Madhya Pradesh: Prashant Gade of Madhya Pradesh designed low-cost arms that regulate muscular movements through brain signals. He dropped out of his engineering programme to pursue another path a few years ago, but his compassion for his fellow humans and desire to succeed transformed his life for the better.
His journey began when he came upon a seven-year-old child who was born without arms. He intended to help her in getting prosthetic arms but was shocked by the cost, which is estimated to be over Rs 24 lakhs. He opted to make his own prosthetic arm as part of a robotics course he took afterwards. Obtaining finances for its study and development was a difficult undertaking, but the 23-year-old was soon assisted by people from all around the country.
His idea quickly became a hit, and in 2016, he established the Inali Foundation, which provides free prosthetic limbs to the poor. Arms sold by the Inali cost Rs 50,000, which is a fraction of what is sold on the market. Over 700 arms were designed and given away for free till 2019, with nearly 300 sold across the country.
Prashant says, “These arms operate by detecting brain signals, which makes finger movements easier. Inali arms last for three years unlike the expensive ones which can only be used for two years.” To date, over 1,500 arms have been donated for free, and the charity has benefited over 5,000 people. “It’s about giving back to the society and not taking from it,” Prashant hopes to expand his service to remote areas where people are unaware of such choices, according to him.