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IIT Madras Unveils YD One, India's Lightest Active Wheelchair

At just nine kilograms, YD One sets new standards for Indian wheelchair manufacturing. It's customised, affordable, and backed by the Armed Forces.

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1 min read
In this image, we can see people sitting in the wheelchairs and are wearing costumes. In the...
In this image, we can see people sitting in the wheelchairs and are wearing costumes. In the background, there are many people and some are holding objects in their hands and there are lights, frames, boards and rods and a cloth. At the top, there is a roof and at the bottom, there is a floor.

IIT Madras Unveils YD One, India's Lightest Active Wheelchair

IIT Madras has launched YD One, India's lightest active wheelchair, aiming to transform the perception of wheelchairs from a burden to an enabler of independence and mobility. Unveiled on July 16, 2025, the wheelchair is a result of a partnership between IIT Madras and Thryv Mobility, ensuring affordability and high-quality standards.

YD One is built to international standards, fully customized for each user's body, posture, and daily mobility needs. Weighing just nine kilograms, it offers maximum strength, energy efficiency, and ease of handling and stowage. This precision-built, mono-tube, rigid-frame wheelchair is a significant achievement for India, being the first of its kind developed locally.

Founded by Nitin Gupta, Thryv Mobility focuses on locally manufacturing YD One wheelchairs, delivering affordable, customized mobility solutions. The company aims to make high-performance, ultra-light mobility accessible at a fraction of the cost of expensive imported wheelchairs. Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, a surgeon, praised IIT Madras' innovations and assured support for real-world usage of products like YD One. The Armed Forces will collaborate with IIT Madras and start-ups for medical validation, practical usage, and safety certification of innovative products.

YD One, weighing nine kilograms, is a testament to India's growing capabilities in precision engineering and affordable innovation. With the support of the Armed Forces and medical professionals like Vice Admiral Anupam Kapur, this indigenous wheelchair aims to empower users with disabilities, changing the narrative of wheelchairs from a burden to an enabler of independence and mobility.

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