In a first, Indian researchers from the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) and AIIMS Bibinagar in Telangana have developed a low-cost prosthetic foot to boost mobility among people with limb loss, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday.
The first made-in-India cost-effective advanced Carbon Fibre Foot Prosthesis was developed under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. It will help amputees from lower-income groups get access to good-quality prosthetics, as well as lower the production cost for prosthetics in the country.
The new prosthetic foot is biomechanically tested to load up to 125 kg with sufficient safety factors. It also has three variants to cater to patients of different weights. “This foot is designed with the goal of offering a high-quality and affordable solution accessible to a larger population in need while delivering performance at par with available international models,” the Ministry said.
“It is expected to reduce the cost significantly to as low as less than Rs 20,000 in production in comparison to the current imported similar products that cost around Rs two lakh,” it added. The need for foot prosthetics in India is significant, driven by a high incidence of limb loss due to accidents, medical conditions, and congenital disabilities.
Prosthetics offer a crucial means to restore mobility and independence, but affordability and access remain major challenges for many individuals. High-quality prosthetics can be expensive, making them inaccessible to a large segment of the Indian population.
Limited access to skilled prosthetists and rehabilitation centers, especially in rural areas, hinders the availability of prosthetic care. The new prosthetic foot is designed for highly dynamic K3-level active users offering high performance at an affordable cost.
“This innovation is expected to significantly improve accessibility to high-quality prosthetics for low-income group amputees in India, reduce dependency on imported technologies, and support broader social and economic inclusion for people with disabilities,” the Ministry said.