New Delhi, Sep 1 (PTI) Robotic surgery could help expand access to specialised surgical expertise in Delhi and eventually take advanced procedures closer to patients, as the national capital emerges as a potential hub for connected and minimally invasive surgical care, experts said on Tuesday.
A medical technology company, SS Innovations, said in a statement that Delhi’s concentration of experienced surgeons, major hospitals, academic institutions and advanced healthcare infrastructure provides an opportunity to develop centres of excellence in robotic surgery, training and innovation.
The company has developed the “SSI Mantra robotic surgical system”, which uses a multi-arm surgical robot with 3D high-definition vision and wristed instruments that can be configured for different types of procedures. It has also developed its own surgical instruments and built supporting technologies for surgeon training, surgical recording, streaming and tele-mentoring, it said.
The company said the next phase of robotic surgery in the city could focus not only on wider adoption but also on building a stronger ecosystem involving clinical training, technology and connectivity.
Its statement said robotic surgery has historically required significant investment in technology and infrastructure, limiting its availability to a relatively small number of centres.
An Indian-developed robotic platform could help address some of these barriers and make robotic surgery more accessible and sustainable for hospitals and patients, it said.
The Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Centre (RGCI) has been among the early clinical partners in the development of SSI Mantra, with the first system installed at the institute in July 2022,they said in a statement.
Between July 2022 and September 2023, 156 patients underwent robotic procedures using SSI Mantra for uro-oncological cancers at RGCI, it said. These included 77 radical prostatectomies with bilateral extended pelvic lymph node dissection, 39 radical cystectomies, 32 radical nephrectomies and six partial nephrectomies, besides nephroureterectomy and inguinal lymph node dissection.
The association subsequently expanded beyond conventional robotic surgery. In June 2024, RGCI performed India’s first cancer telesurgery using SSI Mantra, with the patient at the institute’s Rohini facility and the surgeon operating remotely from Gurugram.
This was followed by a six-procedure clinical telesurgery programme involving urology and gynaecology, including procedures for bladder cancer, nephrectomy, hysterectomy and cystectomy.
In 2025, RGCI also demonstrated a live robotic-assisted partial nephrectomy telesurgery at ERUS25 in London, with the patient at RGCI in Rohini and the procedure performed remotely from Gurugram using SSI Mantra 3.
Speaking about the future of robotic surgery, SS Innovations founder and CEO Dr Sudhir Srivastava said the focus should not be merely on installing more robotic systems in operating rooms but on creating an ecosystem around the technology.
“A surgical robot is only a tool. Its real value depends on the surgeon using it, the quality of training, the clinical protocols around it and the ecosystem that supports its use,” he said.
He said robotic surgery was likely to become increasingly multidisciplinary, with applications expanding beyond urology to general surgery, gynaecology, thoracic surgery and other specialties.
Structured training programmes involving simulation, hands-on training, mentoring and proctoring would be important to create a larger pool of surgeons confident and competent in robotic procedures, he said.
Tele-proctoring could enable experienced surgeons to guide and mentor other teams remotely, he said. “We have outstanding surgical talent, but specialised expertise remains concentrated in major cities. Technology can help bridge that gap,” Srivastava added. PTI SGV PRK
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