“Jaipur Foot “, which been hailed across developing and underdeveloped nations for being the most cost-effective, user friendly and efficient artificial prosthesis is for the first time “walking its way-up” in developed nations like Japan and the USA.The Japanese are now travelling all the way to Jaipur, to be able to walk again. They are awed by fact that the Jaipur foot costs only about 40 US$ compared to the average cost of a similar prosthesis in Japan which costs about 11,000 US$ and also unlike in Japan it does not take a month to get it fitted. In fact it has neither no-waiting period nor any complicated process to get them- it takes under an hour for most of the people. However cheap does not at all mean less functionality. The Japanese have discovered in Jaipur foot the same functionality, efficiency and quality as that of an 11,000US $ cost artificial prosthesis. In fact Japanese researchers are now collaborating with BMVSS, the Indian developers of the Jaipur Foot to create even better and more cost effective artificial limb prosthesis.
The Americans on the other too don’t want to “limp behind”. Fourteen mechanical engineers from Michigan Technological University, USA have already visited India to get a view of the various version of the Jaipur Foot in March 2012. They aim to help in the development of a standardised form of it and also help in mechanisms to get achieve better quality control. The project started in early 2012 is expected to be on for 2 more years.
SACH vs. Jaipur Foot
The SACH (Solid Ankle Cushion Heel)foot which is used worldwide is now falling back owing to various obvious advantages of the Jaipur Foot. Here is a comparison chart(screenshot) from the BMVSS, Jaipur website:
With all the attention the Jaipur Foot is getting from across the world it is heart-warming to see that the Indian makers are not hankering over money or patents. Something which the MNC pharmacs who are dirtlity fighting for money to prevent costly drugs from being available to the world’s poor need to see and learn.
Dr. Soumyadeep Bhaumik 
It is nice to see global acceptance of an Indian product. However, POE global companies will never hesitate to reverse engineer it and market it at high cost,unless,you take IPR for your product Dr RKSrivastava
I completely agree with you Dr RK Srivastava. However IPR of Jaipur Foot has been taken I am to believe but the makers(there are quite a few with differnet verions) are not using it to make illegal and excessive profits out of them.
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