Designing for Inclusive Impact | Siddarth Daga | TEDxSIBMBengaluru

Siddarth Daga, co-founder of NeoMotion, discusses how inclusive design can extend beyond mobility products to create independence, employment and dignity for people with disabilities. Drawing on his work with hundreds of wheelchair users across India, he describes how real-world barriers shaped solutions built around everyday needs. He outlines how NeoMotion's wheelchair work led to livelihood opportunities, including roles for wheelchair users as delivery partners. According to the talk, close to 1,000 wheelchair users have taken part, earning around ₹15,000 per month on average. The talk argues that lasting impact depends on wider ecosystems, business models and financially sustainable approaches rather than the product alone.

• Mobility solutions as a route to livelihoods and economic independence
• Wheelchair users working as delivery partners, with reported average monthly earnings of around ₹15,000
• Building ecosystems, accessible infrastructure and sustainable models that reduce reliance on charity

Join Siddarth Daga, Co-founder of NeoMotion, as he explores how inclusive design can go beyond solving mobility challenges to create meaningful opportunities for independence, employment, and dignity. Drawing from interactions with hundreds of wheelchair users across India, he shares how understanding real-world barriers led to solutions designed around the everyday needs of persons with disabilities. Through powerful real-world examples, Siddarth demonstrates how mobility can become a gateway to economic empowerment. What began with accessible wheelchairs and mobility solutions evolved into livelihood opportunities, including enabling wheelchair users to work as delivery partners. Today, close to 1,000 wheelchair users have participated as delivery partners, earning around ₹15,000 per month on average, with the initiative generating more than ₹10 crore in income over four years. Moving beyond the product itself, he highlights the importance of building an entire ecosystem around inclusion—from adapting delivery platforms and creating accessible infrastructure to developing financially sustainable models that reduce dependence on charity. Through stories of individuals who progressed from delivery work to entrepreneurship, he shows how true impact emerges when people are empowered to create opportunities of their own. With optimism and purpose, Siddarth challenges us to rethink what inclusive innovation truly means. He reminds us that meaningful design does not stop with a product—it extends to systems, business models, and ecosystems where revenue and lives impacted can grow together. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Co-Founder at NeoMotion, where we design and manufacture mobility solutions for persons with locomotor disabilities and the elderly, and maximise the impact through livelihood linkages. Alumnus of IIT Madras, Department of Mechanical Engineering, and an SBI Youth for India Fellow, 2016-17 batch, where I spent 13 months in Kalahandi district teaching STEM to the children at Gram Vikas school. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx