Mumbai-based early-stage assistive mobility venture ClearWay Mobility has introduced a smart attachment designed to add obstacle detection features to standard white canes used by visually impaired individuals. The product allows users to receive obstacle alerts through vibration and optional audio feedback without needing to replace their existing canes or rely on a smartphone.
The venture is founded by 17-year-old Jaiveer Talwar, a student at The Cathedral & John Connon School in Mumbai. The concept originated five years ago as a school science-fair project in 2021. Talwar pursued the idea due to an interest in the intersection of technology and entrepreneurship, focusing on the navigation challenges faced by visually impaired people in urban environments such as Mumbai.
To gain practical exposure to mobility challenges and assistive technologies, Talwar completed an internship with a prosthetics company in 2024. In 2026, a revised version of the ClearWay device underwent testing with students and teachers at the Smt. Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind in Mumbai. Feedback from the school visit highlighted the importance of simplicity, reliability, and ease of use in assistive devices. Additionally, feedback regarding the safety of visually impaired young women prompted the inclusion of GPS tracking, allowing family members to check the user's location when needed.
“What started as a school project became something I wanted to keep working on once I understood how real the problem was,” said Talwar. “The most useful learning has come from speaking to users and seeing what actually matters in everyday use.”
ClearWay Mobility has now entered the manufacturing stage, with an initial batch currently being produced. The venture's priorities for the device center on affordability, reliability, and ease of use, ensuring it functions independently without apps or smartphones. The design is intended to provide an additional layer of navigation information while keeping the traditional white cane at the center of the user's experience.
The next phase of operations will focus on refining the product through continued user feedback, collaborating with institutions for broader testing and deployment, and exploring methods to make the device accessible at scale.
"The development of ClearWay Mobility highlights the potential of addressing grassroots-level challenges through practical innovation. By focusing on an existing tool like the standard white cane rather than forcing users to adopt entirely new habits or expensive technology, the venture has built a product centered closely on user needs. For early-stage entrepreneurs, this user-driven approach and focus on affordability and reliability are fundamental to scaling assistive technologies effectively." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
