Turning ‘disability’ into ‘capability’: Bhiwani youth secures funding for prosthetic startup
FICCI-Mercedes-Benz India provide Rs 30 lakh under the Bharat Innovation and Business Ideas Challenge 2026
Impressed by the invention of a youth from Siwada village in Bhiwani district, FICCI–Mercedes-Benz India has selected his product — GripX hand — for funding of Rs 30 lakh. The innovation focuses on making advanced prosthetics (artificial body parts) affordable and accessible for Indian patients.
The funding comes under a national programme to support startups and innovators — the Bharat Innovation and Business Ideas Challenge 2026.
The youth, Munish Kumar, who has completed his MTech and PhD from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology (GJUST), developed the prosthetic device and got it patented by the Central Government.
Mercedes-Benz has now offered funding of Rs 30 lakh to his deep-tech startup, ‘Exobot Dynamics’. The firm has identified 20 persons with disabilities (PwDs) to provide the device free of cost, aiming to make their lives easier and help them overcome their disabilities.
Talking to The Tribune, Kumar said his father lost both his hands in a mishap in 2013 when he was still a student. Witnessing the challenges his father faced, he decided to develop a device that would be both efficient and affordable for Indian patients.
“I started working on the project in 2019 while pursuing my PhD at GJUST. Later, the project was patented and recognised by several startup incubation centres, including Atal Incubation Centre IIT Delhi, I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC), Startup Accelerator Chamber of Commerce (SACC), and COEP’s Bhau Institute of Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Leadership. It was also supported by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (DST NIDHI), National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY),” he said.
“We have emerged as one of the winners of the prestigious FICCI-Mercedes-Benz Bharat Innovation and Business Ideas Challenge 2026, which recognises innovations addressing real-world societal challenges. The challenge identifies high-impact startups driving sustainability and social change in India,” he said.
Kumar adds that they have addressed a critical gap — the lack of accessible and functional prosthetics. While imported bionic hands remain prohibitively expensive (Rs 8 lakh to Rs 50 lakh), Exobot’s flagship product, GripX, offers advanced myoelectric capabilities — allowing users to control grip patterns through muscle signals — at a fraction of the cost.
He said the device has been recognised by the authorities concerned for its special features and cost effectiveness. “It is lightweight and equipped with advanced movements, including finger and wrist motion, better battery backup and improved fittings. It is nearly two times cheaper compared to imported devices,” he added.
Informing that the product has been recently launched, Kumar said, “We are moving straight to deployment, as our goal is to provide people with a device that is rugged, lightweight and functional enough to be their daily companion — whether they are working in an office, a farm, or a factory. We are turning ‘disability’ into ‘capability’.”
The GripX hand is designed specifically for the Indian context, featuring a breathable and lightweight design suitable for long-term use.
