Mumbai, Jan 30 (IANS): Only 36 per cent of disabled persons in India are employed, of which 90 per cent are in the unorganized sector, said a new report by Trust for Retailers & Retail Associates of India (TRRAIN) here on Wednesday.

The report - 'Disability Employment: Indian Retail Changing Equations' - said that as per Census 2011, the number of persons with disabilities was 2.21 per cent, or 26.8 million of the total population.

However, the actual number in India could be between 5-10 percent, belying the Census figures, said TRRAIN.

Around 50 per cent of the disabled population in the country was in the employable age of 20-59 years but jobs remain a problem for them as nearly 46 per cent are illiterate.

Though 36 per cent are employed, almost 90 per cent have jobs only in the unorganized sector. And mainstreaming them could add around 5-7 to the country's GDP, the report said.

It noted that hiring persons with disabilities in the retail sector had gone up by 53 per cent between 2011 and 2018, but there was more scope to employ and mainstream them as there existed a positive correlation between customers and stores manned by the disabled.

The report said that with 80 per cent jobs in retail 'customer-facing', employing the disabled PwDs serves the dual purpose of providing employment and sensitising the society at large about the challenges encountered by the disabled.

The report was released at the 3rd Retail Inclusion Summit held here by TRRAIN founder B.S. Nagesh in the presence of big names from the retail industry.

TRRAIN also runs an initiative 'Pankh' that trains and prepares disabled persons for employment opportunities in the retail sector.