National Sample Survey Organization of India, a highly reputed scientific and statistical organization of Government of India prepared a Report {No. 485 – NSS 58th round} on the disabled persons in India in December 2003. According to this report 1.008% of India’s population (one billion), suffer from loco-motor disabilities (paralysis; deformity of limbs; loss of limbs; dysfunction of joints of limbs and other deformities). This means that over ten million people suffer from loco-motor disability in India. In short the problem of loco-motor disability in terms of sheer numbers is massive.
          In 1975 or earlier there were hardly one or two institutions in India, fitting artificial limbs and providing other aids and appliances. One of them was dedicated solely to the amputees from the armed forces and only its surplus capacity of a few hundred limbs was available for the civilians. Thus, there was an urgent need to augment the facilities for limb fitment by setting up of more institutions like BMVSS.
Besides, in the earlier years there was a problem of design. In the seventies only the traditional limbs were being made in India. The foot pieces were of SACH design and made of laminated wood and rubber. The sockets of such limbs were made of wood. The resultant artificial limbs were very heavy and cumbersome in use. The percentage of rejection of such limbs was very high. Besides, the time taken to manufacture a custom made limb was several weeks if not months. Further they were very expensive and beyond the reach of most of the amputees.
Jaipur Foot / Limb provided an alternative. Jaipur Foot was developed in 1968. It was made of rubber of different types, wood etc, making it a multi-flex foot, closest to the human foot in functional terms. The socket of the Jaipur Limb was initially made of aluminum replacing the wood, making the limb comparatively lighter.
          Further, Jaipur Foot / Limb could be made easily and rapidly (in some cases in one day), using locally available materials and craftsmanship.
          However, despite these features of Jaipur Foot, in the first seven years, from 1968 to March 1975 (when BMVSS was setup), hardly 50 limbs could be fitted by the persons and organization dealing with it then. What was needed was an organization which could manufacture Jaipur Foot / Limbs on a mass scale, and combine this technology with a social philosophy value system and patient-centric management practices to serve large number of amputees humanely.
          It was also necessary that the Jaipur Foot / Limb technology should be subjected to continuous up-gradation by providing technical, financial and managerial support. For this a multi-disciplinary approach and combination of experts from different fields like Orthopedics, Prosthetics, Social work and Philanthropy was needed.
          BMVSS addressing these aspects could immediately make its presence felt. Owing to BMVSS, taking up mass manufacturing with modern management techniques and financial support from the public coupled with a proper value system focused on the self respect in dignity of patients, in the next seven years (1975-1982) over 10,583 limbs could be fitted. The patients from all parts of India started coming to Jaipur. Now, every year BMVSS fits 17,000 - 20,000 artificial limbs. The work has spread all over India, through sixteen branches of BMVSS. Further, almost 40-50 on-the-spot-limb-fitment-mobile-camps are held in a year, reaching the most disadvantaged people in the far and distant areas. As already stated earlier, BMVSS is the largest organization for the handicapped in the world.  
          While, adhering to the technical requirement, an institution with the focus on poor was a dire need in India. BMVSS did this by providing limbs and other aids and appliances to the poor FREE of charge and without institutional rigidities. The quality of Jaipur Foot / limbs and other aids and appliances attracts well to do persons also, but the focus of BMVSS is on meeting the needs of the poor. Indeed, Jaipur Foot / Limb project is not merely a technical project but an amalgam of technical, social, financial and managerial aspects.

BMVSS supported more than 30 artificial limb fitting independent institutions in the country by transferring its technology and giving training to their personal.

To reach out the poor patients in rural areas of India the static institutional approach was supplemented with the camp approach for on-the-sport-limb- manufacturing and fitment, which was not possible with the traditional design and manufacturing process earlier. 
BMVSS, has also held camps in 20 countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America and fitted more than 15,000 artificial limbs over time.
One of the reasons for increasing spread is the constant effort to up grade the technology. For example of foot pieces some of the well-known suppliers of different types of rubber are helping us. Some structural changes in the design of foot pieces have also been made. For the socket making aluminum has been replaced by lighter but high quality polymers are being used. Further for ensuring proper alignment of limbs latest standard alignment systems like wall frames, laser liners, brims have been blended with Jaipur Limb technology. The total contact socket, have also been introduced in Jaipur Limb. An institution like BMVSS, without any mindset on the technological front was needed. It is worth stressing that the blending of the scientific principles of prosthetic science with the rich traditional craftsmanship was necessary and this led to the birth of BMVSS. As a result of this the product of BMVSS are comparable to those produce by commercial organization / institutions. This also highlights the social philosophy of BMVSS namely that while the poor are being given products FREE of charge the institution doing so has a greater responsibility to ensure better quality.