On Tuesday, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi announced that the country’s first indigenously developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine would be installed by October of this year. The milestone project is being carried out in partnership with the Society for Applied Microwave Electronic Engineering and Research (SAMEER), an autonomous agency within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
SAMEER’s director general, PH Rao, indicated that they are awaiting clinical and human study permission. India currently lacks a method to validate MRI machines using national criteria. The 1.5 Tesla MRI equipment is scheduled to be installed within seven months.
The initiative supports the federal government’s aim for local technologies to lessen reliance on imported medical equipment. Currently, about 80 to 85 percent of medical gadgets utilised in India come from foreign markets. In FY24, India’s medical device import bill increased to ₹68,885 crore, up 13% from ₹61,179 crore in FY23.
An AIIMS official emphasised that this research has the potential to reduce treatment costs while increasing medical self-reliance. Meanwhile, other businesses, such as Fischer Medical Ventures and Voxelgrids Innovations, have previously claimed to have created MRI scanners in India.
