Indore (Madhya Pradesh): NovaWalk, a pioneering start-up from IIT Indore, is making waves in the prosthetic industry with its state-of-the-art wearable solution that enables people with paralysis, age-related immobility or other physical limitations to walk again.
Incubated at IIT Indore, NovaWalk aims to bridge the gap between affordability and advanced technology in prosthetics, making high-quality artificial limbs accessible to all.
The start-up’s latest innovation, a lightweight, AI-powered prosthetic leg, has garnered widespread attention for its ability to adapt to the user’s gait in real time, providing a natural walking experience. Unlike conventional prosthetics, NovaWalk’s design integrates smart sensors and machine learning algorithms, enabling smoother movement and enhanced stability.
NovaWalk’s breakthrough has already attracted interest from leading healthcare institutions and investors, paving the way for large-scale production. The start-up has also partnered with rehabilitation centres to conduct trials, ensuring that its prosthetics meet the needs of diverse users.
Another start-up, Charak DT, is also being developed at IIT Indore to enhance healthcare diagnostics. NovaWalk and Charan DT were among the 15 start-ups working on groundbreaking medical technologies which were awarded Rs 5 crore in funding on Monday.
The announcement was made at the Habitat Centre in Delhi, where Union minister of science and technology Jitendra Singh and Indore MP Shankar Lalwani handed over the funding letters. Each start-up could receive up to Rs 1 crore as it advanced its revolutionary projects. The selected start-ups are addressing critical gaps in medical accessibility.
With the development of ultrasound robots, conducting sonography in rural areas is now easier than ever. Besides, a portable blood testing unit, small enough to fit in a suitcase, will allow emergency tests to be conducted in remote areas, as well as on trains and in planes. Experts believe that these innovations will enable early detection of diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s before they manifest, potentially saving millions of lives.
Collaboration between docs, engineers paves the way
Interestingly, these start-ups are not just driven by engineers but also by doctors from AIIMS Bhopal and IIT professors, showcasing a new synergy between medical and technological fields.
Minister Singh acknowledged this trend, stating, “Now doctors are working as engineers and engineers are entering the medical field. This has been made possible by technology and the New Education Policy 2020, which encourages interdisciplinary learning.”
Indore MP Shankar Lalwani emphasized the impact of these start-ups, saying that they were bringing world-class healthcare to rural India. “What seemed impossible 10-20 years ago is now a reality. With these start-ups, we can ensure high-level healthcare facilities even in remote areas,” he said. Secretary, department of science and technology Abhay Karandikar, IIT Indore director Prof Suhas Joshi and others attended the event.
