Gujarat has successfully completed India’s first long-distance robotic telesurgery spanning 950 km using the indigenous SSI Mantra robotic system. Surgeons in Ahmedabad remotely operated on patients in distant locations with high precision, marking a major leap in telesurgery capabilities and showcasing the potential of home-grown technology to bridge urban-rural healthcare divides.
Glimpse:
The telesurgery procedures performed over a secure, low-latency network utilized the SSI Mantra robotic platform developed by SS Innovations. They demonstrated sub-millimetre accuracy, real-time haptic feedback, and seamless control across vast distances, covering complex interventions such as urology, general surgery, or gynaecology. This achievement validates the Made-in-India system’s reliability for remote expert-led surgeries, enabling specialist access in underserved regions without patient travel.
In a landmark advancement for Indian healthcare, Gujarat has become the first state to successfully execute robotic telesurgery over an extraordinary 950 km distance using the fully indigenous SSI Mantra robotic surgical system. The procedures, conducted in early 2026, were led by expert surgeons based in Ahmedabad who remotely controlled the robotic arms at patient sites hundreds of kilometres away proving the maturity of long-distance telesurgery in India.
The SSI Mantra system developed by SS Innovations features advanced 3D visualization, tremor filtration, precise instrument control, and haptic feedback, all integrated with high-speed, secure networks (likely 5G and dedicated fibre links) to ensure minimal latency. Surgeons reported intuitive hand-eye coordination and full situational awareness despite the vast geographic separation, with no compromise on safety or precision.
The telesurgeries included complex minimally invasive interventions where remote expertise was critical. Patients benefited by receiving care from top specialists without needing to travel long distances reducing financial, logistical, and health burdens, especially for those in rural or semi-urban areas of Gujarat.
This milestone builds on earlier shorter-distance telesurgery trials in India and aligns with national goals to expand specialist access through digital health infrastructure. It highlights the growing maturity of Made-in-India robotic platforms and their potential to address doctor shortages in remote regions while maintaining world-class surgical standards.
Experts view this as a stepping stone toward a nationwide telesurgery network, where super-specialists in metro cities can routinely operate on patients across statesre volutionizing access to advanced care.
“Operating from 950 km away felt seamless. This proves Made-in-India robotics can deliver expert care anywhere in the country.”
By
HB Team
