New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras on Wednesday launched ‘YD One — India’s lightest active wheelchair’ built indigenously, according to officials.
YD One is the country’s first indigenously developed precision-built mono-tube rigid-frame wheelchair, designed to match the world’s best, they added.
Built to international standards, YD One is fully customised for each user’s body, posture and daily mobility needs. Weighing just nine kilograms, its ultra-lightweight and precision-engineered design delivers maximum strength and energy efficiency while making it effortless to lift, handle and stow in cars, autos or public transport.
According to IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti, the wheelchair is too often seen across the world as a universal symbol of disability — something that confines or restricts its user. This narrative must change. A wheelchair, when built right, is not a burden but an enabler of independence, mobility and full participation in society, he said.
“Yet for millions, the reality remains grim: most still rely on heavy, poorly fitted hospital-style wheelchairs designed for short-term indoor use. These chairs make it hard to move freely and force people to be pushed around by others, limiting comfort, freedom and dignity.
“YD One transforms this reality. Built with precision-engineered geometry and aerospace-grade materials, it delivers the kind of high-performance, ultra-light mobility once only possible through expensive imports — but at a fraction of the cost. Minimalistic, stylish and fully customised, YD One is not something users are bound to — it’s something they are proud to own, a device that expands their world rather than shrinking it,” he said.
To bring YD One to market, the research team partnered with Thryv Mobility, an IIT Madras–incubated startup that will manufacture the wheelchairs locally to global benchmarks, ensuring each chair is truly bespoke and affordable to users in India and emerging markets.
“Today, true independence means inclusion, dignity and self-reliance for each and every citizen of this country, regardless of their background, ability and circumstances. WHO has given a figure where they say that almost 15 pc of the global population suffers from some form of disability.
“In absolute numbers, this amounts to almost 1.3 to 1.9 billion and this number is going up. It is estimated that by 2058, this will be 2.5 billion, which is a huge number,” said Surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Nau Sena Medal, Director General Hospital Services (Armed Forces). PTI GJS GJS KSS KSS
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