Students of Maitreyi College develop SUGAM, an inclusive indoor navigation system for persons with disabilities.
Students of Maitreyi College have developed SUGAM (Smart Universal Guided Accessible Mobility), an indoor navigation system that empowers people with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments to move through buildings independently. Maitreyi College says SUGAM is the country’s first student-led indoor navigation system designed with inclusivity at its core.
According to the press statement, the app is intended to create a more inclusive campus by making navigation easier for persons with disabilities and supporting their participation in academic programmes, extracurricular activities, college fairs, and events.
The system provides voice-guided navigation for users with visual impairments, step-by-step route assistance for those with mobility challenges, and visual as well as vibration-based notifications for individuals with hearing impairments. It also features multilingual support, a digital pass for campus entry and events, and an audio signage system that enables users without smartphones or digital literacy to navigate buildings independently.
The launch ceremony was held at Maitreyi College Campus on 26th July,2026, as the college commenced its Diamond Jubilee celebrations. It was attended by Dr Mathew Varghese, who conceptualised the project; Prof. Haritima Chopra, Principal of Maitreyi College; Prof. Smriti Singh, the project lead; former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, and the Registrar of the University of Delhi. At the launch, speakers described SUGAM as a home-grown innovation capable of transforming accessibility in hospitals, educational institutions, and commercial complexes.
The project was created through a collaborative effort involving students and faculty from the Departments of Computer Science, Physics, and Sociology. The college also credited CURE India, a nonprofit organisation working towards eradicating disabilities stemming from clubfoot across India; Dr. Prajwalit Shika, and Ameya Meattle, a Singapore-based high school student, for their contributions to the development of the audio signage feature.
Accessible navigation systems such as SUGAM address a significant gap in the design of public spaces, many of which are still difficult for persons with disabilities to navigate independently. While ramps, lifts, and tactile pathways improve physical access, navigating complex indoor environments often still requires assistance.
Digital accessibility tools can help by giving users real-time directions based on their needs, enabling them to move independently, participate more fully in education, employment, and public life, and depend less on others for assistance. As institutions increasingly adopt inclusive infrastructure, solutions like SUGAM show how technology can make public spaces easier and more accessible for everyone.
Read Also: Lights, Camera, Confidence: Miranda House Launches TV Anchoring Course for Women
Image Source: Google Playstore
Bishakha Gogoi