AMTZ and NSS Join Hands For Prosthetic and Orthotic Devices

In a landmark initiative to advance indigenous, affordable, and high-performance prosthetic, orthotic, and assistive technologies, AP Govt enterprise Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone Limited (AMTZ), India’s premier medical technology park, has signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Narayan Seva Sansthan (NSS), a nationally recognized non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of persons with disabilities.

The partnership aims to combine AMTZ’s state-of-the-art technology ecosystem, including R&D laboratories, prototyping, and manufacturing facilities, with NSS’s unmatched clinical expertise and rehabilitation experience. Together, the organizations will work to advance indigenous, cost-effective, and high-quality prostheic, orthotic, and assistive technologies, while supporting NSS’s Vision 2030 of delivering 1 lakh high-quality artificial limbs to beneficiaries nationwide.

As Narayan Seva Sansthan advances its Vision 2030 with AMTZ, the need remains significant. As per Census 2011, India has 2.68 crore persons with disabilities. The largest segments include movement disability (54.36 lakh), hearing impairment (50.72 lakh), and visual impairment (50.33 lakh).

Geographically, 69.49% (1.86 crore) persons with disabilities live in rural India, highlighting the urgent requirement for affordable, accessible prosthetic and assistive technologies nationwide—aligning directly with the Vision 2030 goal of delivering 1 lakh high-quality artificial limbs to beneficiaries across the country.

Ms. Palak Agarwal, Director, Narayan Seva Sansthan said “Through our partnership with AMTZ, we are redefining possibilities for persons with disabilities across India. By making high-performance prosthetics and assistive technologies both affordable and accessible, we are empowering individuals to regain mobility, independence, and confidence, turning challenges into opportunities and fulfilling our Vision 2030 of reaching 1 lakh beneficiaries nationwide.”

While a standard NSS limb currently costs around ₹10,000, an advanced limb with a pneumatic knee joint for above knee prosthesis and carbon foot offering enhanced strength, balance, durability, and energy return costs ₹41,000 due to reliance on imported components. Through this partnership and backward integration for indigenous manufacturing, the collaboration aims to reduce the cost of these advanced limbs to approximately ₹10,000, without compromising quality or performance, marking a shift from basic limb provision to technology-enabled, performance-driven prosthetics.

Under the MoU, AMTZ will provide technical and operational support, access to R&D and testing infrastructure, and assistance in joint research initiatives. NSS will lead clinical validation, rehabilitation protocols, and nationwide assistive device camps. Both parties will also jointly pursue grants, patents, and support programs from national and international funding bodies to accelerate innovation and expand access to high-quality medical devices for underserved communities.

The collaboration encompasses a wide range of devices, including prosthetics such as powered, myoelectric, sports/recreational, and cosmetic restoration , ranging from partial foot to hip disarticulation. Orthotic solutions cover foot orthotics, diabetic foot management, off-loading shoes, modified insoles, and walking braces. The partnership also includes mobility and assistive aids such as walkers, crutches, canes, rollators, wheelchairs, standing frames, and twin devices, along with advanced hearing aids, representing a shift from basic limb provision to technology-enabled, performance-driven prosthetics.

This collaboration represents a transformative step toward making cutting-edge prosthetic, orthotic, and assistive technologies accessible, affordable, and performance-driven, combining global standards with grassroots impact.