Dear Ashutosh,
Thank you for taking the initiative to engage with the Airtel team and bring attention to the accessibility gaps in the Airtel Thanks app. I fully share your frustration—my own experience with the app has been equally cumbersome, particularly when trying to set up a Guest Wi‑Fi network or select a Hello/Caller tune. The current workflow forces me to switch between the Thanks app and the Wynk app just to complete a simple task—searching for and applying a caller tune. This unnecessary fragmentation defeats the purpose of an integrated service and undermines the app’s usability for screen‑reader users. I appreciate your offer to compile a consolidated list of issues. Below are the specific problems I have encountered: - Guest Wi‑Fi setup: Inaccessible controls for enabling and configuring the network. - Hello/Caller tune selection: No searchable catalogue within the Thanks app; must exit to Wynk, then return to apply the tune. - General navigation: Frequent focus loss and missing labels make sequential navigation difficult. - Recharge flow: Although I use Google Pay application for post‑paid recharges, the app’s recharge screens lack proper headings and feedback, slowing the process. Thank you again for championing this cause and for your dedication at the India Internet Governance Forum. I look forward to seeing tangible improvements in Airtel’s accessibility. From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Ashutosh Singhal Sent: Friday, November 28, 2025 11:47 PM To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: [AI] Feedback regarding Airtel I attended the India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2025 yesterday and today. India IGF is a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together representatives from the government, private sector, technical community, academia, civil society, and youth to discuss key public policy issues shaping the Indian Internet ecosystem through panel discussions and workshops. The Chief Guest was Shri Jitin Prasada, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of India. Several senior government officials were present, including the Hon’ble Joint Secretary of MeitY, the Chief Scientist of MeitY, and many others. High-level executives from major companies such as Google, Microsoft, Meta, NIXI, and Airtel etc also participated. As I have repeatedly seen accessibility issues reported about the Airtel Thanks app on social media, I raised this concern. I highlighted that although the Accessibility rules mandates accessibility teams within private companies for Persons with Disabilities, many companies still do not comply—including Airtel. Many of my friends with disabilities have been facing accessibility challenges in the Airtel Thanks app for a long time, and customer care has been unable to provide any solution. I asked: How can this issue be fixed? A senior representative from Airtel clamed that Airtel does have a nodal officer for disability-related accessibility issues, and she assured me that she would connect me with the right person. Today, I received a call from Airtel. I personally do not use any Airtel service, so I informed him that I would compile and share the list of accessibility issues reported by the community. I also raised accessibility problems faced by Persons with Disabilities when applying for new SIM cards, especially due to mandatory biometric authentication, which creates challenges for persons with visual impairments. He assured me that if I provide the details, he will talk with the Store management and work toward fixing the issues. I also asked whether Airtel has its own OTT platform. He clarified that Airtel does not have a standalone OTT platform, but it offers Airtel Xstream Play, an app that aggregates content from multiple OTT services. I then asked whether the app supports audio description for users with visual impairments; however, he was not sure and said he would check. In a nutshell: If you or anyone you know is facing any accessibility issues related to Airtel—especially the Airtel Thanks app—please share them with me. I will compile and forward them directly to the concerned team. — Ashutosh Singhal -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> . 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