12:30 – 14:00

Registration & Networking Lunch
Opening networking lunch and delegate registration

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14:00 – 14:05

Unveiling of Conference / Lighting of Lamp
Formal inauguration with dignitaries and guests

Dignitaries:

• Martin Essl, Founder, Zero Project – Essl Foundation

• Sminu Jindal, Chairperson, CII-IBDN

• Sunil Misra, Principal Advisor, CII

• Meera Shenoy, Founder, Youth4Jobs

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14:05 – 14:10

Welcome Address & Introduction

• Meera Shenoy, Founder, Youth4Jobs

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14:10 – 14:15

Address: Strengthening Inclusion within India Inc.

• Sunil Misra, Principal Advisor, Confederation of Indian Industry

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14:15 – 14:20

Welcome Address – “The Zero Project as a Global Community”

• Martin Essl, Founder, Zero Project – Essl Foundation

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14:20 – 14:30

Inaugural Address

• Sminu Jindal, Chairperson, CII National Committee on Empowerment of People with Disabilities & IBDN, and Managing Director, Jindal Saw Limited

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14:30 – 14:50

Global Dialogue – Conversations with the Zero Project International Delegation
Global delegates from Zero Project introduced to the gathering by Meera Shenoy, Founder, Youth4Jobs and Anja Günther, Programme and Strategic Partnership Manager, Zero Project.

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14:50 – 15:30

Panel 1 - Partnerships that Work: Leveraging Grassroots Solutions

Moderator:

• Amanpreet Kaur, Bajaj Finserv

Panelists:

• Mallikarjuna Iytha, IDEA

• Prahalad Beniwal, Youth4Jobs Foundation

• Pavithra YS, Vindhya E Infomedia Pvt. Ltd.

• Sukhman Randhawa, United Nations

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15:30 – 16:10

Panel 2 - Building Inclusive Workforces: Advancing Employability and Jobs for Persons with Disabilities

Moderator:

• Chetan Kapoor, Tech Mahindra Foundation

Panelists:

• G. Vijaya Raghavan, CADR

• Jyotsna Malhotra, TVS Motors

• Nicole Attong, Florida State University

• Praveen Karn, Minda Corporation Limited

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16:10 – 16:15

Surprise Openings: Architecture and Imagination

• Jo Chopra, Latika Roy Foundation

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16:15 – 16:35

Coffee & Networking Break
Exhibit walkthrough and networking

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16:35 – 17:15

Panel 3 - Will AI Leave Persons with Disabilities Behind?

Moderator:

• Arun Mehta, BAPSI Software

Panelists:

• Ishani Agnihotri, Wadhwani AI

• Dipendra Manocha, DAISY Consortium

• David Banes, Equitable AI Alliance (UK)

• Jürgen Menze, International Labour Organization (ILO, Switzerland)

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17:15 – 17:30

Keynote Address – Access with Dignity: Redefining Healthcare for Deaf Persons

• Johannes Fellinger, Access to Healthcare Advisor, Zero Project

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17:30 – 18:10

Panel 4 - Building Back Inclusive: Disability Readiness in Crisis

Moderator:

• Anjlee Agarwal, Samarthyam

Panelists:

• Utsav Choudhury, NIUA

• Narotam Kumar Sharma, Wipro

• Arman Ali, NCPEDP

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18:10 – 18:15

Cultural Performance by Ms Bhavna (Woman with Visual Disability)
Closing & Wrap-Up – Reflections and highlights from the day

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18:15 onwards

Assistive Technology / Assistive Device Innovations and Youth4Jobs – Not Just Art – Global Ability Photography Challenge Exhibition Opening
View the exhibits till 14 November 2025

09:30 – 10:00
Welcome Tea & Exhibition

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10:00 – 10:25

Chief Guest Inaugural for Day 2
Her Excellency Ms. Katharina Wiser, Austrian Ambassador to India

Special Address
Ms. Manmeet Kaur Nanda, Additional Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities

Summary of Day 1

Graphic Recording by Katrina Günther, Founder, Thinking Visual, interviewed by Robin Tim Weis, Director International Affairs, Zero Project

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10:25 – 11:00
Panel 5 – From India to the World: Building Assistive Technology
Moderator: Maria Ignacia Rodriguez, Descubreme Foundation 

Panelists:
Shilpi Singh, Key2Enable 
Himanshu Singh, Accessible Minds 

Or Cohen, Global Ramp

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11:00 – 11:50
Panel 6 – Inclusive Economies: Advancing Women’s Entrepreneurship and Work with Disability
Moderator: Anushka Thachil, Youth4Jobs

Panelists:
Charu Sharma, ICRC
Pragya Prasun, Atijeevan Foundation (Acid Attack Survivor Network)
Neha Kansara, Friends of Women’s World Banking (FWWB)
Minita Ghimire, Global Compact Network (Nepal)

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11:50 – 12:00
Glocal Innovation
Conversation: Rob van de Ven with Jyothi Bezawada, Youth4Jobs

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12:00 – 13:30
Lunch Break

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13:30 – 13:40
Special Performance
Anil Kadian, Wheelchair Runner, Gold Medalist

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13:40 – 14:20
Panel 7 – Scaling Disability Innovation: Pathways to Global Impact
Moderator: Robin Tim Weis, Zero Project 

Panelists:
Carola Rubia, Descubreme Foundation 
Rob van de Ven, Happybots 
Gautham Devlekar, UnExcluded 
Sayomdeb Mukherjee, EnAble India

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14:40 – 15:20
Panel 8 – The Inherent Power of Storytelling: Driving Policy and Perception on Disability
Moderator: Srishti Gupta, IDR (India Development Review)

Panelists:
Srinivas Raghavan, Independent Journalist, Former Editor – The Hindu Businessline
Deepti Prasad, Nobaflix
Ashwini Saxena, GMRV Foundation

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15:20 – 15:30
Coffee & Networking Break

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15:30 – 16:10
Panel 9 – Redefining Global Disability Inclusion: Lessons from International Cooperation
Moderator: Anja Günther, Zero Project 

Panelists:
Mayur Shetty, Blackfrog Technologies
Nandita Sharma, ONDC
Rachit Pandey, Bayberry Inc.
Dorodi Sharma, Keystone International

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16:10 – 16:45
Youth4Jobs – Not Just Art: Global Ability Photography Challenge Award Ceremony

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16:25 – 16:40
Conference Closing & 2026 Preview
Closing remarks and vision for next year

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16:40 onwards
Post-Conference Networking
Informal discussions and connections