It all started in 2011 when the project of four friends from NIT Calicut bagged the first prize in a contest themed ‘Design for Disabled’. Ganesh Sonawane, Laxmikant Banjarey, Kunal Kamble and Dewraj Barua designed a wheelchair that was commode-compatible. It helps disabled people perform their daily activities without assistance.
In 2015, the group of friends launched a startup called Arcatron Mobility which produces a range of products for the disabled. The greatest advantage of their products is that they come at an affordable rate different from imported ones.
The wheelchair they developed got 100 pre-orders and the sales shot up after entering e-commerce platforms. “The domestic market lacks products that are compatible with the Indian infrastructure (especially indoors and bathrooms) and are either not easily serviceable or affordable,” says Ganesh.
The Pune-based company’s wheelchairs, which are completely made in India, cost Rs 11,400 and above. It can be folded into a suitcase in less than a minute and adjusted according to height.
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