Deepika Agrawal 
Hyundai Motor India on Tuesday launched the ‘Samarth’ initiative to make mobility and society inclusive for people with disabilities. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan unveiled the logo of the CSR initiative at an event in New Delhi. The company announced that it has partnered with MOBIS to develop swivel seats and accessories that make its cars more accessible for differently-abled. It has also pledged to make several changes in its internal functionalities to promote inclusivity. These include making its website differently-abled friendly to ensure that its digital presence is accessible to all. The company will also work on making its physical business locations such as dealerships and service centres accessible to people with disabilities. A target of February 2024 has been set to make all its dealerships and workshops accommodating for wheel chairs.
An all-inclusive society
With its Samarth initiative, Hyundai aims to create awareness and sensitise the society for differently-abled. To give wings to its vision, the automaker’s CSR arm – Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF) – has partnered with GoSports Foundation and Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled. With GoSports, Hyundai will be working on a project to provide holistic support to para-athletes in the country towards the quest for Paralympics. The program will support athletes in both team events and individual sports, fostering a culture of skill-building and inspiration.
The automaker will collaborate with Samarthanam to create assistive devices for differently-abled. Both the parties will also work on a program to support visually impaired cricketers by organising various training camps at grass root and national levels. They will also organise International Bilateral series for national blind cricket team, providing them with a bigger platform to showcase their talent.
The global vision
The Samarth initiative is aligned with Hyundai’s global vision of ‘Progress for Humanity’ that aims to use the power of mobility to create an inclusive and progressive world. The aim is to cultivate a more equitable and sensitised society for the differently-abled and give them a platform to showcase their true capabilities. “We don’t just make cars but also believe in empowering India, and to empower India, we undertake social initiatives under the pillars of – Earth, Mobility and Hope,” said Un Soo Kim, MD and CEO at Hyundai Motor India Limited.
