NITI Aayog deliberated upon emerging opportunities in technological innovations, product development in assistive devices industry and policy interventions in the country.

The existing state of affairs pertaining to disability, assistive technology, allied industry and emerging opportunities in India was discussed. Broad areas of discussion included regulatory control and capacity building in the sector; incentivisation for the private players to invest in the industry; formulation of a concrete set-up involving the government, private industries, innovation centres like the IITs and the NGOs in order to transform the present reality; building and encouraging entrepreneurship; an economically viable model inclusive of affordability, adaptability, functionality and productivity; and strengthening indigenous R&D and promoting mass manufacturing of assistive devices technology in India. 

Representatives from WHO, ICRC, World Bank, CII, PHDCC, ASSOCHAM, ALIMCO, Microsoft, IIT and others actively participated in the discussion and threw light on aspects pertaining to the empowerment of the disabled via creation of suitable and sustainable opportunities coupled with assurance of better regulatory framework centred on affordability and accessibility.

The meeting emphasized and concurred upon the much needed ice-breaker in the form of a conference on assistive devices industry, which will be the launchpad for future collaborations in the sector of assistive technology in India.

Assistive technology policy: strengthen regulatory control and public-private collaboration to boost affordable, indigenous assistive devices. Policy deliberations recommended strengthening regulatory control, capacity building, and incentives to attract private investment, and advocated a coordinated model linking government, industry, innovation centres, and NGOs to promote entrepreneurship, indigenous R&D, mass manufacturing, and product design prioritising affordability and accessibility.