Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) has significantly expanded its national service network since 2023, strengthening access to assistive devices, rehabilitation support and follow-up services for Divyangjan and senior citizens across India.
The public sector manufacturer, operating under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has reported a growing service footprint that now includes 102+ Pradhan Mantri Divyasha–Vayoshri Kendras (PMD-VKs), 75 AASRAs, 9 Regional Marketing Centres (RMCs) and 6 Auxiliary Production Centres (AAPCs). ALIMCO shared the update under the theme “From Reach to Impact”, describing its expansion as part of a wider effort to improve accessibility, support and empowerment.
For BharatCPO readers, this expansion is highly significant. India’s need for prosthetics, orthotics, mobility aids, hearing aids, visual aids and assistive technology is vast and geographically dispersed. A larger service network can help reduce travel barriers, improve follow-up access and bring assessment and device support closer to beneficiaries who may otherwise struggle to reach major centres.
ALIMCO describes itself as the only manufacturing company in India producing various types of assistive devices under one roof to serve people with different disabilities across the country. Its stated mission is to provide appropriate assistive devices and rehabilitation services that meet the needs of persons with disabilities, while its objectives include promoting the availability, use, supply and distribution of artificial limbs and related devices at reasonable cost.
The expansion of PMD-VKs is particularly important. ALIMCO states that these centres are being opened at National Institutes and satellite or regional centres under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) on a pan-India basis, with the aim of enhancing outreach under the ADIP scheme and providing aids and assistive devices to persons with disabilities across the country.
A recent ALIMCO LinkedIn update on a PMD-VK inaugurated in New Delhi with Delhi Transco Limited CSR support described the centre as offering assessment, evaluation, free distribution and follow-up services for Divyangjan and senior citizens in one place. That model reflects a shift from one-time distribution toward more integrated service access.
For India’s prosthetics and orthotics sector, follow-up is a crucial issue. A prosthetic limb, caliper, orthosis, wheelchair or hearing aid may require fitting, adjustment, training, maintenance and repair after delivery. Without service access close to the beneficiary, devices risk underuse, discomfort, breakdown or abandonment. ALIMCO’s FAQ confirms that repairs and maintenance services are available through AAPCs, RMCs, PMD-VKs and AASRA centres, and that spare parts are available at ALIMCO centres, PMD-VKs and AASRAs.
The same FAQ also notes that beneficiaries can register to avail assistive devices through walk-in access at AAPCs, RMCs, PMD-VKs and AASRAs, or through the ARJUN Portal. Eligible users can access devices through assessment camps and distribution mechanisms, with devices provided free of cost to eligible beneficiaries.
This matters because assistive device access is not only a manufacturing challenge. It is a service-delivery challenge. India needs devices that are made, fitted, delivered, maintained and replaced through a dependable system. A wider network helps convert production capacity into actual functional impact for users.
The expansion also supports senior citizens, a group with growing assistive technology needs. As India’s population ages, demand is increasing for mobility aids, walking supports, wheelchairs, hearing aids, vision-related devices and other products that support independence and safety. ALIMCO’s network expansion brings senior citizen support into the same access framework as disability services, which is important for ageing-related mobility and participation.
The role of Regional Marketing Centres and Auxiliary Production Centres is also central. ALIMCO’s contact and centre information lists Auxiliary Production Centres in locations including Mohali, Bangalore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Bhubaneswar and Faridabad, and Regional Marketing Centres in cities including Hyderabad, Guwahati, Mumbai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Ranchi, Jaipur, Chennai and Ahmedabad. These centres help create a distributed national infrastructure for production, marketing, service and support.
For the O&P profession, the growth of this network should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen clinical quality as well as device availability. Prosthetic and orthotic services require trained professionals, proper assessment, measurement, fabrication, fitting, alignment, user education and long-term review. The closer these services are to communities, the greater the chance that beneficiaries can receive timely adjustments and support.
ALIMCO’s range of services covers multiple disability and rehabilitation needs. Its FAQ lists key categories of assistive devices including prosthetics, orthotics, hearing aids, mobility aids, visual aids, learning materials and sports wheelchairs. It also states that ALIMCO provides customised aids, including fitment-based limbs, calipers and audiometry-based hearing aid fittings, and that its products are made in India under the Make in India initiative.
This national manufacturing and service capacity is important for India’s rehabilitation ecosystem. Imported assistive devices may be expensive or difficult to maintain in some settings. Domestic production, combined with service centres and local follow-up, can support affordability, repairability and scale.
ALIMCO’s expansion also aligns with the broader need to move disability support from episodic camps toward continuous service pathways. Camps remain important for identifying beneficiaries and distributing devices, especially in underserved areas. But impact depends on what happens afterwards: whether the user can return for adjustments, whether spare parts are available, whether repairs are timely, and whether the device continues to meet the user’s changing needs.
A stronger assistive device network should support:
- Local assessment and beneficiary registration
- Timely fitting and distribution of appropriate devices
- Repair and maintenance services close to users
- Follow-up for prosthetic and orthotic users
- Access to spare parts and replacement support
- Better linkage between camps, centres and digital registration systems
- Support for Divyangjan, children with special needs and senior citizens
- Stronger coordination with district welfare systems, NGOs and CSR partners
The phrase “From Reach to Impact” is therefore well chosen. Reach is about the number of centres and geographic coverage. Impact is about whether people actually receive devices that improve mobility, communication, independence, safety and dignity in daily life.
For BharatCPO, ALIMCO’s expansion should be seen as part of a larger national conversation about assistive technology access. India has significant rehabilitation needs across disability, ageing, trauma, diabetes, neurological conditions and paediatric development. Building a distributed network of service points is one of the practical steps needed to close the gap between policy commitment and lived experience.
The next challenge will be ensuring that expansion is matched by quality, staffing, training, data systems and outcome monitoring. More centres can improve access, but the quality of assessment, fitting, follow-up and repair will determine long-term benefit for users.
ALIMCO’s growing network of PMD-VKs, AASRAs, RMCs and AAPCs represents an important infrastructure investment in India’s disability and senior citizen support ecosystem. If supported by skilled personnel, strong referral pathways and continuous service standards, it can help shift assistive device provision from occasional distribution to sustained empowerment.
For millions of Divyangjan and senior citizens, the real measure of success will be simple: easier access, better devices, timely repairs, improved mobility and greater independence.
- ALIMCO official website
- ALIMCO Facebook post: From Reach to Impact
- ALIMCO X post on service network expansion
- ALIMCO Centres list
- ALIMCO FAQ on services, registration and repairs
- ALIMCO contact and regional centre information
- Products for Divyangjan
- Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
- Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
- WHO standards for prosthetics and orthotics