This Simple Wheelchair Innovation Is Giving 7000 Indians With Disabilities Their Freedom Back

For more than three decades, Sundeep Talwar had worked in the corporate and development worlds, leading marketing campaigns and fundraising efforts for social causes. Yet nothing moved him quite like the stories of people who lost their freedom of movement because of an accident or disability.

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So when he came across the case of Mahesh, the young son of a fruit vendor in Mumbai, it struck a chord that would change the course of his life. One monsoon afternoon, a tree collapsed on Mahesh while he waited at his mother’s street stall. The impact crushed his spine and left him unable to walk.

“Most people said the best we could do was donate a wheelchair,” recalls Sundeep, who was then serving as CEO of Impact Guru Foundation. “But I could not accept that as the end of his story. A wheelchair might help him move, but it would also limit his chances for education and work.”

Determined to find a better answer, Sundeep reached out to professors at NeoMotion Assistive Solutions, an IIT Madras–incubated startup known for designing adaptive mobility devices. When the engineers initially said they had no ready solution, Sundeep offered an idea of his own: what if a simple scooter could be attached to a wheelchair to give it power?

That suggestion became the spark for NeoBolt — a detachable, motorised front attachment that converts a manual wheelchair into a powered vehicle capable of travelling on roads. What began as one man’s attempt to restore dignity to a single youth soon grew into a nationwide mission to give thousands the gift of movement and self-reliance.

How a simple idea grew into a movement

After the first prototype was built with NeoMotion, Sundeep realised that the technology alone would not be enough. People with physical disabilities needed access, funding, and training to truly use it as a tool for independence.

Across India, more than 2.68 crore people live with disabilities, according to the 2011 Census. Many of them face barriers that limit access to education, work, and public spaces — challenges that restrict not just mobility but participation in society itself. Recognising this gap, Sundeep and his team set out to make mobility accessible and affordable for those who need it most.

In 2021, under the Impact Guru Foundation (IGF), he launched a dedicated programme to provide these motorised mobility vehicles free of cost. The aim was simple — to help people regain their confidence, earn a living, and participate fully in society.

IGF’s network of more than 500 hospitals across India became the starting point. Through these hospitals, along with disability associations and local NGOs, the team began identifying individuals who could benefit from the vehicles. Each shortlisted applicant went through a brief screening and interview process to assess their readiness to use and maintain the wheelchair-scooter safely. Measurements were then taken so that every NeoBolt could be customised for the user.

While NeoMotion handled the design and manufacturing, Impact Guru Foundation oversaw everything else — from donor coordination to training and delivery logistics. The project was fully funded through corporate and individual donations, with IGF ensuring complete transparency in how every rupee was used.

Three years on, the initiative has reached over 7,000 people in states including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Each vehicle, worth about Rs 1 lakh to 1.2 lakh, has given its user not just a means of travel but a chance to rebuild a life.

The design that changed lives

For most wheelchair users, travelling even short distances outdoors can feel daunting. Uneven roads, lack of ramps, and the dependence on others make simple errands difficult. The NeoBolt was designed to change that.

Developed by the team at NeoMotion Assistive Solutions in collaboration with Impact Guru Foundation, NeoBolt attaches to a regular manual wheelchair through a patented Quadra-Lock system that clicks into place within seconds. Once connected, it transforms the chair into a powered vehicle that can travel on city roads safely and comfortably.

Fitted with a 250W BLDC hub motor, the NeoBolt can run up to 25 kilometres per charge and reach speeds of 25 km/h. It runs on a 48V lithium-ion battery that fully charges in four hours and is easy to swap or carry indoors for charging. The design includes headlights, a digital dashboard, reverse switch, parking brake, suspension, and anti-tip features — all intended to give users independence without compromising safety.

Each vehicle is built to hold up to 110 kilograms and meets ISO 7176 and 13485 quality standards. Depending on the level of customisation, the cost of a single unit ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.2 lakh.

More than the specifications, what makes the NeoBolt special is how it changes daily life for its users — enabling them to commute to work, deliver food orders, meet friends, and move freely through their cities.

