The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) yesterday handed over the first batch of 25 indigenously developed YD One ultra-lightweight active wheelchairs to the Army Hospital (Research and Referral) in Delhi Cantonment. This marks the first tranche of a 100-wheelchair initiative being implemented under a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership funded by Fiserv. The remaining 75 wheelchairs will be delivered in subsequent batches. The YD One is designed for independent self-propulsion and is manufactured by IIT Madras-incubated Thryv Mobility in collaboration with the institute’s TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2).
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, Faculty, IIT Madras and R2D2, stated, “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.”
Mr. Sachin Kulkarni, President, Global Services, Fiserv, added, “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.”
Mr. Justin Jesudas, CEO and Co-founder, Thryv Mobility, 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, through the leadership of IIT Madras and the support of Fiserv, is the deepest validation of why this product exists.”
The initiative aims to introduce active mobility into the rehabilitation pathway of veterans, serving personnel, and dependents, supported by civil-military fusion coordination from Rear Admiral Deepak Bansal (Retd).