From Delhi To The World: RGCIRC’s Remote Robotic Surgery Marks A Milestone In Indian Healthcare

In a quiet operating room at the Delhi-based Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (RGCIRC), a patient underwent life-saving kidney surgery. But the lead surgeon wasn’t in the room. In fact, he wasn’t even in the same city.

Instead, Dr. Sudhir Rawal, one of India’s leading uro-oncologists, sat behind a robotic console nearly 50 kilometres away in Gurugram, Haryana. Using the indigenously developed SS Mantra 3 surgical robot, Dr. Rawal, Medical Director and Chief of Genito-Uro-Oncology Department at RGCIRC performed a robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy surgery while his patient was miles away. The entire procedure unfolded live before an international audience of medical experts at ERUS25, Europe’s leading robotic urology congress held in London.

For the patient, it meant a shorter hospital stay, minimal pain, and the comfort of receiving world-class care. For India, it meant something more profound — a moment where hope, innovation, and skill came together to redefine what healthcare can look like in the future.

“It felt no different than operating in person,” said Dr. Rawal. “But the impact of such technology means everything. It could bring the best surgical care to remote hospitals, even in places where specialists aren’t physically present.”

The feat was made possible through the smooth network, ensuring an ultra-low latency of just 32 milliseconds. There were no interruptions. The patient was stable and discharged the very next day.

But beyond the technical achievement lies a deeper positive story — of access, of empowerment, and of what it means for patients living far from the super-specialty zones of urban India.

“This isn’t just about technology,” said DS Negi, CEO of RGCIRC. “It’s about equity. It’s about making sure that someone in a small town in Bihar or the Northeast can receive the same level of surgical care as someone in a metro. That’s the real promise of what we’re building.”

The robot used, the SS Mantra 3, was developed by SS Innovations, a company founded by Indian-American surgeon Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, with the vision of creating affordable, high-quality surgical robotics tailored for Indian conditions.

“To see this robot — designed, built, and now successfully used in India — showcased on a global stage is deeply emotional,” said Dr. Srivastava. “It’s a validation that world-class healthcare need not come with a foreign label or a heavy price tag.”

"We are confident that this success will inspire wider adoption of robotics across the country and abroad.”

The success of the live surgery at ERUS25 was met with applause by experts from across the globe. It proved that Indian institutions and doctors are not just consumers of medical innovation — they are now leading it.

India’s entry into the future of telesurgery, experts say, could transform health care, particularly in remote and underserved areas. Senior surgeons will soon be able to guide procedures across states, mentor young doctors remotely, and offer patients access to specialists they could never have reached otherwise, said the experts.