Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has partnered with Indian Institute of Technology Madras to establish the YANTRAS Centre for Next Generation Technologies for Robotic Assisted Surgeries at IIT Madras. The initiative aims to accelerate indigenous innovation in robotic assisted surgery, advanced healthcare technologies, and medical device research in India.
The collaboration was officially announced during the IIT Madras Technology Summit 2026 held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi under the theme “From IITM. For Bharat. Building Together.” The launch event was attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Minister of State for Education Jayant Chaudhary, senior BPCL executives, and government officials.
According to official reports, the YANTRAS Centre will focus on cutting edge research, innovation, startup incubation, and specialized training in robotic assisted surgery technologies. The centre is expected to support development in surgical robotics, AI-assisted healthcare systems, precision surgical tools, imaging technologies, and minimally invasive surgical platforms.
Healthcare and technology experts say India’s robotic surgery ecosystem is expanding rapidly due to increasing demand for minimally invasive procedures, precision medicine, and AI-enabled surgical systems. However, the country still depends heavily on imported robotic surgical platforms, which remain expensive and inaccessible for many hospitals. The YANTRAS initiative is expected to help strengthen India’s domestic medtech capabilities and reduce reliance on imported technologies.
The centre will reportedly encourage collaboration between engineers, surgeons, researchers, startups, and healthcare institutions to create affordable indigenous robotic surgery technologies tailored to India’s healthcare needs. Officials also stated that the project aims to generate intellectual property, patents, and high end research outputs while creating new opportunities for medtech entrepreneurs and researchers.
IIT Madras has already emerged as one of India’s leading innovation hubs for healthcare technology and medtech research. The institution has been actively involved in projects related to medical robotics, AI healthcare, bioengineering, assistive technologies, and digital healthcare systems through various interdisciplinary research centres and startup ecosystems.
Industry observers believe robotic assisted surgery will become increasingly important in specialties such as oncology, urology, cardiology, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, and gastrointestinal surgery. Experts note that indigenous innovation could significantly lower surgical costs and expand access to advanced healthcare technologies beyond metro cities.
The YANTRAS initiative also reflects a broader national push toward strengthening India’s healthcare technology manufacturing ecosystem under initiatives promoting innovation, research commercialization, and self reliance in advanced medical technologies.
“The initiative aims to advance indigenous innovation in robotic assisted surgeries through cutting edge research, training, and startup incubation.”
By
HB Team
