The city chapter of a global network of young achievers has won an international grant for a project to 3D-print prosthetic limbs.

Three-dimensional printing or 3D printing is a process of making a physical object from a digital model.

The technology holds the promise of being cost effective and faster than conventional manufacturing.

The Calcutta chapter of Global Shapers Community - an initiative of the World Economic Forum that has 5,165 members across 452 global cities - is at work to print its first prosthetic arm. And the 3D printed prosthetic arm is expected to be ready for fitting this week.

Members of Global Shapers are expected to be "exceptional in their potential, their achievements and their drive to make a contribution to their communities".

The city chapter with 16 members, most of them young entrepreneurs, was one of the nine hubs of the international network that were chosen for the Abraaj Growth Markets Grant from 178 applicants.

The Abraaj Group, a partner of Global Shapers, aims to support projects that "resolve a critical challenge in growth markets" through the grant, which runs into several thousand dollars.

It chose the nine hubs for the introductory grant on the basis of "quality, efficiency, sustainability, scale of impact, consistency of measurement, and replicability".

The only other grant winner from India is the Indore chapter.

"As part of the project, Global Shapers Calcutta wants to provide customised 3D printed prosthetic arms to at least 20 amputees," Aryata Agarwal Jhawar, the curator of the city chapter, said.

The 31-year-old entrepreneur is an economics graduate from St. Xavier's College, Calcutta, and an MBA from Wharton school, US.

"This is a great opportunity for us to transform the lives of the disadvantaged, disabled people in our community.

"There will be many challenges as such an endeavour has never been attempted. However, we are confident that with the help and support of the Abraaj Group, the wider Global Shapers Community, and our local partners, we can make this possible."

Aryata has spent a couple of years working in the Silicon Valley as well.

The 3D printed arms will be myoelectric ones. "In the myoelectric arm, we amplify the electric properties of the muscle tissue from the upper arm to control the prosthetic device," Aryata said.

A prosthetic limb is highly customised and since "no one size fits all, 3D printing is the cheapest way to achieve high level of customisation".

"I can print arms for 20 people but that's not success. For me success is when everyone who needs an arm gets it. We intend to make the arm at one fourth the cost of what it is available in the market," Aryata said.

The Calcutta chapter of Global Shapers has put together a team of seven who are designing and developing the project in Bhubaneswar. For distribution, they have identified partners in various cities.

"The material could be wood or plastic but it is possible to have prosthetic limbs through 3D printing," said Emdadul Islam, the director of Birla Industrial and Technological Museum.