Global MedTech company Ottobock SE & Co. KGaA has signed an agreement to sell its Human Mobility business unit to DHCare, marking a major strategic shift for one of the world’s best-known names in prosthetics, orthotics and rehabilitation technology.
The agreement was signed on 19 June 2026, with the transaction expected to close in the second half of 2026. Ottobock said the sale is part of its plan to sharpen focus on its core business, particularly prosthetics and neuro-orthotics.
Ottobock’s Human Mobility division includes wheelchair and mobility products. The company’s wheelchair portfolio has included manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, children’s wheelchairs, rehab buggies, seating and positioning solutions, and related mobility products.
For the Indian rehabilitation and assistive technology sector, the transaction is important because it reflects a wider global trend: large rehabilitation technology companies are increasingly separating specialist mobility businesses from prosthetics and orthotics businesses, allowing each category to develop with a clearer strategic focus.
Ottobock Focuses on Prosthetics and Neuro-Orthotics
Ottobock CEO Oliver Jakobi said the sale will allow the company to concentrate more strongly on the areas where it sees the greatest growth potential.
“By selling our wheelchair business, we are sharpening our strategic focus on our core business,” Jakobi said in the announcement. “At the same time, with DHCare we have found the right investor for Human Mobility. The team has built a technologically leading business with strong clinical credibility and close customer relationships. We are convinced that Human Mobility has the best opportunities for growth in its new environment.”
For Ottobock, the move suggests a stronger future emphasis on prosthetic technologies, neuro-orthotic systems, digital care pathways, patient care services and advanced mobility solutions for people with limb loss and neurological conditions.
The company has long been associated with advanced prosthetic components, microprocessor knees, prosthetic feet, orthoses and clinical education. A sharper corporate focus may allow Ottobock to direct more resources towards these categories as global demand for prosthetics and neurorehabilitation solutions continues to grow.
DHCare Expands Its European Mobility Platform
For DHCare, the acquisition represents an expansion of its European mobility business. DHCare is linked to the mobility and care sector and has been building its position in specialist mobility solutions.
The acquisition of Ottobock’s Human Mobility division is expected to strengthen DHCare’s wheelchair, seating and mobility portfolio. This could be particularly significant in Europe, where complex rehabilitation mobility, paediatric wheelchairs, seating systems and power mobility are established specialist markets.
The transaction also highlights the growing importance of focused mobility companies. Wheelchairs and seating systems are no longer simply “accessory” products within broader rehabilitation portfolios. They require specialist engineering, clinical fitting knowledge, service networks, spare parts, seating expertise and long-term user support.
Why This Matters for India
Although the transaction is primarily a European corporate development, it has relevance for India’s rehabilitation and assistive technology community.
India is a large and growing market for mobility aids, including manual wheelchairs, motorised tricycles, powered wheelchairs, paediatric mobility products and seating systems. Demand is driven by disability access needs, road traffic injuries, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, stroke, ageing, chronic disease and the gradual expansion of rehabilitation services.
At the same time, India remains a highly price-sensitive market. Many users are self-paying, supported by family, dependent on government schemes, or reliant on CSR and NGO-backed distribution programmes. This creates a different market reality from Europe or North America.
For Indian distributors, rehabilitation hospitals, O&P clinics and assistive technology providers, the Ottobock-DHCare transaction raises practical questions:
- Will Ottobock’s wheelchair products continue to be available through existing channels?
- Will DHCare expand its mobility products into India?
- Could specialised paediatric and powered wheelchair products become more visible in India?
- Will pricing and service support remain accessible?
- How will after-sales, spare parts and warranty responsibilities be handled?
- Will Ottobock’s India focus increasingly shift towards prosthetics and neuro-orthotics?
These questions will matter for clinicians and users who rely on continuity of supply and service.
Short Overview: Powered Wheelchair Market in India
India’s powered wheelchair market is developing, but it remains uneven and segmented.
At the lower end, many users still rely on manual wheelchairs, attendant-propelled chairs or motorised tricycles because of affordability and availability. At the higher end, private hospitals, specialist rehabilitation centres and self-paying families are beginning to consider powered wheelchairs, joystick-controlled chairs, standing power wheelchairs, paediatric power mobility and customised seating systems.
Market estimates vary depending on whether they include only electric wheelchairs or the broader wheelchair category. Some market research sources estimate India’s electric wheelchair market at around USD 239.71 million in 2024, with projected growth to USD 600 million by 2035. Other wheelchair market estimates place the broader Indian wheelchair market at around USD 216.09 million in 2024, with expected growth to approximately USD 341.98 million by 2030.
Regardless of the exact estimate, the direction is clear: India’s wheelchair and powered mobility market is expected to grow.
Key Drivers of Powered Wheelchair Demand in India
Several factors are likely to support growth in powered mobility:
1. Ageing and chronic disease
India’s ageing population and rising burden of chronic disease will increase demand for mobility products. Stroke, diabetes-related complications, neurological conditions, arthritis and general age-related mobility loss all contribute to wheelchair need.
