The Orthotics & Prosthetics Association of India (OPAI), Delhi Chapter will host International Prosthetics and Orthotics Day (IPOD) 2026 on Wednesday, 5 November 2026, from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the National Rail Museum Auditorium, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
The afternoon-to-evening programme is expected to bring together representatives of the Union Ministries of Health & Family Welfare and Social Justice & Empowerment, State Governments, prosthetists and orthotists, researchers, clinicians, rehabilitation specialists, industry experts, para-athletes, P&O service providers and, importantly, the people who use prosthetic and orthotic devices every day.
A platform for the whole P&O ecosystem
According to the organisers, IPOD 2026 aims to provide a platform for knowledge exchange, professional networking, technology showcases, research and innovation, and stronger collaboration across prosthetics, orthotics and rehabilitation. The celebration will also highlight the role P&O services play in mobility, independence, participation and quality of life for persons with disabilities.
Organisations associated with the event include Divyang Empowerment, the Railway Board, Ministry of Railways, the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO), the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO), Instalimb, Parashar Future Technologies LLP and lifeandlimb.ai, reflecting a mix of public sector, professional, manufacturing and digital-technology stakeholders.
The 2026 theme: People
IPOD is observed every year on 5 November, the date ISPO was founded in 1970. Each year ISPO focuses on one of five pillars needed for equitable P&O services: People, Policy, Products, Personnel and Provision. For 2026 the theme is People, celebrating the users, communities and professionals who shape the sector.
For India, that theme is a natural fit. It puts device users, families, clinicians and technicians at the centre of a conversation that too often defaults to products and procurement.
What private P&O service providers can do for IPOD 2026
Government bodies and associations carry much of IPOD’s visibility, but India’s private clinics, workshops and suppliers deliver a large share of day-to-day care. Here are practical ways they can take part, whether or not they are in Delhi.
1. Attend, and bring users with you
Delhi NCR providers can attend the National Rail Museum event and, with consent, support transport for a few clients or para-athletes. Having users in the room is the clearest expression of the People theme.
2. Hold a user-led open house
Invite current clients to share their experience in their own words. Short talks or a small photo exhibition, with written consent, can show what mobility, work and family life look like after a good fitting.
3. Offer a device check-up day
Rather than a promotional “free fitting camp,” run a maintenance and review clinic for existing users: socket fit, alignment, liners, footwear, orthosis wear and skin checks. Follow-up care is where many users fall through the gaps.
4. Help people navigate entitlements
Many families are unaware of support through the ADIP scheme, ALIMCO assessment camps, the UDID card or state schemes. A short help desk on 5 November can be one of the most useful things a clinic offers.
5. Recognise your own team
Prosthetists, orthotists, technicians and support staff are part of “People” too. Mark the day internally, recognise long-serving technicians and highlight RCI-registered staff.
6. Run CPD or student sessions
Open a workshop to local BPO/MPO students or physiotherapy and PMR trainees, for example on digital scanning, 3D-printed sockets, paediatric orthoses or diabetic foot care.
7. Reach schools, employers and gyms
A short session at a school, employer or sports club on disability inclusion and what modern prostheses and orthoses can do helps reduce stigma and builds referral pathways.
8. Share outcomes responsibly
Post user stories, para-sport pathways or service data on social media using #IPOD2026 and #InternationalPODay, tagging OPAI and ISPO. Keep claims accurate, obtain consent for every image and avoid “miracle” language.
9. Partner rather than compete
Collaborate with a nearby government hospital, NGO or ALIMCO centre on a joint activity. IPOD is an opportunity to show that public and private providers serve the same users.
Bharat CPO Perspective
India’s P&O sector is growing quickly, with new technology entrants, digital design platforms and expanding public schemes. Days like IPOD matter because they bring government, professionals and industry into one room alongside the people who rely on their work. If the 2026 theme is People, the best contribution a private provider can make is practical: keep users central, make follow-up care visible and help families reach the services they are entitled to.
Bharat CPO will cover IPOD 2026 from New Delhi and welcomes updates, photos and stories from providers marking the day across India.
Event at a glance
- Event: International Prosthetics and Orthotics Day (IPOD) 2026
- Organiser: OPAI, Delhi Chapter
- Date: Wednesday, 5 November 2026
- Time: 2:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- Venue: National Rail Museum Auditorium, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
- ISPO 2026 theme: People
Further reading
- ISPO – 2026 IPOD theme: PEOPLE
- ISPO – Advocacy & Awareness
- ISPO – The first International P&O Day
- Orthotics and Prosthetics Association of India (OPAI)
- IPOD 2025 celebration in New Delhi
- ALIMCO
- Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD)
- National Rail Museum, New Delhi