New Delhi: Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh launched India’s first Indigenously developed, affordable, lightweight, Ultrafast, High Field (1.5 Tesla), Next Generation Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner in New Delhi on Tuesday.
According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, the introduction of an indigenous MRI scanner is anticipated to significantly lower the cost of MRI scans for the general public, thus making these expensive scans more accessible to a wider population.
“Moreover, this move is expected to lead to substantial reductions in the capital investment required for procuring MRI scanners from international markets, resulting in significant savings of foreign exchange. These efforts align with the twin mission objectives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the overall goal of achieving self-reliance (Atmanirbharta) in cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic manufacturing within India,” the Minister, emphasising that in the forthcoming years, India’s focus will be on “Make in India-Made for the World” in the healthcare sector.
Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed that the unveiling of the first domestically developed state-of-the-art MRI Scanner, achieved through a collaborative effort between the National Biopharma Mission (NBM), Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), and the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), marks a significant milestone.
Dr Jitendra Singh informed that under the National Biopharma Mission, Voxelgrids Innovations Pvt Ltd has developed compact, lightweight, next generation MRI Scanner to solve the unmet need of the country. The Minister underlined that out of Rs 17 Crore spent for developing the world-class MRI, Rs 12 Crore was provided by DBT through BIRAC.