Bionic hands have been one of the marvels of medical engineering, promising amputees the ability to grip, lift and hold through muscle-signal control. These devices read electrical impulses from the user’s forearm, translate them into movement and attempt to mimic the everyday ease of a natural hand.
Yet, the technology has remained out of reach for most people, as global prosthetic systems are expensive, slow to customise and designed far from the realities of developing countries. It is this gap between innovation and accessibility that Hyderabad-based Makers Hive is trying to bridge.
The startup is on a mission to provide amputees a chance at an everyday life through their technology, said founder Pranav Vempati as he shared the story behind their inception.
Through his conversations with amputees, Vempati realised that they struggle to perform even the basic daily tasks, such as using the washroom. His exploration of bionic hands led him to deduce that “they’re outrageously expensive”.
Pondering over the problem, he was asked by his mentor: “Why don’t you build one yourself?” That is when his team took shape to deal with this often-overlooked problem.
What emerged from the R&D is a product called KalArm (inspired by the work of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam), a 3D-printed bionic hand with embedded EMG (electromyography) sensors that interpret muscle signals from the wearer’s forearm.
“We wanted to build a product which is future-proof,” said Vempati. KalArm offers 18 pre-defined grip patterns and six custom grips, with Bluetooth connectivity, firmware updates, and mobile app monitoring built in.
The startup is also currently raising series A funding with Silverneedle Ventures being the first to invest in the ongoing round, according to sources.
Ajay Jain, managing partner of Silverneedle Ventures, said the prosthetics market is set to grow, and the world needs a solution as advanced as KalArm at a price point that is affordable in India.
“Now, a 25-year-old breadwinner of a family can get back into the workforce with close to complete capability. There is a growing need for such products in adjoining areas such as Parkinson’s and others,” Jain said.
Affordable Than the West
Vempati noted, “These advanced prosthetic bionic hands cost as much as ₹35 lakh to ₹60 lakh in developed nations.” Makers Hive significantly reduced costs by designing core components in-house, utilising local manufacturing, and incorporating 3D-printed parts.
That cost reduction wasn’t just about chemistry and engineering; it was about access. As Vempati put it, “If you want to create impact, make it affordable, only then can you make it accessible.” By offering comparable features at a fraction of the price, the team aims to shift the paradigm in assistive technology.
“This hand is currently available in the market from ₹4.5 lakhs to the cost of around ₹7.2 lakhs. However, we’re providing the hand for somewhere between 4.5 and six lakhs,” Vempati said.
He added that the price also varies with the level of amputation—transradial (below the elbow), transhumeral (above the elbow), wrist disarticulation (separation at the wrist joint), and elbow disarticulation (separation at the elbow joint).
People at the Centre
Behind every grip pattern and sensor lies a story. Vempati reflected on the user experiences of different customers. He asked them what they would do first once they got the product.
“I never picked up my own baby before. The first thing I’ll do is hold her,” a female user said. Another male user said he would scratch first since both his hands are amputated. These real-life moments drive the design behind KalArm.
Engineers at Makers Hive spent time with amputees to understand routines that many people take for granted, such as sipping from a bottle, holding a pen, or pressing a key. “We place a pair of EMG sensors and try to interpret what the person is trying to do,” explained Vempati. That insight informed the design of a handset with custom forearm sockets, colour panel choices, and mobile app configuration.
Upcoming Roadmap
Vempati shared an extensive product and funding roadmap that outlines how the company plans to scale its bionic business beyond India.
“We have already raised about ₹30 crores till date. Recently, Silver Needle Ventures invested about ₹10 crores in our organisation, and we are raising another five crores in a bridge round right now,” he said.
He added that once the bridge round closes, the team will shift focus towards regulatory approvals over the next six months, with plans to clear CE and FDA compliance. He added that Makers Hive’s intention is to explore the international market post series A funding.
The company is also widening its product portfolio. Beyond the flagship KalArm hand, Vempati confirmed two new variants. The first is an affordable model called KalArm Lite. This will be out in the market by April or May and “available to people under ₹3 lakh.”
He confirmed a new product line that will be out in the market in another nine to 12 months. “We are launching another variant of KalArm called KalArm X, which is specifically going to be for industrial robots and possibly also for humanoids.”
He laid out a comprehensive 12-month rollout plan.
“Six months from now, we have KalArm Lite out in the market, eight to nine months from now, we have KalArm entering the international markets, and probably nine to twelve months from now, we’ll have KalArm X out in the market.”
Vempati revealed that their bionic hand is already being tested as an end-effector, and that this early experiment led to interest from ISRO as well.
These expansions mark one of India’s first attempts to use a domestically built bionic hand platform to power industrial robotics, humanoid systems and future mobility-assist devices.
Why It Matters Now
As India and other developing nations push for tech-driven health solutions, accessibility remains a critical barrier. With advanced bionics becoming luxury items, the KalArm model changes the equation.
As Vempati put it, “Technology should empower, not exclude.” The startup aligns with global trends in health-tech democratisation and local manufacturing. The timing also aligns with the expansion of manufacturing ecosystems, the decline in 3D-printing costs, and the national focus on “Make in India,” making tech-for-good possible at scale.
The startup aims to scale production, establish manufacturing facilities, and explore new categories of assistive devices. Beyond hands, Makers Hive also plans to enter full-body assistive robotics, believing that the next frontier will be exoskeletons, bionic vision, and more. When asked about the future, Vempati said, “We’re not just building bionic hands, we’re bringing back dignity.”
With regulations and certifications in mind, including CE and FDA-type compliance, the startup is charting a course from prototype to global market. Every aspect, from materials to sensors, firmware, and mobile connectivity, has been carefully tuned for both reliability and user-centric design.
While the hands they build are mechanical, their first approach is to restore control and everyday normalcy to people whose lives changed in an instant.
The post This Indian Startup is Building a Bionic Future with its KalArm appeared first on Analytics India Magazine.
