India | 7 years | Assistive Tech
Founded by Hunny Bhagchandani, Torchit is reimagining assistive technology by placing independence, dignity, and innovation at the heart of mobility. Their solutions go beyond products—they’re building a nationwide infrastructure for accessibility and awareness, led by and for people with disabilities.
What are they building?
Torchit empowers people with disabilities through:
- Saarthi Smart Cane – a handheld device with obstacle detection for safer, confident navigation.
- Jyoti AI Glasses – smart eyewear that reads text, recognizes faces, and interprets environments.
- Saksharta Kit – a comprehensive toolset for education and self-reliance.
- Enablemart Centers – physical hubs run by persons with disabilities offering demos, training, and direct access to assistive devices.
Their tech-enabled approach combines innovation with real-world accessibility, meeting users where they are: at home, at work, or in transit.
The why?
The spark that ignited Torchit wasn’t just a business idea — it was a deeply personal moment during co-founder Hunny Bhagchandani’s time as an engineering student. While interning at the Blind People’s Association (BPA) in Ahmedabad, he witnessed a mentor — a visually impaired man he had grown close to — suffer a serious accident while walking independently. The experience was a turning point.
That night, Hunny opened up an old torch, inserted basic sensors, and built a crude prototype that could detect obstacles and vibrate to warn users. When he brought it back to BPA the next day, the reactions were unforgettable. The device may have been simple, but its impact was immediate.
That’s when the name TorchIt was born — from the idea of turning a simple torch into a tool for dignity. It wasn’t about light. It was about enlightenment. That day was more than just the start of a product. It was the birth of a movement — a journey to build inclusive, affordable, and scalable assistive technologies that ensure no person with a disability ever has to fear walking outside alone again.
As an engineer with a purpose-driven upbringing, Hunny couldn’t accept a world where millions of people were excluded simply because the system wasn’t designed for them. That belief shaped Torchit’s mission: to empower people with disabilities through accessible technologies — and to position India as a global manufacturing hub for assistive innovation, exporting dignity to the world.
SEED Inclusivity Program Journey
The SEED Inclusivity Program marked a pivotal chapter in Torchit’s growth—bringing both visionary clarity and global credibility. Through the program, Torchit shifted its focus from building individual products to designing inclusive systems at scale. One of the biggest milestones was the successful launch of five Enablemart Experience & Sensitization Centres, including one in partnership with the Government of India’s Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. These centers, entirely operated by persons with disabilities, now serve 300+ visitors monthly and generate consistent revenue—providing livelihood, training, and awareness in local communities.
Throughout the program, the team embraced Seedstars’ experimentation methodology by integrating real-world feedback loops and rapid iteration, particularly to adapt their Saksharta Kits for diverse user groups. A key enabler was the Sigma platform, which helped Torchit streamline execution, align core and extended teams, and manage activities across multiple states. Even as a scaling company, Torchit found Sigma valuable for bringing structure into fast-paced operations.
The global brand equity and network provided by Seedstars also helped Torchit fast-track government and CSR partnerships that might have taken years to develop. The support of mentors like Ryan Gersava, who brought strategic clarity week after week, and experts like Archie Moberly, Tom Sebastian, and Micha through powerful storytelling and execution workshops, helped Torchit sharpen its approach, refine its impact, and strengthen its story.
Recent Achievements
- Expanded from 8 to 20+ Enablemart Experience & Sensitization Centres across India
- These centers now serve 6,000+ monthly visitors and generate $15,000+ USD in combined monthly revenue
- Partnered with the Government of India’s Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment to run disability-led Enablemart Centres
- Fast-tracked CSR and government partnerships, accelerating the distribution of assistive solutions nationwide
- Featured in Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 – Social Impact (2024) for pioneering inclusive, scalable assistive technology solutions
“SEED Inclusivity didn’t just help us scale a business — it helped us scale dignity, systems, and the belief that inclusive innovation can become a global movement when the right people stand behind it.”
— Prem Katar