Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) today (22nd June 2026) handed over the first batch of 25 indigenously developed YD One ultra-lightweight wheelchairs to Army Hospital (Research and Referral), the apex medical facility of the Armed Forces Medical Services under India's Ministry of Defence, located in Delhi Cantonment.

The handover marks the first tranche of a 100-wheelchair programme being implemented by IIT Madras under a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnership funded by Fiserv, the global provider of payments and financial technology services. The remaining 75 wheelchairs will be delivered in subsequent batches over the coming months.

The YD One wheelchairs are manufactured by Thryv Mobility, an IIT Madras-incubated company specialising in the design and manufacture of high-quality, ultra-lightweight active wheelchairs. The wheelchairs have been developed at IIT Madras's TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) in collaboration with Thryv Mobility, with co-design input from wheelchair users.

Highlighting the importance of this initiative, 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.”

Speaking about the project, Prof. Manish Anand, Faculty, IIT Madras and TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2), IIT Madras, said, “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. We are proud that our research has moved from the lab to serving those who have served the country, and grateful to Fiserv for enabling this scale of impact through their CSR support.”

Rear Admiral Deepak Bansal (Retd), Professor of Practice at IIT Madras, operates as the Head of Strategic Partnerships at Thryv Mobility. He has been instrumental in forging civil-military fusion besides mentoring young faculty, and connecting the dots between academia, industry, and the military establishment with the objective of reaching indigenous assistive technologies to those who need these devices most critically.

Mr. Sachin Kulkarni, President, Global Services, Fiserv, added, “At Fiserv, Corporate Social Responsibility is reflective of our commitment to nurturing partnerships across communities where we live and work, while creating shared value for all. We remain committed to investing in initiatives that create lasting impact as we strive to promote capabilities, create opportunities, and nurture a collective future. 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 and a wheelchair user, 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 YD One is not a traditional institutional wheelchair. It is an active, ultra-lightweight wheelchair designed for users to self-propel independently. The wheelchairs handed over to Army Hospital (Research and Referral) will be used within the hospital's rehabilitation programme - introducing patients to active mobility as part of their rehabilitation journey, and demonstrating that independent, self-propelled movement is achievable.

For veterans, serving personnel, and dependents undergoing rehabilitation, that exposure changes what they understand to be possible. The initiative reflects the convergence of three priorities: indigenous research and development of advanced assistive technology, corporate philanthropy aligned with national disability priorities, and integration of active mobility into the rehabilitation pathway of those who have served the country.


ABOUT THE YD ONE WHEELCHAIR

The YD One is an ultra-lightweight active manual wheelchair developed at IIT Madras's TTK R2D2 Center and manufactured by Thryv Mobility. Unlike traditional institutional wheelchairs that require an attendant, the YD One is engineered for the user to self-propel — making it a rehabilitation tool that demonstrates independent mobility as an achievable outcome rather than an aspirational one. The device has been built to international quality standards at a price point significantly below imported equivalents, with internal fatigue and durability testing aligned with ISO 7176 protocols.


ABOUT IIT MADRAS TTK CENTER FOR R2D2

The TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research and Device Development (R2D2) at IIT Madras is a leading research centre dedicated to the design and development of affordable, world-class assistive technologies for people with movement impairments. R2D2's portfolio includes the YD One wheelchair, the NeoFly active wheelchair, the NeoBolt motorised attachment, the PLUTO-H hand rehabilitation robot, and other commercialised assistive devices serving users in India and internationally. R2D2 also hosts the National Centre for Assistive Health Technologies (NCAHT-IITM).


ABOUT FISERV

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a Fortune 500 company, moves more than money. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and Clover®, the world’s smartest point-of-sale system and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index, one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential Companies™ and one of Fortune® World’s Most Admired Companies™. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news.


ABOUT THRYV MOBILITY

Thryv Mobility Private Limited is an assistive technology company incubated at IIT Madras, designing and manufacturing mobility solutions for wheelchair users. Its flagship YD One wheelchair is in active deployment across India, with international operations under development across the East Africa, and the Middle East.


ABOUT ARMY HOSPITAL (RESEARCH AND REFERRAL)

Army Hospital (Research and Referral), located in Delhi Cantonment, is the apex flagship medical care centre of the Armed Forces Medical Services under India's Ministry of Defence. A 1,200-bed quaternary care institution, it serves serving Armed Forces personnel, ex-servicemen, their dependents, war widows, and other entitled beneficiaries.