India’s first comprehensive assessment and rating system for evaluating the accessibility of public and private built environments. Developed in partnership with Samarthyam Centre for Universal Accessibility, SAM evaluates physical infrastructure, navigation, facilities, service preparedness and user experience across a three-tier rating system: Platinum, Gold and Silver.
In a landmark moment for inclusive policy, the Government of Goa formally adopted SAM — becoming the first state in India to do so. The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities, Goa, have both endorsed the framework. Hotel Vivanta, Panjim, became the first hotel in the country to receive a SAM Silver Rating — setting a new standard for accessibility in India’s hospitality sector.
Progress for Humanity — Together
Samarth is not an initiative. It is a commitment. Three years in, the initiative reflects HMIL’s deepest conviction: accessibility is not an option — it is a fundamental right.
From the tracks of the Paris Paralympics to the policy corridors of Goa, from product engineering to national rating systems, Samarth by Hyundai is making the world more capable — one barrier removed at a time. Because when every person can move freely, progress belongs to everyone.
Manzil unki. Saath humara.