How Robotics is Reshaping Surgery and Public Health in India
By Arunima Rajan
As Indian hospitals embrace robotic surgery, the technology is redefining patient care. But can it bridge the healthcare divide, or will it be confined to the rich?
At Bangalore’s Kauvery Hospital, robotic technology is more than just an experiment. The technology is deployed across a range of procedures and surgeries, including kidney transplants and bypass operations. Kauvery is one of many hi-tech hospitals in India where India's robotics revolution in medicine is taking hold, surgical robots and human surgeons working side by side.
In the US and China, robotic systems are becoming commonplace, automating everything from surgery to pharmacy dispensing, rehabilitation and hospital logistics. In India, high costs, infrastructure challenges and lack of trained professionals mean that robotic healthcare is the exception rather than the norm. While private hospitals invest in cutting-edge systems, public hospitals — which serve the majority of the population — struggle with basic infrastructure, let alone automation.
Robot-assisted surgery lets doctors tackle complex procedures through a tiny incision. In India, where open operations still dominate about 70% of all procedures, this minimally invasive method is a game-changer. For patients, it promises fewer complications, lesser pain and blood loss, smaller scars, shorter hospital stays and a quicker return to the daily routine.
Dr. Nagesh R, Medical Administrator, Kauvery, sees robotics as more than just an experiment. “The hospital has installed the Da Vinci surgical robot, a state-of-the-art system designed for soft-tissue procedures,” he says. “This technology is utilised across multiple specialties, including robotic kidney transplants, robotic coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), minimally invasive thoracic surgeries, gastrointestinal and oncology surgeries, thyroid surgeries and urological procedures.” The hospital has also adopted MAKO, a robotics platform for joint replacements, ensuring minimal post-operative pain and faster recovery.
But beyond these hi-tech centres, what can patients expect? Can India’s healthcare system — vast, underfunded and deeply unequal — provide such advanced facilities to the multitudes who throng its doors in the hope of inexpensive but effective treatment? Is it ready for large-scale robotics adoption? Who will have access to them, and at what cost? Will robotics remain a hi-tech tool for a few, or can India scale up these innovations enough to transform patient care across the country?
How Robots Aid Healthcare
Robots are increasingly being used in healthcare to improve efficiency and patient care. Robots that clean and disinfect help reduce hospital-acquired infections by using UV-C light or hydrogen peroxide vapours, widely used to maintain hygiene, especially in maternal and neonatal care. These robots played a key role in India during the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring sterile environments while protecting frontline workers. Safety and monitoring robots leverage AI-assisted vision and telepresence systems to track vitals, communicate with patients and reduce the burden on overstretched medical staff. With India’s large aging population and staff shortage, these robots offer round-the-clock patient monitoring. Surgical robots were introduced in India in 2006 and have grown steadily, with over 12,800 robotic-assisted surgeries performed by 2019. As more surgeons get trained and demand rises, robotics surgery is set to expand further.
The global market for medical robots is forecast to reach USD 35 billion by 2030 from USD 10.6 billion in 2021. According to a SWOT analysis on robot-assisted surgery published in the Indian Journal of Urology, India’s first urological robotic system was installed at AIIMS, New Delhi, in 2006, six years after the da Vinci system received FDA approval in the US.
At Kauvery Hospital, robotic-assisted surgery is changing how patients recover. Compared with traditional procedures, robotic techniques are leading to shorter hospital stays and fewer complications. Patients undergoing CABG, for example, are often mobile within a day and discharged by the fourth, while conventional surgery typically requires at least a week’s stay in the hospital. In cases of prostate surgery, robotic procedures have cut hospital stays from 10 days to three.Hospitals are also adjusting to the operational impact. In just over a year, Kauvery has performed 500 robotic procedures, a pace that puts it among the busiest centres in Asia.
Robotic technology is reshaping the surgical experience for the medical staff too. “In surgery, and possibly other areas of healthcare, robots can ease automation and manual labour,” said Dr. Stephanie Jones, a pediatric surgeon at Valley Children’s Healthcare, in an email interview with Healthcare Executive. Certain procedures strain surgeons and operating room staff, and robotic systems serve to reliably ease the pressure. These systems assist with retraction, enhance precision and offer a level of dexterity superior to traditional laparoscopy.
Robotics solutions also address an often-overlooked issue: fatigue. Hours of operating can take a toll on the surgeon and support staff. Jones pointed out that robotics may help extend the careers of surgeons and surgical technologists by reducing physical strain. Pediatric surgeons, in particular, are increasingly using robotics to perform procedures that once required open surgery.
The high cost of robotic surgery has kept it out of reach of many hospitals, but that is starting to change. The Da Vinci system, imported from the US, costs ₹10–12 crore, an investment few resource-constrained facilities can afford. Now, Indian manufacturers are introducing lower-cost alternatives which cost a fraction of that.
