Mallikarjuna Ita, the founder of IDEA and a national award recipient, has dedicated seven years to promoting the idea that people with disabilities should be viewed as job creators and entrepreneurs, rather than recipients of welfare. He personally faced limitations: in his eleventh grade, he was advised to drop science studies because, according to his advisors, his 88% mobility disability made science too complex, and art was considered more practical.
This advice haunted him in various forms over many years. Today, it is the impetus behind the founding of the Association of Inclusive Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (IDEA), which claims to have supported over 2000 disabled entrepreneurs across India.
His work has always been based on refusing to let others decide how far a person with a disability can go. The first hurdle was related to choosing science in school. Later, when Ita decided to pursue a Ph.D. in environmental sciences, he encountered similar doubts about whether a person with his condition could undertake this work. A third obstacle arose in the corporate sector, where he found that employment did not equate to consideration for leadership positions; people with disabilities might be hired, but rarely expected to lead.
These experiences pushed him toward a fundamental question: what changes if people with disabilities are seen not as beneficiaries, but as entrepreneurs, leaders, and creators of economic value? As an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University, Ita built a long career in India's development sector. He also served as president of the Fair Trade Forum-India, a national network representing the World Fair Trade Organization in India and working with local artisans and farmers.
In 2017, when Delhi hosted the World Fair Trade Week and the XIV WFTO Biennial Conference, the forum was one of the organizers, and Ita was its president. Connecting marginalized producers to markets, rather than just providing aid, became a central element of his subsequent work.
Ita spent years studying the aspirations, barriers, and economic realities of people with disabilities before founding IDEA in 2019. The organization was created to accompany the entire entrepreneurial journey: from the initial idea to business management and growth. Its support includes entrepreneurship training, mentorship, employment, financial assistance, accessibility, and market access. The core idea is a conscious departure from the concept of welfare. Instead of asking what people with disabilities should receive, IDEA asks what they need to build their own ventures.
The numbers have steadily grown. When Ita received his national award in December 2024, IDEA was recognized for supporting over 1060 disabled entrepreneurs. By March 2025, the New Delhi-based non-profit reported supporting over 1500 entrepreneurs across 11 states, whose businesses collectively generated revenue of approximately 100 crore rupees. IDEA has now increased this figure to over 2000.
The organization has also helped people with disabilities find jobs. In May 2025, it was reported that thanks to its work, over 5000 people found employment. One such entrepreneur is Sonia. She was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy while studying BCom, resulting in 75% disability. She almost gave up fighting depression and isolation until she connected with IDEA. She now runs her own self-help group and manages a business that employs other women.
One of Ita's signature ideas is the Divyangjan Hunar Atmanirbhar Network (DHAN). It functions as a revolving fund. Entrepreneurs receive seed support to start their activities. Once their business succeeds, they contribute to the common pool, which then funds the next person. The support does not end with one beneficiary; it continues to circulate. For Ita, this model is the philosophy: empowerment persists when people can create value, make their own choices, and give back to the system that helped them.
DHAN has become IDEA's flagship program. By March 2025, it had supported over 1200 disabled entrepreneurs in 10 states through training, mentorship, financial aid, and market access. In the same month, many of them showcased their products at the Ability Expo, organized by IDEA as part of Purple Fest 2025 in New Delhi, which was inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu. This model is also expanding through partnerships. With the Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) in Visakhapatnam, IDEA implements a program offering entrepreneurship training, seed funding, market linkages, and two years of support. AMTZ also purchases products created by supported entrepreneurs. The goal, according to Ita, is to help Divyangjan become 'active participants in society and the economy.'
Ita argues that credit and a business plan are not enough. A disabled entrepreneur also needs accessible transport, workplaces, buildings, digital systems, and markets. This thinking gave rise to the Sugamya Delhi Abhiyaan initiative. It emerged from a campaign in Dwarka launched on May 1, 2025, during which over 500 experts and volunteers inspected more than 70 buildings and public spaces for accessibility over 15 days. They examined government offices, schools, colleges, banks, bus stops, parks, and sidewalks. The city-wide campaign started on May 17, 2025, World Accessibility Awareness Day, at the office of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. Over 100 stakeholders pledged support. 'Accessibility must become a people's movement, not just a government initiative,' Ita stated at the launch.
As a result of this event, two tools were created: the 'Purple Building' certification scheme for accessible buildings, developed jointly by IDEA, AMTZ, and ICMR, and IDEA's own guidelines for events. He also brought a research approach to the problem, co-authoring academic papers on entrepreneurship among people with disabilities, including how uncertainty and technology shape their journey.
On December 3, 2024, on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, President Droupadi Murmu presented Ita with the National Award for Individual Excellence in the Sarvshresth Divyangjan category. The citation highlighted his work in empowering people with disabilities, inclusive growth, disability rights, and social entrepreneurship. This award is significant not only for him; it validates the argument he has been making for years: that inclusion of disability must mean opportunities, entrepreneurship, and economic participation, not just access to schemes.
Ita summarizes his approach in three words: 'Belief means seeing.' He believes that opportunity begins when society believes in a person's potential. His broader vision is for India, where people with disabilities do not just fit into existing systems but actively create businesses, hire employees, lead institutions, and shape policy. Future plans are even more ambitious: by 2027, IDEA aims to train 5000 disabled entrepreneurs, create 10000 jobs, and help their businesses achieve a cumulative turnover of 1500 crore rupees.