Riding the wheels of change

Among those whose lives have changed with the NeoBolt is Jyoti Tayade from Pune.

At 32, Jyoti was engaged to Nitin Tayade from Nagpur and eagerly preparing for their wedding. On his birthday in August 2010, the couple planned a day trip to Lonavala, a short escape from their routine. But one decision altered everything. As evening fell, they realised they had boarded the wrong train and were headed in the opposite direction. In their rush to correct the mistake, Jyoti tried to jump off the moving train.

She slipped. The train’s wheels crushed her right leg and several fingers of her left hand. She was pulled between the platform and the tracks before being rescued and rushed to hospital. Doctors had no choice but to amputate her leg.

“Living with this disability has been one of the greatest challenges of my life. Getting around independently was very hard for years, restricting my ability to work, engage with my community, and live life on my terms,” says Jyoti. “I am grateful to the Impact Guru Foundation team not only for giving me the vehicle but also for building this inclusive space. Their support has made me self-reliant and confident to face life.”

In August 2024, Jyoti received her NeoBolt and soon began working as a Zomato delivery partner, earning between Rs 20,000 and Rs 35,000 a month. Today, she takes pride in being financially independent and supporting her family. She and Nitin, who married on Valentine’s Day in 2011, are raising their 13-year-old son with renewed hope.

Another story of perseverance comes from Girish Bhagwan Patekat, a 37-year-old resident of Pune. After a spinal cord injury in 2018, Girish spent years confined indoors, unable to earn or even accompany his child to school.

“A year ago, everything changed when I met the IGF team,” he recalls. “They listened to my story and provided me with this vehicle. It gave me my freedom back.”

With his NeoBolt, Girish began working as a delivery partner for a restaurant. “The most fulfilling part is that I can now pay my child’s school fees,” he says. “Seeing him go to school proudly and happily makes me so happy. I am truly grateful to the team for giving me my dignity and a new life.”

Both Jyoti and Girish represent thousands of people who are now using their NeoBolt vehicles to rebuild their lives, one ride at a time.

Creating pathways to participation

For Sundeep, true empowerment means more than providing mobility. It is about helping people reclaim their place in society as earners, contributors, and decision-makers.

“When I saw Mahesh, he had an able body above his waist — he could see, speak, and think clearly — but his lower body had given up. There are so many like him who have confined themselves to a corner, not because of inability but because of lost confidence,” Sundeep says.

This realisation shaped the foundation’s next steps. In addition to providing the vehicles, Impact Guru Foundation began organising training for every recipient. Over a 15-day period, participants learn to operate, maintain, and navigate the vehicle safely. The team also helps them connect with employers like Zomato and Swiggy, who are open to hiring delivery partners with mobility challenges.

“The most moving part,” Sundeep shares, “was when a man named Ashok visited me in Mumbai with his wife to thank me. He said he had bought his wife a saree for the first time in nine years of marriage. It made my eyes mist. That small gesture told me what this initiative truly means.”

Today, several of the 7,000 recipients earn between Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 a month, supporting their families with pride. With new funding, the project is now expanding its reach to cities like Pune, continuing its mission of creating an inclusive India where everyone can move — and live — freely.

“We have a simple vision,” Sundeep adds. “We want to work towards a healthy and prosperous India where no one is left behind.”

Moving towards an inclusive future

Over the past three years, the initiative led by Sundeep Talwar and his team at Impact Guru Foundation has become more than a mobility project. It is a movement that restores confidence, community, and dignity for people once excluded from everyday life.

The organisation continues to identify new regions and partnerships to scale its impact. With recent funding support, operations are expanding to Pune, and the team hopes to reach many more towns in the coming years. Each partnership and donation brings them closer to their goal — an India where mobility is not a privilege but a right.

“Our journey is far from over,” Sundeep says. “Every time someone tells me they can now go to work, meet friends, or simply move on their own, it reminds me why we began. We want to ensure that every person with a mobility challenge feels included, supported, and seen.”

From a single idea sparked by one young man’s story, the effort has grown into a nationwide symbol of resilience and empathy. It reminds us that change begins when compassion meets action — and that the road to empowerment often starts with the first turn of a wheel.