India, May 14 -- Walking is the most universal form of mobility. It needs no fuel, fare, or digital access. It is about how older adults remain independent, how many children reach school, how office-goers complete last-mile journeys, and how neighbourhoods remain socially vibrant. Informal workers, street vendors, delivery personnel, and domestic workers rely on walking as the main mode of travel.

Yet in India's cities today, where nearly 60% of daily trips of under two kilometres are made on foot, walking is rarely safe. It usually means bracing against speeding traffic, loud honks, broken pavements, hostile encroachments, poor lighting, and the ever-present risk of injury. Pedestrian infrastructure is often absent, broken, or unusable...