2. Spinal cord injury and trauma
Road traffic injuries and spinal cord injuries continue to create long-term mobility needs. For some users, powered mobility can support independence where manual propulsion is not practical.
3. Urban rehabilitation growth
Larger cities are seeing growth in private rehabilitation hospitals, physiotherapy networks, neurorehabilitation centres and home healthcare providers. These settings can create demand for more advanced mobility products.
4. Assistive technology awareness
Awareness of assistive technology is increasing through disability advocacy, CSR programmes, startup innovation, government schemes and improved online access to product information.
5. Indian innovation
Indian institutions and startups are developing more affordable mobility technologies. IIT Madras’s R2D2 centre, for example, has helped demonstrate that India can develop high-quality assistive devices with local user needs and affordability in mind.
Barriers to Growth
Despite positive momentum, powered wheelchair adoption in India faces major barriers.
The first is cost. Powered wheelchairs can remain unaffordable for many users, especially where insurance coverage is limited or absent.
The second is the built environment. Poor pavements, narrow doorways, inaccessible public transport, uneven roads and limited ramps can reduce the practical value of a powered wheelchair, especially outside major urban centres.
The third is service and maintenance. Powered wheelchairs require batteries, electronics, motors, controllers, tyres, seating adjustments and repairs. Without local service support, users can be left with expensive products that cannot be maintained.
The fourth is clinical assessment. Powered mobility should not be treated as a simple retail purchase. Users may need seating assessment, pressure management, postural support, driving training, caregiver education and home-environment review.
Finally, policy and reimbursement pathways remain inconsistent. Government distribution programmes and CSR schemes can support access, but the market still needs stronger assessment-based provision and better funding mechanisms for complex mobility.
Government and ALIMCO Role
India’s public assistive device ecosystem is strongly influenced by government schemes and Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India, commonly known as ALIMCO.
ALIMCO supplies a range of assistive devices, including mobility aids and motorised wheelchair products, and plays a central role in public distribution programmes. Under government-supported schemes, eligibility is often linked to disability certification, income criteria and other documentation.
For powered mobility, public-sector provision can be transformative, but the challenge is to ensure that products are appropriately matched to users and supported after distribution. Powered wheelchairs are not one-size-fits-all products. A successful programme requires assessment, training, battery support, repair pathways and long-term follow-up.
Implications for Indian O&P and Rehabilitation Providers
The Ottobock-DHCare transaction is a reminder that mobility technology is becoming more specialised. Indian O&P providers, physiatrists, rehabilitation hospitals and assistive technology companies should pay attention to this shift.
Traditionally, prosthetics, orthotics and wheelchairs have often been grouped together under broad “rehabilitation aids” categories. In practice, each area requires specific expertise.
Powered wheelchairs and complex seating require knowledge of:
- Posture and pressure management
- Neurological impairment
- Joystick and control access
- Battery and electronics maintenance
- Seating configuration
- Home and community environment
- Caregiver training
- Long-term service support
For Indian clinics, this creates both opportunity and responsibility. Providers that develop specialist competence in powered mobility and seating may be well positioned as demand grows.
What India Needs Next
India’s powered wheelchair market needs more than imported products. It needs an ecosystem.
That ecosystem should include:
- Affordable powered wheelchair options
- Local manufacturing and assembly where possible
- Stronger seating and postural assessment services
- Trained rehabilitation professionals
- Battery and electronics service networks
- Spare parts availability
- Clear government procurement standards
- CSR programmes that include follow-up and maintenance
- Better insurance and reimbursement pathways
- User training and environmental assessment
Without these elements, the market may grow in sales numbers but fail to deliver long-term functional impact.
A Global Transaction With Local Relevance
Ottobock’s sale of its Human Mobility division to DHCare is a strategic move designed to sharpen Ottobock’s focus on prosthetics and neuro-orthotics while placing the wheelchair business into a more specialised mobility environment.
For India, the transaction should be read as part of a wider market signal. Wheelchairs, powered mobility and seating are becoming more important, more specialised and more commercially distinct within rehabilitation technology.
As India’s mobility aid market grows, the country will need products that are not only advanced, but also affordable, serviceable and clinically appropriate. Whether future growth comes from global brands, Indian manufacturers, startups, public-sector programmes or hybrid partnerships, the priority should remain the same: mobility solutions that improve independence, participation and quality of life for users.
For BharatCPO readers, the key message is clear. Prosthetics and orthotics will remain central to Ottobock’s global strategy, but wheelchair and powered mobility markets are also entering a new phase. India should prepare for both.
- Ottobock announcement via EQS News
- Ottobock company profile
- Ottobock Human Mobility and wheelchair products
- DHCare / Direct Healthcare Group
- ALIMCO
- ALIMCO motorised wheelchair
- World Health Organization: Assistive Technology
- World Health Organization: Rehabilitation