Max Healthcare Institute, India’s second-largest private hospital chain by revenue, has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Intuitive Surgical to deepen collaboration and rapidly scale robotic-assisted surgery across its 22-hospital network. The agreement, signed on January 20, 2026, builds on Max’s existing status as one of the country’s highest-volume robotic surgery providers and Intuitive’s established leadership in robotic-assisted minimally invasive surgery.

Under the MoU, Max will serve as a premier training and excellence hub for Intuitive’s da Vinci systems, expanding structured surgeon training, proctoring, fellowships, and continuing education programmes for both Indian and international clinicians. The partnership will also drive joint clinical research to generate India-specific real-world evidence across high-priority specialties—including urology (prostatectomy, nephrectomy), gynaecology (hysterectomy, myomectomy), surgical oncology (colorectal, thoracic, head & neck), and general surgery (hernia, bariatric, upper GI procedures).

Both parties will collaborate on patient and physician education campaigns to raise awareness of robotic surgery benefits such as greater precision, 3D visualisation, tremor filtration, and improved ergonomics particularly for complex cases where traditional open or laparoscopic approaches carry higher risks. The initiative aims to increase patient acceptance and surgeon confidence in adopting robotic techniques for a broader range of procedures.

Abhay Soi, Chairman & Managing Director of Max Healthcare, said: “Robotic-assisted surgery has already transformed outcomes for thousands of our patients. This deepened partnership with Intuitive Surgical will allow us to scale this technology faster, train more surgeons, generate robust India-specific evidence, and make robotic surgery accessible to a much larger population.”

A spokesperson for Intuitive Surgical added: “India is one of the fastest-growing markets for robotic-assisted surgery globally. Collaborating with a leader like Max Healthcare enables us to build sustainable training ecosystems, drive clinical adoption, and ultimately improve patient care across diverse geographies.”

Max currently operates multiple da Vinci Xi and SP systems across key locations including Delhi-NCR, Mohali, Dehradun, and other cities. The MoU is expected to accelerate the deployment of additional systems in upcoming Max hospitals and reinforce the company’s leadership in high-complexity minimally invasive surgery.

The partnership arrives as robotic surgery adoption in India accelerates driven by improving insurance coverage, growing surgeon proficiency, increasing patient awareness, and a shift toward value-based care. With this alliance, Max and Intuitive aim to set new benchmarks for training, clinical excellence, and patient access in robotic-assisted surgery across the country.