In a technology breakthrough in assistive mobility, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) launched YD One, India’s lightest and most sophisticated active wheelchair, today. Designed to international standards, YD One is India’s first homegrown mono-tube rigid-frame wheelchair with a lightweight, extremely narrow profile, designed to match the individual user’s body structure, posture, and mobility requirements while undertaking daily activities.

The 9-kilogram YD One revolutionizes the look of the wheelchair by combining precision-engineered geometry with aerospace-grade materials to provide a product that not only functions at par with international standards but also exudes style, strength, and simplicity. Created to empower and not to restrain, YD One is designed to rewrite the narrative of mobility devices from one of being seen as symbols of limitation to becoming the facilitators of autonomy and dignity.

The formal inaugural function was conducted at the IIT Madras campus with Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Nau Sena Medal, Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces) as Chief Guest. He was accompanied by Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras; Dr. Manish Anand, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Project Coordinator; Dr. Ravinder Singh, Scientist, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); and a number of other dignified guests and stakeholders.

Speaking on his address, Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur reflected the innovation culture of the IIT Madras by stating, “In IIT Madras, the products and the innovations that are emerging, are emerging with a heart. They are designed for people who need them the most under actual conditions.”. Your work should not be locked up in labs — it has to reach the masses.” Discussing a new project, he also added that the Armed Forces lately have been approved a Centre for Advanced Research by ICMR, which would partner with IIT Madras to validate and authenticate such products for practical, medical, and safety needs.

Emphasizing the global need for inclusive technology, Admiral Kapur referenced WHO data in pointing out the reality that almost 15% of the world’s population — between 1.3 and 1.9 billion individuals — have some form of disability, a figure projected to increase to 2.5 billion by 2058. “With the forthcoming milestone of 100 years of independence, we must redefine independence — not individual, but social, economic, and technological.”. Whether blind student navigating campus, rural woman accessing online healthcare, or amputee Vietnam vet prosthetic user walking independently, all of these are articulations of actual independence,” he said.

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, appreciated the initiative of the team and underscored the mission of the institute towards inclusive innovation. “An inclusive society is the foundation for the success of our nation, and technology must be at the forefront of driving it. YD One is another expression of IIT Madras’ commitment to that vision,” he added.

At the helm of this revolution is Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, Director of IIT Madras’s TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2), who started the initiative. Reflecting on a decade of impact, she stated, “Ten years ago, when R2D2 started, our vision was to revolutionize assistive devices in India through world-class design tailored to Indian needs.”. With YD One and our ongoing effort through innovative startups like NeoMotion and currently Thryv Mobility, we are happy to provide mobility and choice to the wheelchair users of India and the world.

Thryv Mobility, a startup incubated at IIT Madras, is launching YD One which will be manufacturing the wheelchairs locally but to international quality. The startup is planning to design every unit to full customization and sell them reasonably cheap, making them affordable for Indian and other developing market users. “With IIT Madras, we are devoted to locally designing high-performance wheelchairs and making them easily available,” Dr. Rejin John Varghese, Co-Founder and Head of R&D, Thryv Mobility, further commented.

Project coordinator Dr. Manish Anand spoke about YD One’s co-design process with user, caregiver, and clinical specialist inputs at every level. “YD One is a milestone in our vision of developing world-class, affordable mobility solutions. It is not merely an engineering product but also the product of extreme empathy and collaboration.”

YD One launch is also supported by the Trimble CSR program, which will donate the first 20 wheelchairs to worthy recipients. Further corporate sponsorship from RRD and Schueco India ensures long-term provisioning and wider outreach, introducing high-quality active mobility into everyday life for the underprivileged.

In a nation where the affordability of well-fitted, performance-oriented wheelchairs has been out of consideration at high imports or low-quality hospital grade, YD One is a turn of fortune — a Made-in-India alternative that enables freedom, inclusion, and pride.