Hearing loss is a prevalent sensory impairment. According to a WHO estimate of 2023, about 430 million people in the world suffer from significant auditory impairment, including 63 million people from India. This impairment impacts an individual’s social interactions, emotional well-being, education, and employment opportunities. Hearing aids have evolved since the seventeenth century, yet the challenges with understanding human needs persist. This study aims to explore human-centric aspects (e.g., latent needs) around design of hearing aids in India. The methodology involves desk-based research along with qualitative interviews. Desk research involved a literature review and analysis of social media discourse (e.g., comments on platforms like YouTube) to understand human needs and aspirations around hearing aids. The semi-structured interviews were carried out with diverse user groups (including children with hearing impairment) to capture day-to-day use case scenarios. The study revealed critical design parameters of the hearing aids and key challenges in daily use. The insights shed light on the relationship between design of hearing aids and diverse user needs and aspirations. This study initiates a discourse on understanding/analyzing design of assistive products through the lens of human-centric needs. It encourages alignment of design with contextual challenges, paving the way for further innovation in assistive technologies.