The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has handed over the first batch of 25 indigenously developed YD One ultra-lightweight wheelchairs to Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in Delhi Cantonment, marking the launch of a 100wheelchair programme supported through a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership with Fiserv.

The remaining 75 wheelchairs will be delivered in phases over the coming months. The initiative aims to enhance mobility and rehabilitation support for Armed Forces personnel, veterans and their dependents.

The YD One wheelchairs are manufactured by Thryv Mobility, an IIT Madras-incubated startup, and were developed at the institute’s TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) with inputs from wheelchair users. Unlike conventional institutional wheelchairs, the YD One is an active, ultra-lightweight wheelchair designed to enable users to self-propel independently.

Welcoming the initiative, Lt General Avinash Das, Commandant, Army Hospital (R&R), said, “Mobility is fundamental to dignity and independence. We welcome this contribution from IIT Madras and Fiserv, which will directly support our patients and their families in regaining and maintaining mobility through devices designed and built in India.”

Prof. Manish Anand of IIT Madras and the R2D2 Centre highlighted the significance of indigenous innovation in assistive technology. “This handover represents what IIT Madras’s R2D2 was established to achieve – indigenous engineering for assistive technologies that meet the needs of Indian users at global standards. We are proud that our research has moved from the lab to serving those who have served the country,” he said.

The wheelchairs will be integrated into the hospital’s rehabilitation programme, helping patients experience active and independent mobility as part of their recovery journey.

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