Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited has extended corporate social responsibility support to ALIMCO’s Pradhan Mantri Divyasha-Vayoshri Kendra at the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities campus in Bandra, Mumbai.
The initiative is designed to strengthen access to assistive devices and rehabilitation services for Divyangjan and senior citizens. Published reports value MDL’s CSR support at ₹3.79 crore.
The start of the initiative was marked by the distribution of aids and assistive devices to beneficiaries through the centre.
Representatives present included Arun K. Chand, Executive Director and Head of CSR at MDL; Pradeep Mahadeshwar, DGM for HR and CSR at MDL; Dr Suman Kumar, Director of AYJNISHD; S. K. Tripathi, General Manager for Marketing at ALIMCO; and Mrinal Kumar, In-charge of ALIMCO’s Regional Marketing Centre in Mumbai.
Supporting a permanent access centre
The value of the collaboration lies in its support for an established service centre rather than a single assistive-device distribution camp.
ALIMCO developed the Pradhan Mantri Divyasha-Vayoshri Kendra model to expand the reach of government schemes providing assistive devices to persons with disabilities and senior citizens. The centres are being established at national institutes and their regional or satellite centres under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
This approach can provide beneficiaries with a more identifiable and accessible point for assessment, device provision and related support.
Eligible persons with disabilities may receive assistance through the ADIP scheme, while eligible senior citizens can access physical aids and assisted-living devices through the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana.
According to ALIMCO, the latter programme seeks to help senior citizens maintain mobility, communication and independence while contributing to a more age-friendly society.
3D scanning for customised prosthetic solutions
The collaboration also highlights the use of advanced 3D scanning technology to support customised prosthetic provision.
For India’s prosthetics and orthotics sector, this is an important development. Digital scanning can create a reproducible anatomical record, support remote design and central fabrication, and reduce dependence on some conventional casting processes.
It may also make it easier to connect assessment centres with specialist design and manufacturing facilities.
However, digital capture is only one stage of prosthetic care. A scan cannot independently determine the most appropriate socket design, component configuration or rehabilitation plan.
A complete clinical pathway still requires:
- Assessment by qualified professionals
- Residual-limb and skin evaluation
- Appropriate prosthetic prescription
- Skilled socket design and fabrication
- Static and dynamic alignment
- Gait training and rehabilitation
- Education on device and residual-limb care
- Follow-up, adjustment, repair and replacement
The greatest benefit will therefore come from integrating scanning into clinically governed O&P services rather than treating the technology as a replacement for professional expertise.
Measuring success beyond distribution numbers
Assistive-device initiatives are frequently reported through the number of products distributed. Although this is an important measure of activity, it does not fully demonstrate whether beneficiaries achieve greater independence.
For prosthetic and orthotic users, a successful outcome depends on whether the device is appropriate, comfortable, functional and supported over time.
The Mumbai programme could create stronger evidence of impact by tracking:
- The number of people assessed and fitted
- Successful device-delivery rates
- Device use after three, six and 12 months
- Comfort, function and patient satisfaction
- Repair and adjustment requirements
- Improvements in mobility and participation
- Return to school, employment or community activities
- Device abandonment and the reasons behind it
These measures would help demonstrate the sustained value produced by the CSR investment.
A replicable CSR model for India
India has a significant unmet requirement for prostheses, orthoses, wheelchairs, hearing aids and other assistive products. Many potential users face financial, geographical and service-delivery barriers.
Corporate support can help close these gaps, but its effect is likely to be stronger when funding is connected to established public programmes, qualified clinical teams and permanent service infrastructure.
The MDL–ALIMCO collaboration brings together:
- Corporate CSR funding
- Government assistive-device programmes
- ALIMCO’s manufacturing and distribution capabilities
- AYJNISHD’s institutional and rehabilitation infrastructure
- Digital technology for customised provision
- A defined service point for beneficiaries in Mumbai
This combination offers a more sustainable structure than isolated device donations.
For India’s O&P profession, the initiative also reinforces the need for qualified practitioners to remain central to assistive-technology programmes. Technology and funding can expand capacity, but clinical assessment, fitting, rehabilitation and long-term follow-up ultimately determine whether a device improves a person’s life.
If the Mumbai centre combines increased provision with clinical quality and measurable long-term outcomes, it could provide a useful model for similar government–CSR partnerships across India.
- Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders CSR
- Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India
- ALIMCO eligibility and service information
- Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana
- Ali Yavar Jung National Institute of Speech and Hearing Disabilities