District by Zomato, the going-out platform owned by Eternal, has launched an Inclusive Dining Toolkit aimed at helping restaurants improve accessibility for persons with disabilities (PwDs), senior citizens, pregnant women and customers with mobility challenges, signalling a broader push towards inclusive consumer experiences in India’s hospitality sector.

Developed in collaboration with the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Samarthyam and The Association of People with Disability, the toolkit offers operational guidance to restaurants on identifying accessibility gaps and making practical infrastructure and service improvements.

The initiative comes as India’s restaurant and hospitality industry increasingly looks beyond food and ambience to differentiate through customer experience. Accessibility remains one of the most overlooked aspects of the dining ecosystem despite India being home to more than 2.68 crore persons with disabilities.

Can accessibility become a business advantage for restaurants?

For many consumers with disabilities, dining out continues to involve uncertainty around wheelchair access, elevators, menu readability and ease of movement within restaurants. As a result, customers often limit themselves to familiar establishments rather than exploring new venues.

District by Zomato said the toolkit was developed after consultations with persons with disabilities, restaurant partners and accessibility experts. The company believes accessibility can also create business value for restaurants by driving repeat visits, improving customer trust and attracting larger group gatherings.

Alongside the toolkit, District has introduced a series of accessibility-focused features on its platform. These include improved screen-reader support, accessibility filters on the dining page, AI-powered recommendations for accessible restaurants, and listings for wheelchair and elevator access under restaurant facilities. Users can also specify “special assistance needs” while booking tables.

“We often celebrate restaurants for bringing people together. But we rarely ask whether everyone can comfortably enter a space, move through the space, read the menu, and feel independent while doing so,” said Rahul Ganjoo, CEO, District by Zomato.

The launch event in New Delhi was attended by senior officials from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, including Additional Secretary Manmeet Kaur Nanda. In a message shared at the event, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B.L. Verma said accessibility in public spaces must become a collective responsibility across government and industry.

The move also aligns with Eternal’s broader inclusion strategy. In 2024, Zomato received the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities from the Union Ministry of Social Justice for engaging over 6,000 persons with disabilities in food delivery roles.

As competition intensifies in India’s urban dining and going-out market, companies are increasingly betting on inclusive design and accessibility to deepen customer engagement and build long-term brand loyalty.