Giving seniors the power to reclaim their everyday joys

By Abhishek Sharma

For those who thought a wheelchair meant dependence, Frido is rewriting their story – turning limitations into liberation, and everyday struggles into everyday joys. Frido’s products are giving seniors the freedom to move, relax, and live life on their own terms.

“We aren’t just building wheelchairs; we’re blending style, technology, and empathy,” said Ms Vaidehi, a sales and marketing representative of Frido, while sharing insights into the company’s philosophy at their stall in the Eldercare India Expo 2025, held at the India Expo Centre & Mart in Greater Noida.

“We started in 2015 as just a wheelchair brand,” she recalls. “Back then, the company was called Arcatron Mobility. But as time passed, we realised comfort shouldn’t be limited to people with disabilities. Why not extend it to everyone?” she stated.

“With time, we started realising that just a wheelchair is not the only comfort that we can give to people,” Ms Vaidehi added.

That simple yet powerful thought became the blueprint for a whole new world of ergonomic comfort. What began with wheelchairs soon grew into a thoughtfully curated range of products, including soft cervical neck pillows, specialized insoles and mattresses.

However, wheelchairs continue to be an important part of their product range. Ms Vaidehi informs “There are three categories of wheelchairs: shower and hygiene wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs.”

The shower and hygiene wheelchairs, she says, are one of the company’s most thoughtful innovations. “They allows users to shower and use the toilet independently, without the need of physical assistance.”

Frido has grown tremendously over the last 10 years. What started as a company of just five people in 2015 is now a company of over 350. Sales-wise and in terms of the growth the company has grown 500 times from the time it started. “Today, we even provide our wheelchairs to the Indian Army,” she says with pride.

The company invests in technology to make its wheelchairs better. The wheelchairs come with a discreet red brake knob for safety, smooth joystick navigation for control, and a battery that lasts 70 kilometres on a single charge—at a top speed of 15 km/h.

“Our wheelchairs are not just for indoors or tiled floorings,” Ms Vaidehi says with a smile. “You can take them over small stones on the road too. Of course, not very big stones, but the smaller ones.”

(The writer is a first-year student of media at KCC Institutes in Greater Noida.)

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