The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) has opened applications for participation grants that could help Indian prosthetists, orthotists, educators, researchers and other rehabilitation professionals attend the 21st ISPO World Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, from 22–25 March 2027.
For eligible professionals in India, the support could make a major difference to the cost of attending one of the world’s most important meetings for prosthetics, orthotics, wheelchairs and assistive technology.
Successful applicants can receive:
- Complimentary registration to the ISPO 21st World Congress
- A €250–€1,000 participation grant to help support attendance
The application deadline is 1 November 2026 at 23:59 UTC.
Indian professionals are potentially eligible
ISPO states that applicants must be members in good standing and must be both native to and resident in a country classified as low-income, lower-middle-income or upper-middle-income.
India falls within the middle-income group used for such international classifications, making the opportunity particularly relevant to the country’s P&O community.
This could be especially valuable for younger clinicians, university faculty, students and professionals working in government or charitable rehabilitation services where international travel budgets are often limited.
For many Indian CPOs, the cost of registration, flights and accommodation is the main barrier to attending major global congresses.
The combination of free registration and an additional participation grant could significantly reduce that burden.
Bangkok is a particularly accessible location for India
The choice of Bangkok for the 2027 World Congress also makes this edition particularly attractive for Indian delegates.
Compared with previous congress locations in Europe or the Americas, Thailand is substantially closer to India and can often be reached with shorter and more economical flights.
For Indian universities and rehabilitation centres considering sending multiple delegates, that geographic advantage could make 2027 one of the most accessible ISPO World Congresses in recent years.
The congress will take place from 22 to 25 March 2027 and is expected to bring together professionals from across the global rehabilitation and assistive technology community.
More than a prosthetics conference
The ISPO World Congress covers a much wider field than prosthetic components alone.
Participants can expect content across:
- Prosthetics
- Orthotics
- Wheelchairs and seating
- Assistive technology
- Rehabilitation
- Biomechanics
- Education
- Research
- Digital technologies
- Service delivery
- Global rehabilitation policy
For Indian CPOs, this can provide an opportunity to see technologies and clinical approaches that may not yet be widely available in the domestic market.
It also provides exposure to how other healthcare systems are approaching issues such as digital fabrication, outcome measurement, paediatric care, diabetic foot management and advanced prosthetic technology.
A valuable opportunity for Indian educators and researchers
The congress is also highly relevant to India’s expanding network of P&O education programmes.
Faculty members and students can use the event to connect with international educators, compare curricula and explore research collaborations.
For younger professionals, presenting work internationally can be particularly valuable.
India has a large and diverse P&O patient population, and there is considerable potential for locally generated research to contribute to global knowledge in areas such as:
- Low-cost prosthetic technology
- Community-based rehabilitation
- Diabetic foot care
- Rural service delivery
- Paediatric orthotics
- Indigenous manufacturing
- Digital prosthetic workflows
- Assistive technology access
Greater Indian participation at events such as ISPO 2027 can help ensure that these experiences are represented internationally.
Why Indian representation matters
India is one of the largest rehabilitation markets in the world.
The country combines a very large population, high levels of diabetes and trauma, a growing prosthetics and orthotics profession and a rapidly developing domestic medical-device industry.
Yet Indian clinicians and researchers are still underrepresented at many major international scientific meetings.
This matters because rehabilitation solutions developed in high-income countries do not always translate directly into Indian healthcare.
Cost, geography, reimbursement, workforce availability and access to maintenance can all affect whether a technology is practical.
Indian professionals bring a perspective shaped by high patient volumes, constrained budgets and enormous diversity in clinical settings.
That experience deserves a stronger place in global P&O discussions.
A chance to build international networks
For many attendees, one of the biggest benefits of an ISPO World Congress is not a single lecture or product demonstration.
It is the opportunity to build relationships.
Indian delegates can meet:
- International manufacturers
- Researchers
- University faculty
- Rehabilitation organisations
- NGO representatives
- Fellow CPOs from other countries
- Potential training and research partners
These contacts can lead to future education programmes, clinical exchanges, research projects and technology partnerships.
For smaller Indian P&O institutions, that international networking can be particularly valuable.
Important opportunity for students and early-career CPOs
The grant programme could be especially significant for professionals at the beginning of their careers.
International congresses can appear financially out of reach for newly qualified CPOs or postgraduate students.
ISPO’s participation grants help reduce that barrier.
A young Indian prosthetist or orthotist attending Bangkok could gain exposure to global clinical practice very early in their career and return with new ideas that influence patients and colleagues for years afterwards.
Universities and employers should therefore consider actively encouraging suitable candidates rather than waiting for individuals to discover the grant independently.
India has much to contribute
The opportunity should not be viewed simply as Indian clinicians going abroad to learn.
India also has expertise to share.
The country has extensive experience in affordable prosthetic provision, high-volume clinical services, rehabilitation camps, indigenous manufacturing and community-based care.
Indian manufacturers are increasingly developing their own prosthetic components, digital technologies and assistive devices.
Bringing more of those experiences into international forums can strengthen the global profession.
The value of the World Congress therefore works in both directions.
Indian professionals can gain international exposure, while the wider ISPO community gains access to the lessons emerging from one of the world’s largest and most complex rehabilitation environments.
Applications close on 1 November
Eligible professionals interested in attending should not leave applications until the last moment.
Applicants need to ensure that their ISPO membership is current and in good standing and review the complete eligibility requirements before submission.
The deadline is:
1 November 2026 at 23:59 UTC
The World Congress itself will be held:
Bangkok, Thailand
22–25 March 2027
For Bharat CPO, the grant programme represents a particularly strong opportunity for India’s P&O community.
Bangkok is geographically close, the congress is internationally significant and funding support is available specifically to professionals from emerging economies.
For Indian CPOs, students and educators who have wanted to attend a World Congress but found the cost prohibitive, ISPO 2027 may be the opportunity to make it happen.
- International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics
- ISPO 21st World Congress 2027
- ISPO World Congress 2027 Event Information
- ISPO 2027 Call for Papers
- Bharat CPO