IIT Gold Medalist Prof. Krishna Agarwal Impresses Young Indian MPs With Arctic IVF Innovation In Tromsø

Five young Indian MPs—Mr. Anup Sanjay Dhotre, Mr. Putta Mahesh Kumar, Mr. Sirgapoor Niranjan Reddy, Mr. Gowaal Kagada Padavi, and Ms. Priya Saroj, the youngest MP in India at 26—received a rare firsthand look at Norway’s Arctic innovation ecosystem on 7 November, when they visited Tromsø for a programme hosted by ProTromsø. Among the key highlights of the visit was an exclusive session with Prof. Krishna Agarwal, Founder & CEO of Spermotile and Professor at UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

Prof. Agarwal showcased Spermotile, the award-winning deep-tech device she developed to enhance sperm selection in IVF/ICSI treatments. Combining AI-driven motion analytics with a proprietary microfluidic platform, Spermotile represents a major leap forward in global fertility-tech—and one with direct relevance for India, which has one of the world’s fastest-growing IVF markets. She was so pleased that young MPs have been so immersed in the session and trying to grasp every bit of learning and experience from their visit.

Her journey captivated the delegation. An IIT(ISM) Gold Medalist, Prof. Agarwal went on to receive the President’s Graduate Fellowship at the National University of Singapore—one of Asia’s highest academic honors. She later completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Singapore-MIT Alliance, building expertise that would eventually power Arctic Norway’s emerging medtech cluster. Over the years, she has received more than 10 international awards, including the URSI Young Scientist Award, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT(ISM), placing her among the most recognized Indian-origin deep-tech innovators abroad.

Spermotile CEO, Prof. Krishna Agarwal representing UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Today, she leads a €23-million innovation portfolio at UiT and heads a team of 20 researchers working across artificial intelligence, optical engineering, reproductive medicine, and biomedical instrumentation. Her success story in the Arctic—an environment known for snowbound winters but exceptional research infrastructure—resonated strongly with the MPs, many of whom expressed interest in Indo-Nordic medtech collaboration.

The broader programme introduced the MPs to Norway’s model of human-centric governance, youth empowerment, startup incubation, Arctic sustainability, and healthcare innovation. Representatives from UN Women and the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi joined the discussions, emphasizing the importance of global cooperation in health innovation.

Prof. Agarwal’s presentation highlighted how an India-Singapore academic foundation, coupled with Norway’s supportive research environment, can lead to breakthrough technologies poised to make global impact. Her rise from IIT gold medallist to Arctic deep-tech leader offered the MPs an inspiring example of how Indian scientific talent continues to shape the world.

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