Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Proposes Rs 5,000 Fee to Combat Alleged Wheelchair Misuse at Airports

Shaw's proposal has sparked diverse opinions across social media platforms.

Biocon's founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has entered the conversation about the purported misuse of wheelchair services at airports after a viral video circulated online. She suggested implementing a fee system to distinguish between passengers with genuine needs and those potentially exploiting the service. The discussion originated from footage shared by a Chinese user on X, depicting a lengthy queue of wheelchair users receiving assistance from airline personnel. According to the original post, wheelchair usage on routes between the United States and India reportedly reaches up to 80% of passengers, with allegations that many physically capable individuals use the service to gain priority boarding and comprehensive assistance.

In her response to the video, Mazumdar-Shaw proposed: "They should charge an additional Rs 5000 per airport n then they will see how many genuine passengers there are!"

The social media post can be viewed here:

They should charge an additional ₹5000 per airport n then they will see how many genuine passengers there are!

Mazumdar-Shaw's suggestion has elicited varied responses online. Some supporters agreed that introducing a nominal charge could deter casual usage of the service and serve as an effective screening mechanism for identifying those with legitimate requirements.

Conversely, critics argued that such fees would unfairly impact individuals with authentic disabilities or age-related mobility challenges. Several commenters pointed out that many elderly travelers request wheelchair assistance not to manipulate the system but because they may struggle with language barriers or feel overwhelmed navigating large international terminals independently.

One respondent commented, "If your concern is they are using wheelchair to board first, you could always board em last. Asking for extra money makes one sound elitist and out of touch with the pains of the middle class and of the elderly. You don't want to sound like the billionaire that asked em to have cake."

Another user noted, "It's the doting children in the US and India organizing this for their parents so they do not have to deal with transfers. The chair is meant for the disabled. Some are aged parents with real problems. But most are fit. But when do rules come in the way?! Disabled is just a word! And it's only $100. Maybe, the parents might say, 'this is shameful, I am only 55 and can walk.' But convenience, however shameful, cannot go unused is the general approach."

A third commenter stated, "Ah that's a bit insensitive take from your side, Kiran. Let's look at the problem here - elderly (able or disabled) needing to navigate airport transfers, immigration with language barrier. Framing the problem this way might open up different solution approaches."

Airlines typically recommend that passengers requiring wheelchair assistance make advance arrangements when booking their flights to ensure availability.