Guest bio
- Founder of Jaipur Foot (BMVSS), the world's largest provider of free artificial limbs, with over two million fittings since 1975.
- Chaired SEBI from 1995 to 2002, introducing rolling settlement and futures and options trading in India's markets.
- Was Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, widening credit to small-scale and priority sectors.
D. R. Mehta is a finance professional, reformer and social entrepreneur, and the founder of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti (BMVSS), known as Jaipur Foot, the world's largest provider of free artificial limbs, calipers and other aids. Since 1975 it has made more than two million fittings, free of charge, and with partners such as Stanford and MIT developed the Jaipur Knee, named by Time as one of the 50 best inventions of 2009. A member of the Indian Administrative Service, he was Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, widening credit to small-scale and priority sectors, and chairman of SEBI from 1995 to 2002, modernising India's market infrastructure, strengthening investor protection and introducing rolling settlement and futures and options trading. He studied at Rajasthan University, the Royal Institute of Public Administration in London and MIT Sloan.
Show notes
This week on Money Majlis XTRA, we travel to Jaipur for a truly uplifting conversation with D. R. Mehta, the visionary founder of Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti - better known as Jaipur Foot.
Mr. Mehta’s life work has restored dignity and mobility to millions, offering hope where there was once despair. In this episode, you’ll hear how his relentless pursuit of innovation and service has made Jaipur Foot the world’s largest provider of free prosthetic limbs and mobility aids for the differently-abled.
Mr. Mehta shares the remarkable journey of Jaipur Foot, which began in 1975 with just 59 prosthetic fittings and has now crossed two million fitments, all provided free of charge and often completed within a single day. He recounts the fascinating story behind the Jaipur Foot’s design - a product of local ingenuity, collaboration with global institutions like Stanford and MIT, and a deep understanding of the unique needs of users in India and beyond. You’ll learn how the organization’s ethos of frugal innovation led to the creation of the Jaipur Knee, recognized by Time magazine as one of the world’s best inventions, and why BMVSS never patents its designs, ensuring their solutions can reach as many people as possible.
Beyond his humanitarian achievements, Mr. Mehta reflects on his distinguished career as a public servant, including his transformative leadership at SEBI and the Reserve Bank of India. He discusses the reforms that shaped India’s financial markets and his commitment to expanding access to banking for underserved communities.
Discover how BMVSS keeps its administrative costs below 3%, the role of crowdfunding and partnerships in sustaining its work in India and over 40 other countries, and the organization’s embrace of Kaizen philosophy and new digital technologies like 3D printing to further its mission.
For the first 100 listeners who select Jaipur Foot on our giving website moneymajlis.com/giving, a $50 donation will be made on your behalf, thanks to our sponsors. If you’re inspired by Mr. Mehta’s story, don’t miss this chance to make a difference. Tune in, share the episode, and join us in supporting a movement that changes lives every day.
This episode was made possible with the generous assistance of Mr S S Bhandari, executive president of BMVSS (Jaipur Foot).
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