BLR Airport Opens New Disability-Inclusive Café in Terminal 2

Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has reiterated its commitment to inclusive travel with the launch of a new Mitti Café outlet at its Terminal 2. This initiative, made possible by Bajaj Finserv and Zscaler's corporate social responsibility (CSR) support, aims to provide meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The opening reinforces the airport's vision of embedding social consciousness into the passenger experience while promoting economic independence for a historically disadvantaged group in the workforce.

The partnership between Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) and Mitti Café began several years ago, with airport management having supported the social enterprise during its formative years. Mitti Café is a well-established non-profit organization that operates cafés solely run by people with disabilities, including physical, intellectual, and multiple disabilities. The new outlet at T2 is an expansion of this partnership, providing a high-profile location to advocate ability and inclusion in a major international transportation hub.

In a statement from the airport's management, the undertaking was framed within their deep-seated belief that airports should be open, inclusive, and empowering spaces for all. They stated that they are proud to continue their partnership with Mitti Café, and the dignity, resilience, and talent that the Mitti team brings to the community at the airport. The airport's wider inclusion strategy includes other innovations, including the introduction of the Sunflower lanyard for travelers with non-visible disabilities and Sensory Rooms.

This new outlet was made possible by the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arms of Bajaj Finserv and Zscaler. According to Bajaj Finserv, the collaboration with Mitti Café was one step toward creating a more inclusive society and generating ongoing income opportunities. Zscaler identified with their own CSR focus on creating dignity and inclusion. This illustrates how corporate assets (money) can be used to support and generate scalable social impact in public spaces.

The new Mitti Café provides a welcome and fresh meal and drink option for those travelling through Terminal 2. More importantly, however, it is a profound demonstration of what is possible when opportunity is afforded. Every time a traveller visits and orders something from Mitti Café, they are participating in a model of enterprise that promotes economic independence and challenges stigmas associated with disability. Mitti Café has grown from modest beginnings in Northern India to being operational at several prominent locations across the country, including the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Supreme Court, which has created sustainable livelihoods for thousands of people.

The opening of Mitti Café at BLR Airport signals a broader trend towards ensuring that social enterprise is included in conventional commercial and public infrastructure. The enterprise shows how corporate social responsibility can translate to a meaningful way of developing sustainable, dignified employment, rather than just a donation-model approach to business. The use of a social enterprise model also provides other public-facing agencies with a tangible way to expand their services to be more inclusive of a broader customer base, and provide a meaningful way to calculate social impact.

The new Mitti Café outlet at BLR Airport's Terminal 2 successfully combines commercial service with deeper social purpose. It enriches the experience for travelers by providing a quality food option in addition to stating the value of inclusion. This initiative is also an example of how airports and businesses can work together to create a more equitable society, demonstrating that both business and social impact can be achieved together in public space.