Kerala's Astrek Innovations Deploys Made-In-India Rehab Exoskeleton Across Nine Centres

India's rehabilitation-robotics scene got a boost with Kochi-based Astrek Innovations, whose modular lower-limb exoskeleton is now running across nine clinical sites — seven in Kerala plus deployments in Okinawa, Japan and a pilot with Abu Dhabi's Department of Health for stroke rehabilitation.

Cutting exoskeleton pricing by an order of magnitude

Founder Robin Kanattu Thomas built Astrek after his grandfather never walked again following a routine spinal surgery. Imported rehab exoskeletons in India can cost Rs 1.5–2 crore per unit — Astrek's patented modular design, which snaps together like Lego blocks, brings pricing to "tens of lakhs" and is manufactured almost entirely in India, including batteries. Between 15% and 20% of manufacturing work is performed by people with disabilities through Kochi fabrication partners.

Neuroplasticity through repetition

The device straps around the user's hips and legs, uses motors to drive movement, and applies machine learning trained on six years of healthy-gait data to support a patient's own gait pattern. Rajagiri Hospital rehab consultant Dr Remya Mathew said repeated robotic gait training reactivates neural pathways: "With gait retraining and repetitions, new neuronal circuitry connections are building up. The brain is getting a new relearning pattern." Stroke survivors, complete and partial spinal cord injury patients, and elderly users experiencing mobility decline are the five primary target groups.

Awaiting CDSCO clearance, eyeing paediatric expansion

Astrek is awaiting Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) clearance to begin commercial manufacturing and sales inside India, and currently operates under a test licence that permits deployment inside rehabilitation centres. Beyond Kerala the company has signed agreements with paediatric rehab centres in Dubai and Israel — early proof of exportable Indian medtech following recent momentum from China's first commercial BCI implant and Northwestern's stroke exoskeleton trials.

Reporting based on coverage from The Better India, Tracxn and Astrek Innovations.