VMPL
New Delhi [India], October 23: On Sunday, 18th October 2026, at the India International Centre, 1SpecialPlace brought together voices that rarely share one room. 1SpecialPlace, India’s first tele-rehabilitation and developmental support ecosystem, hosted Gulmohar 2026, its annual celebration, under the theme Neurodiversity: ‘The Inclusion Dialogue’.
For Founder and CEO Pratiksha Gupta, Gulmohar is more than an event. It symbolises being rooted, growing together and blooming in one’s own way. Hers, she notes, is a blue gulmohar, different from the usual red or yellow, much like the families and individuals 1SpecialPlace walks alongside. Her hope was that families, neurodivergent individuals, therapists, educators, healthcare professionals, advocates and institutions would listen better and collaborate more deeply.
The Guest of Honour was Surgeon Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd.), a radiologist and radiation oncologist with a 39-year career. In October 2024, she became the first woman officer to lead the Armed Forces Medical Services as Director General. She also pioneered Early Intervention Centres in the Armed Forces, which have since grown to 23.
The programme centred on two panel discussions. Beyond Access: Building Systems for Inclusion explored how inclusion can be built into the way institutions design, decide and deliver. The panel included Harleen Ahluwalia of Shiv Nadar School, Narayanan Ramakrishnan of Avaz AAC, Prerna Shivpuri of Heritage Xperiential Schools, Shivani Dhillon of Down Syndrome Support Group India, Dr. Sonali Kataria of Sunrise Learning Foundation, and Swati Gupta of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Partners in Inclusion turned to lived experience. Speakers included Dr. Ajanta Sen of Jellow, Anupama Bakhshi, Jhilika Trisal of Cognitii, Kreeti Bhatia of The Special Mom, journalist Pallavi Shankar, TEDx speaker Pranav Bakhshi and Prof. Ravi Poovaiah of IIT Bombay.
The day also honoured individuals, mothers, professionals and changemakers through the 1Special Woman Awards, the Inclusive Ecosystem Awards and the 12th Annual Awards.
Country Delight was the event sponsor, with Earth Baby, Nirantar Prayas and Stoelife as gifting partners, alongside a wide network of ecosystem partners.
Since 2014, 1SpecialPlace has touched over 42,000 lives and families across 80+ countries, delivering 80,000+ therapy sessions through its online platform, Noida centre and 55 partner centres across India. Powered by a 100% women-led team, its pioneering work has earned national and international recognition, including Top Telemedicine Platform in India and Top 10 at the Startup World Cup India Regionals.
Gulmohar 2026 carried this impact beyond therapy, championing a future where neurodiversity is not merely understood, but embraced through acceptance, opportunity and meaningful inclusion.
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In Full Bloom: Gulmohar 2026 by 1SpecialPlace Puts Neurodiversity and Inclusion at the Centre
