India Tightens ICT Accessibility Rules in New Draft Disability Regulations

India has released a draft set of disability regulations that focus on tightening information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility, targeting websites, mobile applications, and other digital services to better serve persons with disabilities.

The draft proposes stricter compliance requirements, including mandatory accessibility testing and the adoption of recognized guidelines, aiming to ensure that digital content is perceivable, operable, understandable and robust for users with visual, auditory or motor impairments.

Advocacy groups have welcomed the move, saying it could close long‑standing gaps in digital inclusion and bring India closer to international accessibility standards, though they stress the need for clear implementation timelines and enforcement mechanisms.

Law.asia notes that the draft is currently open for public comment, inviting feedback from industry, civil society and technology experts before the rules are finalized and incorporated into the national disability framework.