SGT University Launches Medical Cobotics Centre to Drive India’s MedTech Innovation

Shahid Akhter, Consulting Editor, FEHealthcare, spoke to Prof. Dr. Hemant Verma, Vice Chancellor, SGT University, to discuss the launch of the Medical Cobotics Centre and its potential to transform India’s R&D and MedTech innovation landscape.

 

How do you see India’s health research and development ecosystem evolving today?

The Research & Development sector has undergone a drastic change over a decade, and now the focus is shifting more towards the innovation-driven ecosystem. AI is the new wave in this transition. The government is also giving preference to innovation-based medical technology and AI in healthcare, which includes the strengthening of public health infrastructure through robotics and AI-based diagnostics, digital health solutions, and affordable indigenous medical devices.

SGT University has taken a significant step in this direction by setting up a Medical Cobotics Centre (MCC) in collaboration with I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics (IHFC), TIH of IIT Delhi. The MCC center will emerge as a major platform in the development of biomedical research.

 

What was the core idea or inspiration behind setting up the Medical Robotics Centre at SGT University?

We already have a state-of-the-art medical college and an 800+-bed hospital at SGT University. So, this center is envisioned to house cutting-edge technologies that will advance medical research in the areas of healthcare and robotics. It will also serve as an innovation hub for young startups in the medical field, providing a unique convergence point for doctors, engineers, and scientists. The main objective behind the setting up of the MCC center is to promote healthcare technologies that are indigenous, affordable, and scalable by providing a significant link between clinical needs and technological solutions. We take immense pride in sharing that SGT University is an early recipient of this grant, being the first private university working in the areas of assistive technology, medical simulation, digital health, cobotics, cognitive computing, and social sciences. 

 

Could you provide some information on the center's infrastructure and the contributions provided by institutional support and funding?

MCC at SGT University has been granted financial support of ₹0.75 crore, under which a monthly amount of ₹25,000 will be given to each selected project (to students) to facilitate their research work and innovation. The center has been built with a state-of-the-art infrastructure that comprises dedicated workstations, incubation space, a conference room, and a simulation lab with advanced features, all designed to serve as a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration and practical learning at the center. 

With the active support and guidance from IHFC-IIT Delhi, each project will be closely monitored, facilitated, and nurtured at every stage, right from the idea generation to prototyping and to product deployment. Apart from the financial support, the MCC will also extend the mentoring, technical guidance, and provision of incubation facilities that would help in the growth of startups, leading to the development of indigenous, low-cost, and scalable healthcare technologies that, in turn, will generate a vibrant ecosystem of medical innovation. 

 

What are your key expectations from this center in terms of research outcomes, student engagement, and industry partnerships?

Our focus is to see MCC turn into an eminent center in India for medical innovation, leading translational research, and creating the team of the future for healthcare innovation. 

In terms of student participation, it is imagined that a center with such facilities should accommodate a mobile and reforming education platform where medical, engineering, and life science students work together on real problems, getting exposed to interdisciplinary research, medical simulation, and startup incubation. Thus, MCC can be a med-tech startup incubator through the provision of grants, infrastructure, mentorship, and support from ideation to commercialization, thereby leading to the establishment of a community of young innovators in the med-tech space. 

 

How do you envision the center contributing to next-generation healthcare solutions such as robotic surgery, AI-driven diagnostics, or assistive technologies?

MCC aims to become the next-generation healthcare solutions center by promoting the usage of technology in the healthcare landscape, such as robotic surgery, AI-driven diagnostics, and assistive technologies in the future. The center also looks forward to converging medical knowledge with engineering and digital innovation to design inexpensive, easy-to-use, and community-friendly solutions, besides creating a more conducive environment for startups and industry partnerships to transform their ideas into healthcare innovation with societal impact.

 

What makes you most optimistic about the long-term impact this center can have on India’s MedTech ecosystem?

MCC will act as a true convergence hub, bringing together doctors, engineers, scientists, and startups to co-create solutions that address unique healthcare challenges. By combining cutting-edge research, startup incubation, and strong industry linkages, the Centre will accelerate the development of indigenous, affordable, and globally relevant MedTech innovations.