India ready to be Global Leader in Robotic Surgery by 2030; Experts

Union health minister JP Nadda on Saturday said India was at an “exciting juncture” in healthcare innovation, with strengths in technology, artificial intelligence, digital health and a rapidly expanding ecosystem of surgical robotics.

 “India has the opportunity not merely to adopt the technology of the future but innovate, develop and lead,” said Mr Nadda, while addressing Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS) India 2026 conference through a video message. He said the country was increasingly becoming an important global destination for healthcare innovation and advanced surgical technology.

 As per the data presented in the conference, Delhi NCR has 39 hospitals with robotic systems, while 11 hospitals have more than one such system, making the region the country’s leading hub for robotic-system installations. The number of robotic-assisted procedures in the region has risen sharply from 2,257 in 2021 to 3,594 in 2022, 5,024 in 2023, 7,595 in 2024 and 10,937 in 2025 — an almost five-fold increase in four years.

 The experts said that India is rapidly emerging as a major centre for robotic surgery, with Delhi NCR leading the country in both robotic-system installations and the volume of robotic-assisted procedures, according to experts. The conference brought together the global organisation’s international meeting to Asia for the first time and highlighting India’s growing capabilities in advanced, minimally invasive and robotic-assisted surgery.

“Delhi NCR has emerged as a leading force in India’s robotic surgery journey, with the highest concentration of robotic-system installations in the country and a rapidly expanding volume of procedures,” said Dr Vivek Bindal, organising chairman, SRS India, and principal director and head, Department of Minimal Access, Bariatric and Robotic Surgery, Max Hospital, Delhi.

The rapid growth seen in Delhi is part of a wider national transformation. Across India, robotic-assisted procedures increased from 8,912 in 2021 to 44,857 in 2025, highlighting the accelerating adoption of robotic surgery nationwide.

Prof. Dr. Anup Kumar, Organising Chairman (Urology) and HOD, Department of Urology, Robotic and Renal Transplant, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, said” “India is now at a defining moment in robotic surgery. The rapid rise in robotic procedures—from 8,912 nationally in 2021 to 44,857 in 2025—shows how quickly the technology is being adopted and how clinical expertise is expanding across the country. India is moving beyond being a technology adopter and is developing the experience, infrastructure and surgical capabilities required to become a global force in robotic surgery. If this momentum continues, India has the potential to emerge as a global leader by 2030 and compete with, and potentially surpass, established leaders such as the US. This is a proud moment for Indian healthcare and a significant opportunity to place India at the forefront of the next generation of surgery.”

Adding another dimension to India’s telesurgery capabilities, Dr. Vivek Bindal, Organising Chairman, SRS India and Principal Director & Head, Department of Minimal Access, Bariatric & Robotic Surgery, Max Hospital, New Delhi, led a cross-border live robotic tele-surgery demonstration between India and China in partnership with BORNS Robotics. Surgeons at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Vaishali, remotely operated a robotic console located nearly 5,000 kilometres away in Chengdu, China, performing complex pre-clinical procedures with real-time precision. The demonstration highlighted the potential of robotic telesurgery to overcome geographical barriers and could lay the groundwork for extending super-specialist surgical expertise to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, while also enabling remote surgical training, tele-mentoring and cross-border clinical collaboration.