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), the apex medical facility of the Armed Forces Medical Services under the Ministry of Defence.
The handover marks the first tranche of a 100-wheelchair programme being implemented by IIT Madras under a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership funded by Fiserv. The remaining 75 wheelchairs will be delivered in subsequent batches over the coming months.
Indigenous mobility solution
The YD One wheelchairs are manufactured by Thryv Mobility, an IIT Madras-incubated company specialising in ultra-lightweight active wheelchairs. The devices were developed at IIT Madras’ TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) in collaboration with Thryv Mobility, with co-design inputs from wheelchair users.
Unlike traditional institutional wheelchairs, the YD One is an active, ultra-lightweight wheelchair designed to enable users to self-propel independently. The wheelchairs will be integrated into the rehabilitation programme at Army Hospital (Research and Referral), helping patients experience active mobility as part of their recovery journey.
Supporting rehabilitation and independence
Army Hospital (R&R), Commandant, Lt General Avinash Das 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.”
IIT Madras and TTK Centre for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2), Faculty, Prof Manish Anand said, “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.”
CSR-backed initiative
Fiserv President Global Services, Sachin Kulkarni said, “Partnering with IIT Madras to deliver indigenously developed mobility solutions to the Armed Forces Medical Services brings together engineering excellence and meaningful social outcomes – exactly the kind of collaboration our CSR vision is built around.”
Thryv Mobility CEO and Co-founder Justin Jesudas said, “The YD One was designed and built in India to serve Indian users without compromise on quality. To see it now reaching the men and women of the Armed Forces is the deepest validation of why this product exists.”
Convergence of innovation and social impact
The initiative reflects the convergence of indigenous research and development, corporate philanthropy aligned with national disability priorities, and the integration of active mobility solutions into rehabilitation programmes for veterans, serving personnel and their dependents