“Earlier, it was very difficult for me,” says Bengaluru resident Rashmi Sampath, recalling every family outing with her 16-year-old daughter, Deeksha, who has spinal muscular atrophy. “She weighs 55 kilograms, and lifting her into the car was exhausting. But now, since the seat rotates 90 degrees, it is very comfortable.”
The difference has been more than convenience. A journey that once demanded careful planning, physical effort, and frequent compromises has become something the family can look forward to. Last year, they drove nearly 1,000 kilometres from Bengaluru to Kanyakumari without the travel itself becoming an obstacle.
“She was very comfortable throughout,” Rashmi says. “We took just two breaks. She could even sleep on the seat. Earlier, we couldn’t have imagined travelling such a long distance like this.”
For millions of Indians living with disabilities or age-related mobility challenges, the hardest part of a journey often begins before the vehicle even starts moving. Getting into a car can require multiple people, unsafe lifting techniques, or simply deciding that the trip isn’t worth the effort.
It is this overlooked challenge that Bengaluru-based TRUE Assistive Technology set out to address. Founded by engineers Naina Padaki and Anand Kutre, the company designs assistive mobility solutions, including swivel seats, portable ramps, transfer systems, and wheelchair-accessible vehicle modifications, that make everyday travel safer and more accessible.
TurnPlus rotates towards the car door, making it easier for passengers to get in and out with less physical strain.
Since beginning its journey, the company says it has enabled mobility for over 1,000 users across India, supporting people with conditions ranging from paralysis and Parkinson’s disease to post-polio complications and age-related mobility issues.
A project that uncovered a larger problem
Neither Naina nor Anand had initially planned to build an assistive technology company.
Both spent over two decades working as engineers — Naina in software and compliance engineering, Anand in the automotive sector. Their journey into accessible mobility began unexpectedly in 2013, when Toyota approached them with a project to design a swivel seat for the Corolla Altis.
The prototype was showcased at an auto show, but it failed to gain traction because of its high cost.
“We went on to see how we could bring the solution to the Indian market,” recalls Naina.
Naina Padaki and Anand Kutre spent years developing mobility solutions that work with existing cars, without permanent modifications.
The idea had also been shaped by another experience. Having lived in the United States before returning to India, the couple had seen people with disabilities participating independently in everyday life.
“We had seen a lot of people in the US who were disabled but still living day-to-day life with full potential. We thought we should do something similar in India,” she says.
The path, however, was anything but straightforward.
Without external funding, they bootstrapped the venture using income from consulting assignments.
“Sometimes we had money but no people, and sometimes we had people but no funds,” Anand recalls. “That’s why it took about four years to bring the whole thing together.”
Interest slowly began building after an article about their work led families to reach out directly. Once they had served their first hundred customers, the founders realised there was a genuine demand for accessible mobility solutions in India. They expanded the design to fit nearly 80 percent of Indian car models before formally establishing TRUE Assistive Technology in 2022.
Designing for Indian conditions
As Anand began designing the products, one principle remained non-negotiable.
“I didn’t want to do anything like jugaad,” he says.
Instead of permanently altering vehicles, the founders focused on creating solutions that could fit existing cars without affecting warranties, insurance, or resale value.
Their flagship innovation, TurnPlus, is a patented swivel-seat mechanism that transforms an existing car seat into one that rotates outward. Rather than climbing or being lifted awkwardly into the vehicle, the passenger can first sit on the seat while it faces the door.
The seat then swivels back into the cabin, making transfers smoother for senior citizens and people with conditions such as paralysis, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, post-polio complications and spinal injuries.
Unlike many vehicle modifications that require structural changes, TurnPlus uses the car’s existing seat. The mechanism is installed beneath it, allowing the seat to rotate without permanently altering the vehicle.
TRUE Assistive Technology’s portable ramps and transfer systems help wheelchair users navigate everyday barriers at home and on the move.
“We didn’t want people to leave their vehicles in garages for days,” Naina explains. “You don’t have to leave the vehicle with us. We bring the product to your doorstep.”
Because the original seat remains intact, the system can also be removed later if the owner decides to sell the vehicle, helping preserve its resale value.
As they worked with more users, the founders realised that mobility challenges rarely end once someone gets into a car.
Some wheelchair users needed a safer way to enter vehicles without being manually lifted. Others struggled with small staircases outside homes, clinics or public buildings.
That led to the development of RamPlus, a lightweight portable ramp that can be carried in a vehicle and unfolded whenever a step or raised entrance blocks wheelchair access. The company later introduced TransPlus and HoistPlus, assistive systems and transferring devices that help caregivers lift and transfer people safely between wheelchairs, beds and vehicles, reducing physical strain for both users and families.
For individuals who require more extensive support, TRUE also undertakes end-to-end vehicle modifications, including wheelchair ramps, hydraulic lifts and roof-height adjustments that convert standard vehicles into wheelchair-accessible ones.
Before reaching users, every solution undergoes automotive safety testing, including front and rear crash tests, seat belt anchorage testing and durability assessments across temperatures ranging from minus 20°C to plus 60°C. The above tests are only for their products and not for vehicle modifications.
“If I had to sell it across India, it had to be as reliable as the vehicle itself,” Anand says.
‘To be dependent on anybody is very painful’
For Amritsar resident Jatin Gandotra, the technology came into his life after someone close to him suffered a stroke.
His relative, now in her 60s, has severely restricted mobility and has spent nearly two years confined to bed.
Jatin first discovered TRUE Assistive Technology while reading about a collaboration with Maruti Suzuki.
“I found the technology very fascinating because my close relative is a stroke patient,” he says. “I wanted to see how we could help her.”
After a relative suffered a stroke, Jatin Gandotra turned to accessible mobility to make family outings easier for her.
Today, the family uses TurnPlus to help her get into the car more comfortably.
Speaking about the emotional impact, Jatin says it goes far beyond the physical act of travelling.
“To be dependent upon anybody is very, very painful,” he says. “When you look through the patient’s eyes, you can see that satisfaction that they are being cared for.”
For him, accessible mobility is ultimately about giving families more choices.
“See what freedom you can bring to their life,” he says.
More than easier journeys
The founders say stories like these continue to reinforce why they chose this path.
Among their earliest customers was a woman who completed her PhD sooner because she could travel to college more frequently after installing the mobility solution.
Another user, Vijay Kannan, fulfilled a long-held dream of driving his parents to Ayodhya after equipping his vehicle with an accessible ramp.
“It’s not just for the person using it,” says Naina. “It helps the entire family. When they see how conveniently they can travel together, it changes things for everyone.”
Rashmi has witnessed that change firsthand.
“The more we socialise these children, the happier they become,” she says. “We shouldn’t confine them to a single room.”
Her daughter now plans trips with the confidence many teenagers take for granted.
“She says, ‘We’ll go anywhere. We’ll explore this place.’ She feels nothing is limited for her anymore.”
For families like Rashmi’s, accessible mobility means fewer limitations, more shared experiences and the freedom to explore the world beyond their homes.
According to the Census 2011, India is home to over 2.68 crore persons with disabilities, alongside a rapidly growing elderly population. Yet for many, something as ordinary as getting into a vehicle remains one of the biggest barriers to participating in everyday life.
For families like Rashmi’s and Jatin’s, accessible mobility is not simply about modifying a car. It means visiting relatives without anxiety, travelling to school or work more comfortably, taking a long-awaited road trip, or stepping outside after months of staying indoors.
Sometimes, restoring independence begins with making the first step into a vehicle a little easier.
All images courtesy True Assistive Technology team
