Visakhapatnam: Andhra Pradesh government enterprise Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone Limited (AMTZ) has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Narayan Seva Sansthan (NSS) to co-develop and manufacture affordable, high-performance prosthetic, orthotic and assistive devices in India.
The collaboration aims to combine AMTZ’s research, prototyping and manufacturing infrastructure with NSS’s clinical expertise and rehabilitation network to deliver cost-effective, indigenous assistive technologies, aligned with NSS’s Vision 2030 target of providing one lakh artificial limbs nationwide.
Under the agreement, AMTZ will offer technical and operational support, access to R&D laboratories, testing infrastructure and joint research initiatives. NSS will lead clinical validation, rehabilitation protocols and nationwide assistive device distribution camps. The two organisations will also jointly pursue grants, patents and funding support from national and international bodies.
According to officials, while a standard NSS artificial limb costs around ₹10,000, advanced above-knee prostheses with pneumatic knee joints and carbon fibre feet currently cost about ₹41,000 due to reliance on imported components. Through backward integration and indigenous manufacturing, the partnership aims to reduce the cost of such advanced limbs to approximately ₹10,000 without compromising quality or performance.
The collaboration will cover a wide range of devices, including powered and myoelectric prosthetics, sports and cosmetic restoration limbs, orthotic solutions such as diabetic foot management devices and walking braces, mobility aids including walkers, crutches, canes, rollators and wheelchairs, as well as advanced hearing aids.
Citing Census 2011 data, the organisations noted that India has 2.68 crore persons with disabilities, with major categories including movement disability (54.36 lakh), hearing impairment (50.72 lakh) and visual impairment (50.33 lakh). Nearly 69.5 per cent of persons with disabilities reside in rural areas, underlining the need for affordable and accessible assistive technologies.
Palak Agarwal, Director, Narayan Seva Sansthan, said the partnership seeks to make high-performance prosthetics and assistive technologies affordable and accessible, enabling greater mobility and independence for persons with disabilities.
The initiative is expected to support the development of indigenous, performance-driven assistive devices while strengthening India’s medical technology ecosystem, officials said.
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