This Bengaluru Couple’s Swivel Car Seat Has Helped 1000+ People With Disabilities Travel Again

A swivel car seat is an assistive mechanism fitted beneath an existing vehicle seat. It rotates outward toward the open door, making the transfer between a wheelchair or standing position and the car safer and less physically demanding. This matters because entering a vehicle can otherwise require several people, awkward lifting, or abandoning a trip.

The seat first faces the door, so the passenger can sit down without climbing deep into the cabin. It then swivels 90 degrees back into the vehicle. Rashmi Sampath says this made lifting her 55-kilogram daughter, Deeksha, much easier. Deeksha could also sleep comfortably during a long journey.

TRUE Assistive Technology designed TurnPlus for existing car seats. The mechanism sits underneath and does not permanently alter the vehicle. The family used it for a journey of nearly 1,000 kilometres from Bengaluru to Kanyakumari, taking only two breaks.

TRUE Assistive Technology says its products have enabled mobility for over 1,000 users across India. The company develops tools for people who cannot safely or easily transfer into vehicles. Its work addresses a practical barrier that can prevent families from travelling, even when a vehicle is available.

The products support people with several conditions and mobility challenges. These include paralysis, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, post-polio complications, spinal injuries, spinal muscular atrophy, and age-related mobility issues. Its offerings include swivel seats, portable ramps, transfer systems, and wheelchair-accessible vehicle modifications.

The company began after a 2013 project to design a swivel seat for the Toyota Corolla Altis. The founders later expanded the design to fit nearly 80 percent of Indian car models. They formally established TRUE Assistive Technology in 2022, after early demand showed a genuine need in India.

Safer, more comfortable transfers can change travel from a difficult logistical task into a realistic family activity. Relatives may no longer need to lift someone manually or make several people coordinate around the car. That reduces physical effort and makes journeys easier to plan.

Rashmi Sampath describes this change with her daughter Deeksha, who has spinal muscular atrophy and weighs 55 kilograms. Earlier, lifting Deeksha into the car was exhausting. With a rotating seat, she could sit while facing the door, then rotate into the vehicle. During a drive from Bengaluru to Kanyakumari, she stayed comfortable, slept on the seat, and needed only two breaks.

The broader effect is independence and possibility. A trip that once seemed too demanding can become something a family looks forward to. The article presents this as a shift from frequent compromises to safer, more accessible everyday mobility.

TRUE Assistive Technology was founded by engineers Naina Padaki and Anand Kutre. Before starting the company, Naina worked in software and compliance engineering, while Anand worked in the automotive sector. Together, they had more than two decades of engineering experience.

Their path began in 2013, when Toyota approached them to design a swivel seat for the Corolla Altis. The prototype appeared at an auto show but was too expensive to gain traction. The couple then explored how to bring a more suitable solution to India. Their time living in the United States also influenced them. They had seen disabled people participating independently in everyday life.

They bootstrapped the venture with income from consulting assignments. An article later brought families to them directly. After serving their first hundred customers, they recognised genuine demand and expanded the design to fit nearly 80 percent of Indian car models.

The founders avoided permanent vehicle changes because many owners need their cars to remain practical and valuable. Structural modifications could affect warranties, insurance, or resale value. They also did not want users to leave vehicles in garages for days during installation.

TurnPlus uses the car's existing seat rather than replacing or cutting into the vehicle. Its patented mechanism is installed beneath the seat, allowing it to rotate outward toward the door. The original seat remains intact, so the passenger can transfer more safely while the vehicle keeps its familiar interior.

The system is also designed for convenience after installation. TRUE brings the product to the customer's doorstep, rather than requiring the vehicle to stay at a workshop. If the owner later sells the car, the mechanism can be removed. The founders expanded the design to fit nearly 80 percent of Indian car models.

The provided excerpt does not list specific barriers that wheelchair users face after they are inside a car. It does, however, show that vehicle travel involves more than starting the engine. Getting into the vehicle can require multiple people, unsafe lifting techniques, or deciding that a trip is not worth the effort.

The article also says mobility challenges rarely end once someone gets into a car. It begins to describe wheelchair users who needed a safer way to enter vehicles without being manually lifted, but the excerpt ends before explaining further solutions. Earlier examples mention the need for portable ramps, transfer systems, and wheelchair-accessible vehicle modifications.

Therefore, the clear documented barrier is transfer into the vehicle, not a full list of post-entry problems. The wider implication is that accessible travel needs several connected solutions, rather than one device alone. The source does not provide further details about barriers inside the car.

Assistive technology is a tool, device, or modification that helps people perform everyday activities more safely or independently. It matters because accessibility should not depend only on a person changing their body, behaviour, or expectations. The surrounding environment can also be designed to reduce barriers.

TRUE Assistive Technology applies this idea to cars. Its TurnPlus seat rotates outward, allowing a passenger to sit while facing the door before moving into the cabin. Portable ramps, transfer systems, and wheelchair-accessible vehicle modifications address related mobility needs. These solutions adapt the vehicle to the user, rather than requiring families to lift someone awkwardly.

The article shows why this approach matters in practice. Rashmi Sampath once found lifting her 55-kilogram daughter exhausting. With the rotating seat, Deeksha travelled nearly 1,000 kilometres comfortably. The founders also designed products for existing cars, helping accessibility fit everyday Indian vehicles without permanent structural changes.