Best Place To Build

Swostik Sourav Dash | How NeoMotion's CEO is Building "Freedom" for Everyone | Ep. 2 | IIT Madras

A shoe that doesn't fit can ruin your day. Now imagine sitting in a wheelchair that doesn't fit - for 10 hours every day, year after year. That's the reality for millions in India. One size fits none, yet that's all we have. Meet the IIT Madras engineer who's changing this. From building a swimming pool lift that brought tears of joy to users, to revolutionizing wheelchair design. But that’s not where it started. It started back in Kharagpur, when a young Swostik was fascinated with science and social-science exhibitions. While other kids didn’t really like project assignments, his eyes would light up at the chance to build something new. The science dream came true when he joined IIT Madras. On just his third day on campus, during a routine call, a senior asked, "Who knows coding?" Swostik raised his hand, but what he said next just can’t be guessed: "I don't want to code. I want to build." And the social science dream did not take long to merge when as a graduate student at IIT Madras, Swostik built his first life-changing device: a swimming pool lift for people with disabilities. "I was amazed by how powerful an impact simple mechanical device actually makes in their life," Swostik recalls. "Everybody came and said 'Thank you, you built this, it has changed so much.” That moment planted a seed that would grow into something much bigger. After a stint at ITC, he made a decision that baffled many: he returned to IIT Madras as a research scholar to work on a standing wheelchair. Travelling across 40 locations in India, he met nearly 200 wheelchair users. Most were trapped inside their homes, some even had job offers but couldn't accept them because they had no way to commute. The problem wasn't just about mobility – it was about independence, dignity, and identity. This realization led to the birth of @neomotionlife, a company dedicated to building customized wheelchairs that could transform lives. Watch as we explore: 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:14 Coming to IIT Madras a dream come true for Swostik the builder 00:08:36 Pitching on Shark Tank 00:09:40 Why custom wheelchairs are needed 00:14:13 Running a for-profit business 00:19:38 How he got to start up in the assistive devices business 00:27:46 Centre for Innovation at IIT Madras 00:31:46 Being Student Head at the Centre of Innovation 00:34:08 Prof Sujatha and R2D2 lab at IIT Madras 00:36:45 Research work leading to successful startups at IIT Madras 00:39:54 Co-founders at NeoMotion 00:41:31 Pressure of getting a high-paying job vs building a startup 00:44:35 Hardware manufacturing in India and what lies ahead for NeoMotion 00:49:32 Journey from engineer to entrepreneur 00:51:11 Entrpreneurship ecosystem and funding support at IIT Madras 00:54:28 Building NeoMotion bootstrapped 00:58:03 Wrap References: NeoMotion- neomotion.in R2D2 Lab, IIT Madras- r2d2.iitm.ac.in NeoMotion pitch at Shark Tank India- https://youtu.be/Kj8rEolug-Q?si=Zcwe2zd8JHTi1Nj9 Centre for Innovation at IIT Madras- cfi.iitm.ac.in To know more about what makes IIT Madras- the Best Place to Build- hit https://www.bestplacetobuild.com/

SDSwostik Sourav Dashguest

Nov 15, 2024·1h 5m·Watch on YouTube ↗

📖 CHAPTERS

1. 1

   NeoMotion’s mission: everyday mobility as “freedom”

   The host frames IIT Madras as a hub for builders, then Swostik introduces NeoMotion’s core idea: making mobility simple and independent for wheelchair users, elderly people, and persons with disabilities. Instead of “selling a wheelchair,” he describes building a personal mobility vehicle that restores spontaneity—going out without elaborate planning or dependence.

2. 2

   Why customization matters: the one-size-fits-all wheelchair problem

   Swostik explains why standard wheelchairs in India often fail users: poor fit, poor ergonomics, and downstream health complications. He uses a vivid analogy—forcing everyone to wear size-14 shoes—to show why custom fitting should be normal, especially for something used 8–10 hours a day.

3. 3

   Shark Tank as category creation and awareness engine

   The conversation turns to Shark Tank as a marketing moment that helps NeoMotion educate a country unfamiliar with wheelchair specs and customization. Swostik emphasizes that they’re building a new category and must teach users what “good” looks like, especially in a market anchored to low-cost commodity products.

