Project Mumbai Becomes the City Inclusion Partner for Mitti Café
- Home
- Blogs
What does it take to build a city where everyone has the opportunity to work, contribute and thrive?
Sometimes, it begins with something as simple as a cup of coffee.
For many people with disabilities, the desire to work, become financially independent is no different from anyone else’s. But, the opportunities available to them often remain limited by physical barriers, and workplaces that are not designed to accommodate their needs.
Inclusive employment is about changing this reality. It is about recognising abilities, creating opportunities and ensuring that everyone has a meaningful place in society.
On 17 October 2026, Project Mumbai took another step towards this vision by becoming the City Inclusion Partner for Mitti Café, with the inauguration of a new café at Sky City Mall, Borivali East. The café was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra, marking an important moment in the collective effort to make Mumbai a more inclusive city. DBS Bank India funded the entire café, supporting the creation of a space that brings inclusive employment and economic independence to the forefront.
Creating Opportunities Beyond Employment
Mitti Café is a nonprofit organisation committed to creating employment and livelihood opportunities for adults with physical, intellectual and psychiatric disabilities. Its work goes beyond providing jobs, it creates pathways towards economic independence.
A café is more than a place to enjoy a cup of coffee. It is a workplace where people interact, learn, build relationships and develop professional skills. For employees with disabilities, such spaces offer an opportunity to participate in everyday economic and social life on their own terms.
When a person with a disability is given the right support and an opportunity to work, the impact extends beyond an individual. Families gain greater confidence in their loved ones’ futures, communities begin to challenge long-held assumptions, and workplaces become more representative of the society they serve.
Initiatives such as Mitti Café remind us that inclusion must move beyond conversations and become a part of our everyday lives. It must be visible in our workplaces, public spaces, businesses and institutions.
A Heartwarming Inauguration
The inauguration at Sky City Mall was a celebration of inclusion, and the possibilities that emerge when people are given the opportunity to participate.
One of the most memorable moments of the day was the interaction between the Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra and persons with disabilities who had prepared handmade cards especially for him. The Governor received the cards one by one, patiently taking the time to acknowledge each offering. His warm and attentive gesture made the exchange a particularly touching moment for everyone present.
He also expressed how essential initiatives such as Mitti Café are for both the city and the country. Recognising the importance of creating more opportunities for people with disabilities, he highlighted the role that organisations such as Project Mumbai can play as City Partners in advancing this cause. Inclusion is not simply about making space for people, but about recognising their contributions, valuing their efforts and ensuring that they are seen and heard.
Why Does an Inclusive City Matter?
Our cities are built around the assumption that everyone experiences the world in the same way. However, everyday infrastructure and public spaces can present significant challenges for people with disabilities.
Inaccessible footpaths, inadequate ramps, difficult road crossings and public transport systems that do not sufficiently accommodate diverse needs can restrict mobility and independence. Beyond physical accessibility, social barriers and limited employment opportunities can further prevent people from participating fully in urban life.
Building an inclusive city therefore requires a broader approach. Accessible infrastructure is essential, but so are inclusive workplaces, supportive institutions, awareness and opportunities for meaningful participation.
A truly inclusive city is one where people do not have to fight to belong. It is a city that recognises different abilities and ensures that everyone has the opportunity to contribute.
Samavesh: Project Mumbai’s Commitment to Inclusion
Samavesh is a Project Mumbai initiative dedicated to making Mumbai more inclusive and accessible for everyone.
Through Samavesh, Project Mumbai works towards addressing barriers that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in public life. Its efforts include improving accessibility through ramps in police stations and BMC schools, alongside initiatives that encourage greater awareness and understanding of the needs of people with physical disabilities and neurodivergent individuals.
The partnership with Mitti Café extends this vision into the realm of employment and economic participation. While accessible infrastructure helps people navigate a city, inclusive workplaces help them build independent lives within it.
As the City Inclusion Partner, Project Mumbai aims to strengthen this shared commitment and encourage more spaces across Mumbai to embrace inclusive employment and accessibility.
The partnership also presents an opportunity to bring together citizens, institutions, businesses and other stakeholders to make inclusion a collective responsibility rather than the work of a few organisations alone.
Brewing the Future of Inclusion
The inauguration of Mitti Café at Sky City Mall is an important step, but the larger vision is to encourage more such spaces and opportunities in the future. Scaling inclusive cafés and similar employment models across Mumbai can help bring this vision closer to reality. Each new space can create livelihood opportunities, challenge stereotypes and make inclusion a more visible part of the city’s everyday experience.
With DBS Bank India funding the entire café, the initiative also demonstrates how corporate support can help translate the idea of inclusion into a tangible, functioning space. Such collaborations can play a significant role in expanding the reach of inclusive employment models.
Project Mumbai hopes to build on this partnership to encourage more organisations and businesses to explore how they can create accessible environments and meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
At Project Mumbai, we believe that when people are given the right opportunities, support and environment, they can flourish. Through Samavesh and partnerships such as this one with Mitti Café, Project Mumbai hopes to contribute to a future where inclusion is not an exception, but a natural part of how Mumbai functions.
A more inclusive Mumbai begins when everyone has a place at the table and an opportunity to help build the city we share.
