Kozhikode Keltron unit drives affordable healthcare with ₹8,000 hearing aid
The Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) is expanding its Kozhikode facility to become an electronics village, supported by a ₹1 crore budget allocation. The unit is gaining recognition for producing 'Shravan,' an affordable digital hearing aid that costs significantly less than private market alternatives.
Why it matters
It showcases how public sector manufacturing can bridge the accessibility gap in healthcare technology for low-income populations.
Once a modest assembly line for cathode-ray televisions, the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (Keltron) unit at Moodadi in Kozhikode district is today on the cusp of a major high-tech makeover.
Thanks to a fresh injection of ₹1 crore earmarked in the State’s latest budget, the facility is set to be transformed into a cutting-edge electronic village. Interestingly, its tech credentials are not just a promise for the future but the facility is already quietly changing lives across India.
The unit’s flagship success story is Shravan, a fully digital, programmable hearing aid designed and manufactured right on the workshop floor. “Our aim is to make this technology accessible to ordinary people while delivering the exact same quality offered by private brands,” Sreejith Sasidhara Kurup, unit head at Keltron, told The Hindu .
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