This Indian Startup Turned Games Into a Lifeline for Stroke Recovery

This article was originally published on the NITI Frontier Tech Respository.

India records more than 1.8 million new stroke cases annually, with many survivors facing long-term disability, particularly in upper limb mobility. Rehabilitation is critical for recovery, yet access to affordable, consistent therapy remains limited, especially outside metropolitan areas. 

Recognising this gap, BeAble Health, a startup founded in 2017 by Sreehari KG and Habib Ali — developed ArmAble, a game-based rehabilitation device, and BeOne, a cloud-enabled platform to monitor and support therapy. Together, these tools aim to make neuro-rehab more engaging, effective, and accessible.

Game-based neuro-rehabilitation for stroke recovery in India

ArmAble provides hardware-assisted therapy focused on functional movement of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. It engages patients through interactive games designed to encourage active, repetitive bilateral exercises. 

This approach helps users achieve up to 10 times the repetitions of conventional sessions — key for promoting neuroplasticity and functional recovery. The system tracks progress through digital reports and real-time data, empowering therapists to adapt therapy and patients to visualise improvements.

BeOne complements this hardware with a cloud-based platform that connects therapists, patients, caregivers, and hospitals. It enables tele-rehabilitation, secure data sharing, and remote adjustments to therapy plans, supporting consistent care even in low-resource settings.

Bridging post-stroke disability with technology

The BeAble Health model supports multiple national missions focused on chronic disease management, digital health, and equitable care access. These include the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), which prioritises early intervention, lifestyle-based therapy, and improved access to secondary prevention services. It also advances the goals of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission by supporting tech-enabled, patient-centred care delivery. 

Further, its potential for rural deployment contributes to Digital India and Viksit Bharat@2047 ambitions of inclusive, innovation-led health systems.

ArmAble and BeOne exemplify how thoughtful design and technology can address pressing gaps in India’s healthcare system. By making rehabilitation engaging, data-driven, and scalable, they offer a model for how neuro-rehab can evolve to serve diverse populations — helping bridge the urban-rural divide and promoting more equitable access to recovery.

To read more such stories, visit NITI Frontier Tech Repository. 

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