Taking Rehabilitation Beyond the Metro: The Story Behind AFL's Advanced Robotic Centre Network

For most patients in smaller cities and rural districts, accessing advanced rehabilitation after a stroke, spinal surgery, or neurological condition has meant one thing: travel. Often hours by road to the nearest city with specialist facilities. For many, this is simply not feasible.

AFL's Advanced Robotic Centre (ARC) network was built to change that.

Seven Centres, One Mission

Spread across seven locations in Odisha — Berhampur, Bhawanipatna, Nabrangpur, Koraput, Phulbani, Sambalpur, and Baripada — the ARC network brings robotic-assisted rehabilitation, movement analysis, and intelligent therapy systems directly to the communities that need them most.

Since January 2025, these centres have delivered over 15,000 sessions to more than 1,200 patients. People recovering from stroke, orthopaedic surgery, chronic back pain, and neurological conditions are receiving structured, technology-backed care without leaving their home districts.

The Technology

Each ARC is equipped with robotic-assisted therapy systems for guided motor retraining, virtual rehabilitation platforms with real-time feedback, movement analysis tools for assessing posture and gait, intelligent strength-training systems with adaptive resistance, and cardiopulmonary assessment equipment.

These are the same categories of technology found in specialist rehabilitation hospitals in Bengaluru, Mumbai, or Delhi. The difference is access.

A Model Worth Replicating

The ARC network in Odisha is a proof of concept for what decentralised rehabilitation infrastructure can look like in India. With the right technology partnerships, training, and institutional support, it is possible to bring high-quality rehabilitation care to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities at scale.

AFL is currently exploring similar models in other states. If you are a state health department, hospital, or institution interested in bringing this infrastructure to your region, we would like to hear from you.