Bengaluru-based startup VoxelGrids, supported by Zoho Corporation, has achieved a landmark by creating and deploying India’s first fully indigenous 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner, according to The Hindu BusinessLine.
Unveiled on December 25, 2025, the scanner represents the culmination of a 12-year effort led by founder Arjun Arunachalam to reduce India’s reliance on imported diagnostic equipment from global companies like Siemens and GE Healthcare.
The machine has been installed at the Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation near Nagpur and is now fully operational for patient diagnostics.
VoxelGrids’ scanner uses a helium-free “dry magnet” design, eliminating the need for costly liquid helium. This innovation makes it about 40% cheaper to manufacture, more energy-efficient, lighter (2–3 tonnes compared to the traditional 6 tonnes), and compact, making it suitable for smaller hospitals and potential mobile units in rural areas.
The system also consumes less power, is resilient to electrical fluctuations, and offers a flexible pay-per-use model that lowers upfront costs for healthcare providers.
With roughly 5,000 MRI scanners in India—about 3.5 per million people—VoxelGrids aims to expand access so that more patients nationwide can benefit and smaller hospitals can afford advanced diagnostics.
The development of this indigenous MRI aligns with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. VoxelGrids created the scanner under the National Biopharma Mission, with the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) under the Department of Biotechnology providing Rs 12 crore of the Rs 17 crore total development cost, as announced in a 2023 government press release.
