Nitin Gadkari bats for mandatory certification system to turn India's buildings disabled friendly

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has stressed the need for mandatory provisions to make India’s buildings and public spaces disabled friendly in the future.

Speaking at the launch function of Purple Building Certification Scheme—India’s first dedicated accessibility rating system, in New Delhi on December 3, Gadkari suggested NITI Aayog to come out with a draft proposal for this and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment prepare a Bill to be cleared in the Parliament to make uniform accessibility a legal right.

“India needs to be at par with European and the US standards. Only mandatory and legal provisions can help accelerate compliance, encourage accountability, and empower millions of people with disabilities”, he said.

The new Purple Building Certification Programme that got Gadkari excited is a first-of-its-kind voluntary national system designed to evaluate, recognise, and promote accessibility standards across schools, hospitals, shopping complexes, residences, workplaces, transport hubs, sports facilities, and public spaces.

Prepared by India’s largest medical technology cluster Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) with inputs from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Inclusive Divyangjan Entrepreneur Association (IDEA) - a national NGO working in the disability sector, the initiative aims to embed universal design principles into India’s fast-growing urban and semi-urban landscape, ensuring safety, independence, and equitable access for persons with disabilities, senior citizens, pregnant women, and individuals with temporary or permanent mobility or sensory needs.

 “Accessibility should not be seen as an exception but as the foundation of every building in a truly inclusive nation. With the Purple Building Certification, AMTZ is proud to lead a national movement that redefines how India builds—ensuring dignity, safety, and equal access for all, including Divyangjans”, Dr. Jitendra Sharma, MD and Founder-CEO of AMTZ, said.  “Three expert committees, with support from ICMR, have worked meticulously to construct a national standard for accessibility. Today, we present a framework that builders and real estate developers across India can adopt to bridge the gap between policy and real-world implementation,” he added.

Voluntary in nature, the Purple Certification is built upon the mission of promoting universal design, barrier-free environments, and inclusive infrastructure. It advances transparency and objectivity in accessibility assessments, addressing diverse user needs while ensuring consistency with harmonised national guidelines. The certification framework includes accessibility assessment, benchmarking, and tiered certification, supported by detailed criteria associated with external and internal environments, infrastructural elements, and spatial features.

The methodology includes documentation review, on-site assessment, scoring, benchmarking, and formal certification, establishing a clear and replicable pathway for building owners and developers to upgrade existing spaces or construct new inclusive environments in line with global best practice.

The Purple Certification incorporates harmonised accessibility standards—including the Harmonised Guidelines and Space Standards for Universal Accessibility in India (2021), ICT accessibility norms, accessibility codes for education and healthcare, railway and aviation guidelines, and sector-specific accessibility standards—ensuring that buildings meet comprehensive, nationally aligned benchmarks.