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Manufacturing within India of Technical Aids for the Visually Impaired

 Manufacturing within India of Technical Aids for the Visually Impaired

I am sharing my personal view on this. Based on the feedback I am getting. Mostly when I inquire about an equipment we require
such as a brailler embosser, I am advised that computerized braille embossers are not manufactured anywhere in India. To acquire a brailler embosser, we had to request a major PSU which kindly helped out. The machine is manufactured in Europe. The pricing itself puts it out of reach of most institutions. Maintenance is also a concern.
Even manual embossers (Perkins Make) which are a typewriter sort of machine are also imported from Perkins (USA).
Pertinently, the spare parts for such equipment are also made available on orders by the dealers/distributors.
Then software for the laptops / PCs, developed specifically as a vital technological aid for better usage by the visually impaired, is from Europe. It’s costly and requires us to seek assistance from donors. Even updates are priced.
Sensors for canes to enable better mobility are also from Europe or the USA.
Some initiatives in manufacturing and technology I am advised are occurring in South India but then again the issue of reliability, testing and quality are concerns.
This Is is a vital area and requires innovation within India and ideally financially prudent pricing considering most visually impaired are from the economically disadvantaged sections.
Vineet Khurana Sudhir Gupta SACC INDIA Startup Accelerator Chamber of Commerce AIC at the Indian School of Business

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