This shift is already transforming access. Hospitals in smaller cities such as Nashik, Belagaviand Pune are beginning to offer robotic surgery, following the same trajectory as laparoscopy. The latter was once confined to large metropolitan centres but is now ubiquitous. Orthopedic robotics is also expanding, making joint replacements more precise and accessible in hospitals outside major urban hubs.
As costs drop and more hospitals adopt the technology, robotic surgery is moving from being a specialised tool to a more widely available option. The challenge now is not just affordability but ensuring that hospitals have the infrastructure and trained personnel to use these systems effectively. The question is no longer whether robotic surgery will spread — but how quickly.
SSI Mantra
Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai is now using the SSI Mantra, an indigenous system developed by Delhi based SS Innovations and approved by CDSCO. Designed for complex procedures across multiple specialties — including urology, gynecology, cardiology and general surgery — the system integrates advanced features such as telesurgery and teleproctoring, which is the ability to remotely guide a surgeon in real time, through a live video feed, on performing a procedure.
Unlike earlier robotic platforms, the SSI Mantra offers a modular multi-arm setup, 3D 4K visualisation and ergonomic controls to improve surgical precision. With more than 40 robotic endo-surgical instruments, it enables minimally invasive procedures that reduce scarring, carry lower infection risks and shorten recovery times.
“At Kokilaben Hospital, a recent kidney tumour surgery highlighted how robotic-assisted techniques are being used for complex procedures. Surgeons needed to remove the tumour while preserving kidney function — a task that would have been more challenging with conventional methods.
The robotic system allowed for precise incisions and tumour removal with minimal disruption to surrounding tissue. The approach reduced post-operative complications and recovery time compared to open surgery.
As robotic systems become more common in operating rooms, their role continues to evolve, not just in assisting with procedures but in shaping surgical decision-making and patient outcomes,” says Dr. Shashikant Pawar, Chief Operating Officer, Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Navi Mumbai.
Made in India
Indian-made robotic systems are narrowing the cost gap with laparoscopic surgery, cutting consumable expenses by nearly a third, says Dr. Amitabh Singh, Senior Consultant, Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre (RGCIRC). While robotic procedures currently cost ₹80,000 to ₹1 lakh more than ordinary surgery, lower-cost Indian alternatives and potential government support could make them more accessible. Faster recovery times also translate to lower hospital costs — patients undergoing open surgery stay five to six days, while robotic procedures allow discharge in two to three days. Expanding robotic surgery to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities and coupling it with telemedicine can improve access and affordability.
"Robotics is transforming healthcare, particularly in joint replacement, where precision surface preparation is crucial, and in urology, which demands high dexterity," says Prof. Sajal Sen, Chief Operating Officer, Assam Govt IIT Guwahati Healthcare Foundation. "The benefits — shorter hospital stays, minimal blood loss and fewer complications — are clear."
Apart from surgery, Sen notes that robotic systems are expanding into other areas of healthcare. "Remote patient monitoring is already improving home care by collecting real-time health data, while sanitation robots are reducing infection risks in hospitals and public spaces. Medicine dispensers, though useful, require frequent updates, making them costly. Rehabilitation and physiotherapy robots help with precise, repetitive therapy, easing the strain on caregivers. There’s also growing interest in robotics for elderly and disability care, particularly in mental health and companionship applications."
Economic and Accessibility Challenges
Despite these advancements, affordability remains a key challenge. "In India, skilled medical staff often serve as a viable alternative to high-cost robotic systems. However, robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is seeing the most investment, with more manufacturers entering the market. Open-source operating systems and standardised programming could help bring down costs, making robotics more accessible to government healthcare institutions," says Sen.
On concerns about automation replacing human workers, Sen says robots are designed to assist, not replace, healthcare professionals. “With the right regulatory framework, data security can also be effectively managed. The question now is not whether robotics will improve healthcare, but how to make it widely accessible."
Dr Omana Rajan, Managing Director of Life Care Family Clinic in Kottayam,Kerala, acknowledges this divide. “While robotics redefine precision, we need public private partnership models (PPP) models to bridge accessibility.” Policy Recommendations & Future Outlook.
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) unveiled its Draft National Robotics Strategy in 2023, aiming to position the country as a global robotics leader by 2030. The strategy focuses on manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and national security, pushing for wider adoption in these sectors. Public feedback was invited until October 31, 2023. As of early 2025, MeitY is still reviewing responses, with no roadmap announced yet.
For now, robotic technology in Indian healthcare is largely confined to elite hospitals. The divide isn’t just about technology; it’s about economics. High costs and limited training mean robotic surgery remains out of reach for most patients and hospitals. To bridge the gap, policymakers must prioritise PPPs, subsidise indigenous robotic systems and invest in training. Without these interventions, robotics will be confined to a privileged few, rather than become a pillar of India’s healthcare transformation.
