The indian Institute of era madras (IIT Madras) these days introduced the release of YD One - India's lightest energetic wheelchair and the u . S .'s first indigenously advanced precision-built mono-tube rigid-frame wheelchair, designed to match the world's best.

Constructed to international standards, YD One is completely customised for every consumer's body, posture, and each day mobility wishes. Weighing just 9 kilograms, its extremely-lightweight, precision-engineered layout supplies maximum electricity and electricity performance whilst making it easy to raise, deal with, and stow in automobiles, vehicles, or public delivery.

YD One turned into released these days (16th July 2025) within the IIT madras campus in the presence of chief visitor general practitioner Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Nau Sena Medal, director fashionable sanatorium offerings (armed forces); Prof. V. Kamakoti, director, IIT Madras; project Coordinator Dr. manish Anand, Assistant Professor, department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras; Dr. Ravinder Singh, Scientist, indian Council of clinical research (ICMR); and other dignitaries and stakeholders.

The world over, the wheelchair is just too frequently seen as a universal symbol of incapacity - something that confines or restricts its person. This narrative need to trade. A wheelchair, whilst constructed right, is not a burden but an enabler of independence, mobility, and full participation in society.

But for thousands and thousands, the fact remains grim: maximum nonetheless depend on heavy, poorly outfitted hospital-style wheelchairs designed for short-term indoor use. These chairs make it hard to move freely and pressure humans to be driven around by means of others - proscribing comfort, freedom, and dignity.

YD One transforms this truth. Built with precision-engineered geometry and aerospace-grade materials, it grants the kind of high-overall performance, ultra-mild mobility as soon as only viable via costly imports - but at a fragment of the value. Minimalistic, stylish, and absolutely customised, YD One isn't always something users are sure to - it's something they may be proud to very own, a device that expands their world instead of shrinking it.

Addressing the release event, doctor Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, Nau Sena Medal, director preferred sanatorium services (defense force), stated, "In IIT madras, the innovations and the goods which might be coming are coming with a coronary heart. They may be for with normal utilization and are for people who need it the maximum. Permit me assure you that your work does no longer want to live in a lab or at a prototype degree. It has to come back into the actual international. The armed forces have simply been sanctioned a Centre for superior

Research by way of the ICMR. They may be going to be participating with IIT madras and other start-united statesto do the very last scientific validation, practical utilization and the safety certification of all the innovative merchandise which can be popping out of this atmosphere."

Handing over an addressing on 'permitting Independence,' surgeon Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur introduced, "today, authentic independence approach inclusion, dignity and self-reliance for each and each citizen of this country, regardless of their heritage, ability and situations. WHO has given a figure where they say that nearly 15% of the global population suffers from a few form of incapacity. In absolute numbers, this quantities to nearly 1.three to at least one.nine billion and this range is going up. It's far expected that by using 2058, this may be 2.five billion, that's a large quantity."

Further, health care professional Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur stated, "As we get close to a hundred years publish-independence, We want to reflect on a deeper and a greater evolving that means of Independence for us. Independence isn't always merely personal, it's far social, monetary and technological. It is the freedom of a visually-impaired scholar to navigate a campus independently. Its the independence of a stroke survivor to communicate with his or her loved ones. It's miles the right of a rural girls to get admission to virtual health. And it is the power of a veteran amputee to stroll unassisted, if viable. In the armed forces, we see this pursuit of independence now not in principle however we see it taking place in proper cases each day."

Congratulating the group at the back of YD One, Prof. V. Kamakoti, director, IIT madras, stated, "An inclusive society is essential for the prosperity of our country and era must play a important function in making sure the identical. That is but every other demonstration of IIT Madras' commitment to this aim."

Highlighting the imaginative and prescient in the back of this product, Prof. sujatha Srinivasan, Head, TTK middle for Rehabilitation research and tool improvement, IIT madras, who pioneered this venture, stated, "10 years in the past, whilst R2D2 became mounted, we got down to alternate the assistive device panorama in india via international-class merchandise to fulfill indian desires broadly speaking. We have realised that our products are nicely-designed and offer precise benefits in global markets as properly, and we're proud to work with our passionate startups (first neomotion, now Thryv Mobility) to provide low priced choices and freedom to wheelchair customers everywhere with YD One and extra merchandise to return."

To carry YD One to market, the studies group partnered with Thryv Mobility, an IIT Madras-incubated startup with the intention to manufacture the wheelchairs regionally to international benchmarks, ensuring each chair is clearly bespoke and affordable to users in india and rising markets.

Industry associate Dr. Rejin john Varghese, Co-Founder and Head, studies and improvement, Thryv Mobility, said, "together with IIT madras, we aim to make sure those wheelchairs are manufactured indigenously to global requirements and presented at a charge point that makes excessive-overall performance mobility available to folks who need it the most."

Adding to this, venture Coordinator Dr. manish Anand, Assistant Professor, branch of Mechanical Engineering, IIT madras, stated, "YD One marks a brand new milestone in our journey to address the need for world-elegance mobility answers at low cost fee factors for the indian and worldwide markets. It emerged as a want from the users and turned into co-designed with inputs from customers, caregivers and clinical experts at every stage."

YD One's launch is supported by means of Trimble CSR initiative, that's presenting the primary 20 wheelchairs to deserving users, even as RRD and Schueco india have stepped forward to assist destiny provisioning - supporting ensure that lively mobility becomes an regular fact for individuals who need it the maximum.

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