Fighting against odds! — Nipun Malhotra at
CEO of Nipman Foundation, Entrepreneur and Accessibility activist Nipun Malhotra talks on his journey of fighting against great odds and insensitivity at every stage of his life.
One day, Nipun Malhotra was about to board a plane. He was generally used to people being insensitive towards his disability. But what the flight hostess was about to ask was to showcase the heights of insensitivity. She asked him, ‘Why are you on a wheelchair?’. Though ruffled, Nipun calmly replied, ‘Because I cannot walk’. Adding fire to the fury she asked, ‘Can you fly?’. Nipun told, ‘No I can’t. But I suppose that your plane can!’
Nipun’s flight in this world began on 1st September 1987. It was a day of great rejoicing all over due to the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. None was more excited than Nipun’s mother as she had chosen this day for Nipun to arrive in their family. It was a Caesarean Section pregnancy. But infant Nipun sustained fractures in his arms and legs during the process. Diagnosis revealed that he had Arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder due to which there were no muscles in his arms and legs. Despite doctor’s suggestions that Nipun will be 100% disabled all his life, his parents decided otherwise. They decided to give him a normal life.
Their decision simply meant getting Nipun admitted in regular schools. Many a school in Mumbai rejected his application due to their inability to handle a child with disability. Unfazed by a score of such rejections, his mother persevered and it paid off when St. Mary’s in Mumbai admitted him to 1st grade. When the family moved to Delhi, Nipun got admission in Apeejay School, Noida. But lack of awareness among teachers and students around him meant his exclusion from social events. This was the time Nipun got deeply engrossed in studying. Not only did he top the class in 10th grade but also topped the country in the subject of business studies during his 12th.
In 2007, after a couple of years of dissatisfaction on pursuing degree from a private college, Nipun decided to pursue economics in one of top colleges in India, St. Stephens Delhi. The only hitch was he had to climb all his way to the economics class on the 1st floor. Seeing his dogged perseverance, the college administration then shifted the class and made it more accessible to Nipun. He passed his graduation with flying colours with a scholarship for future leadership potential. Next stop for Nipun was masters in economics at Delhi University. While sitting through the campus placements, Nipun came face to face with the insensitivity of the hiring corporates towards disability. One of them even rejected his candidature as they didn’t have an accessible toilet in their premises. Undeterred by rejections, Nipun went ahead and joined his family business, Nipman fasteners, to contribute to their finance and strategy.
In 2012, Nipun founded Nipman foundation to work towards health, dignity and happiness of people with disability. Today Nipman Foundation consults with Delhi Metro, Delhi Haat, Supreme Court, Election commission and Indian Railways Committee towards making their infrastructure accessible. For Nipun the fight against odd continues. Be it his activism to make restaurants in Delhi accessible after he was denied service in one or recommending Zomato app to add accessible filters to their restaurant listings, Nipun along with his foundation has been playing a crucial role in building an accessible society.
Watch Nipun’s full talk here.
About Nipun Malhotra:
Nipun Malhotra is the co-founder and CEO of the Nipman Foundation. He was born with Arthrogryposis, a rare congenital disorder leading to a lack of muscles in arms and legs and thus commutes on a wheelchair. Medical literature stated that he will live the life of a wooden doll, but he has successfully proved it wrong. Nipun is an alumnus of St. Stephen’s College and the Delhi School of Economics.
The Nipman Foundation works in the areas of Health, Dignity and Happiness for Persons with Disabilities. It supports People with Disability get access to wheelchairs and easy financing so that they become self-employed and live an independent life. The Nipman Foundation Equal Opportunity Awards were instituted in 2014 to recognize companies and institutions working for the cause of inclusion.
In addition, Nipun Malhotra is Executive Director at Nipman Fastener Industries. Nipman is a leading automotive fastener manufacturing company in India with clients like Hero MotoCorp, Yamaha and Renault Nissan.
Follow Nipun Malhotra on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nipunmalhotra87
Follow Nipun Malhotra on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nipunmalhotra
Organization Website: http://nipmanfoundation.com/