4. 4

   For-profit vs “social enterprise”: building sustainability and efficiency

   Swostik addresses the Sharks’ common question: is NeoMotion a social venture or a business? He argues for-profit structure is essential for long-term impact because it forces efficiency and aligns the builder directly with end-user needs rather than donor preferences.

5. 5

   Working with NGOs and CSR without becoming donor-dependent

   They explore how NeoMotion collaborates with NGOs and CSR programs while keeping a market-driven product focus. Swostik explains how a company can serve as a central bridge across multiple nonprofits and sponsors, enabling broader distribution without being locked into any single agenda.

6. 6

   Origin story: IIT Madras, KV science fairs, and the first assistive-tech project

   Swostik traces his builder identity back to Kendriya Vidyalaya science exhibitions and then to IIT Madras Mechanical/Product Design. His entry into assistive tech begins with a master’s thesis under Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan—building a swimming pool lift—where field trials revealed how “small” mechanical devices can transform lives.

7. 7

   From factory engineer to founder: returning to IIT and discovering the real mobility gap

   After graduating, Swostik works at ITC in a factory/plant environment but misses direct user impact. He returns to IIT as a research scholar, works on a standing wheelchair, and travels extensively—40+ locations, ~200 users—discovering that the biggest barrier isn’t only mobility, but economic independence and the ability to reach work and life opportunities.

8. 8

   Product roadmap: beyond one device to life “touchpoints” (standing, seating, daily living)

   Swostik explains how NeoMotion plans future products by listening to demand signals—30,000+ inquiries and recurring needs. The roadmap includes customized seating (including joystick control), the NeoStand standing wheelchair for eye-level interaction, and assistive solutions for activities of daily living like toileting and bathing.

9. 9

   CFI (Centre for Innovation): the culture of building and Swostik’s leadership lessons

   The discussion moves to CFI’s role in shaping builders. Swostik describes being pulled into CFI within days of arriving on campus, spending nights building aircraft projects, and later leading CFI—shifting from personal making to enabling others through knowledge transfer, project acceleration, and administrative/fundraising work.

10. 10

    R2D2 Lab and Prof. Sujatha: research-to-startup pipeline at IIT Madras

    Swostik details Prof. Sujatha’s long commitment to assistive tech and the creation of the R2D2 Center (Rehabilitation Research and Device Development). They discuss how IIT Madras increasingly pushes research beyond prototypes into commercialization, using models like joint development and joint patent ownership between IIT and startups.

11. 11

    Co-founders and career tradeoffs: choosing mission over high-paying jobs

    Swostik introduces co-founders Ashish and Siddharth, their CFI roots, and how each moved from strong conventional career paths toward NeoMotion. They discuss the pressure students feel to chase high-paying roles and hype cycles, and how exposure to entrepreneurial role models builds confidence to take the startup path.

12. 12

    Manufacturing in India and going global: first-principles design as an edge

    They discuss India’s global perception challenges in hardware quality and manufacturing reliability. Swostik argues it’s changing (citing Ather) and says NeoMotion’s commitment to first-principles design—not reverse engineering—creates differentiated value that can travel internationally; early checks in Europe/US show product-market fit signals.

13. 13

    Bootstrapping, grants, and “learning business”: mentors, money, and unlearning engineering habits

    Swostik describes the mindset transition from engineer to entrepreneur as constant unlearning and relearning—especially in sales and marketing. He credits IITM Incubation Cell for mentors, seed support and grants, but explains NeoMotion chose to avoid traditional VC timelines, focusing instead on becoming self-sustaining through lean execution, grants, and debt for working capital.

14. 14

    What’s next: scaling users, exports, and CFI’s expanding role

    In the wrap-up, Swostik shares NeoMotion’s scale so far (~5,200 users) and frames it as the start of a long marathon. Priorities include building a more efficient growth engine (sales/marketing/after-sales), expanding to 1 lakh users, preparing export regulatory clearances, and continuing to strengthen CFI as a discovery engine for builders.