Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, announced the launch of the Blind Bake Café at its Siruseri Campus in Chennai. This initiative marks the launch of the largest café operated by individuals with visual impairment within a corporate campus, reflecting TCS’ commitment to inclusion.  

The Blind Bake Café is a collaborative initiative between TCS and the National Association for the Blind (NAB) India Centre for Blind Women & Disability Studies. Staffed entirely by personnel with visual impairment trained by NAB in bakery, café management, and customer service, the team includes six visually impaired chefs, four sighted supervisors, and one manager. Together, they prepare freshly baked cakes, shakes, snacks, beverages, and desserts. The café will operate in a large restaurant-style format, catering to employees on campus. This model builds on the success of TCS’ first Blind Bake Café at the Olympus campus in Mumbai, which has been a resounding success with patrons.

Speaking about the initiative, Sudeep Kunnumal, Chief Human Resources Officer, TCS, said, “Inclusion becomes real when barriers are removed and accessibility is embedded by design. Sensitization cannot remain limited to training modules. They must be experienced in everyday ways that enable us to understand and appreciate diverse abilities. The Blind Bake Café embodies this belief, offering our associates a space where inclusion and accessibility is lived and felt. Following the success of the Blind Bake Café in Mumbai, we are proud to bring this initiative to Chennai. The café has been designed with the needs of the staff in mind, including Braille-marked equipment, tactile flooring for smooth access, and specialized training in alternate cooking methods. We believe this sets a new benchmark for inclusion initiatives and serves as a call for everyone to open the doors to true inclusivity.” 

Like the Mumbai café, the Chennai outlet has been designed to empower individuals with visual impairment through skill development, professional training and dignified livelihood opportunities. NAB’s training modules in bakery operations, café management, customer service and the use of assistive technologies have enabled visually impaired professionals to operate independently and efficiently.

Shalini Khanna Sodhi, Director, NAB India – Centre for Blind Women and Disability Studies, added, “Blind Bake Café represents a pathway to independence and empowerment for individuals with visual impairment. Our partnership with TCS is built on the shared belief that talent must be enabled, supported and celebrated. Expanding this initiative to Chennai gives more individuals the opportunity to build meaningful livelihoods and we are delighted to collaborate with TCS in shaping an inclusive ecosystem.” 

The Chennai launch of the Blind Bake Café marks a key highlight of TCS’ observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, , highlighting its commitment to making accessibility and inclusion part of everyday conversations. Complementing this initiative, TCS has introduced the Access.AI Hackathon Challenge, inviting employees to to create AI-driven accessibility solutions that foster digital inclusion for employees, clients, and communities. Additionally, the company has rolled out a self-paced Indian Sign Language (ISL) learning course for all employees. Together, these efforts aim to deepen understanding, foster sensitization, and embed accessibility across the organization; positioning TCS among the first corporates in India to implement such initiatives at scale. 

Established initially as a pilot in 2021, the Blind Bake Café has grown from a simulation café run by people with visual impairment to a fully operational outlet within TCS. The Chennai launch is part of a broader roadmap to replicate socially inclusive enterprises across multiple campuses. All proceeds generated by the Blind Bake Café go directly to the staff with visual impairment and the Blind Bake Café’s operations. These funds are reinvested by NAB in training more individuals with visual impairments, enabling them to gain certification and employment as professional chefs.