Indigenous 1.5-Tesla MRI Scanner Marks Milestone for Indian Healthcare
Arjun Arunachalam with a portable, lightweight, high-speed MRI scanner at the Voxelgrids facility in Peenya, Bengaluru.
New Delhi: India has taken a significant step toward healthcare self-reliance with the installation of an indigenous 1.5-Tesla MRI scanner developed by Bengaluru-based Voxel Grids at the Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation near Nagpur. The system is the outcome of nearly 12 years of research and development led by the company’s founder, Arjun Arunachalam, and backed by financial support from Zoho.
At present, India has around 5,000 MRI machines, a number considered inadequate for its population. Over 90% of these systems are imported, largely from multinational manufacturers based in the US, Germany and China. This dependence has traditionally resulted in high procurement costs, expensive maintenance and limited accessibility outside major urban centres.
The Made-in-India MRI scanner addresses key design challenges. Unlike conventional systems, it does not require liquid helium for cooling and does not depend on costly air-conditioning infrastructure. These features are expected to significantly reduce installation and operating expenses, with overall cost savings estimated at 40–50% compared to imported machines.
Healthcare experts say operational costs are a major barrier to MRI adoption in smaller cities and district hospitals. High power requirements, specialised infrastructure and maintenance contracts often make advanced imaging unaffordable. A domestically developed alternative could ease these constraints and expand access to diagnostics.
Voxel Grids currently has the capacity to manufacture up to 25 MRI scanners annually at its Bengaluru facility. While modest by global standards, experts note that early deployments are crucial to proving reliability, clinical performance and service viability, as well as securing regulatory approvals and hospital adoption.
The development aligns with the Make in India initiative and reflects a growing shift toward hardware-led medical innovation in India’s MedTech ecosystem.
Our Final Thoughts
The indigenous MRI scanner could be transformative for India’s healthcare system. By lowering costs and reducing import dependence, it has the potential to bring advanced diagnostics to underserved regions, strengthening both public healthcare infrastructure and domestic medical technology manufacturing.