The LaLiT Dialogue brought the Purple Economy into the hospitality sector with a sharp focus on customer experience, service design, dignity and business opportunity. Hosted at The LaLiT, the dialogue connected disability inclusion with tourism, hotels, staff training, infrastructure, loyalty and brand leadership.
Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India, positioned inclusion as both a human rights imperative and smart economics. Shanti’s message pushed the room to think systemically not only about making hotels accessible, but about building an economy around unmet needs.
The lived-experience segment was especially strong. Amar Jain spoke about accessible hotel navigation and the limitations of touchscreen-only systems. Priyanka Malhotra compared the structured support available in cancer care with the lack of similar systems for families of persons with disabilities. Anubha Mahajan highlighted how empathy training can transform loyalty. Merry Barua stressed the need for quiet spaces, accessible toilets and neurodiversity-aware staff.
