After 36 years apart, childhood friends Dr. Shilpa Gosavi, a renowned anatomy professor, and Atul Kherde, an inventive problem-solver, reconnected over a cup of chai in Pune. What started as a nostalgic reunion led to an unexpected Himalayan trek, where Shilpa revealed a disturbing observation from years of cadaver dissections — a noticeable deterioration in the leg veins of even young people, likely due to prolonged sitting and sedentary lifestyles. This chance conversation sparked an idea in Atul’s mind — could blood circulation be stimulated without people needing to stand?
That night, under a starry Himalayan sky, the concept of SitWalker was born. The idea was rooted in anatomy — using ankle movements to activate the calf muscles (the body’s natural blood pumps) without involving the knees. Most existing solutions relied on artificial vibration or compression, but Atul and Shilpa wanted to harness the body’s own mechanisms. Through sketches, prototypes, and rigorous validation, they formed Sushrut Designs and built the SitWalker device to improve blood flow while people remain seated, targeting issues like varicose veins, diabetic ulcers, and leg swelling.
