Sathya Sai Grama, Karnataka: Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR) partnered with SS Innovations in 2025 to develop robotic cardiac surgery and surgical training at its rural campus in Muddenahalli, Chikkaballapur. The collaboration combines the SSI Mantra surgical system with a programme of clinical support and surgeon education.
Updated 14 September 2026: source links and a July 2026 training update have been added. The original publication date is retained.
What the 2025 partnership covered
News9’s report of 6 August 2025, citing SS Innovations, described an agreement under which founder Dr Sudhir Srivastava would donate a Mantra system, support the institute’s first 100 robotic procedures, lead surgical training and cover system maintenance for five years. These were the commitments reported at the announcement; they should not be read as an audited count of completed operations.
What changed in July 2026?
A subsequent account published by the founder’s organisation reports that SMSIMSR hosted the International Endoscopic & Robotic Cardiac Surgery Conference on 11–12 July 2026, with Manipal Hospitals, Kolkata, and SS Innovations. It describes live surgical demonstrations, practical training and an agreement to continue the conference as a biennial academic programme.
This provides a dated follow-up to the initial equipment-and-training announcement. It documents an educational event, rather than independently establishing the programme’s long-term patient outcomes or total procedure volume.
Cardiac services and patient enquiries
SMSIMSR’s official cardiothoracic and vascular surgery page describes a team covering adult and congenital heart conditions and states that its cardiac services are provided free of charge. Its listed work includes bypass surgery, valve repair or replacement, and congenital heart procedures. Patients should use the institute’s own appointment channels to confirm assessment arrangements and current service availability.
Robotic surgery and remote surgery
The presence of a surgical robot does not mean that it operates autonomously. SS Innovations’ patient information explains that the surgeon controls the robotic instruments. Telesurgery adds a geographical separation between the surgeon’s console and the patient. Our report on the France–India bariatric telesurgery explains that distinction and the history behind it.
For another development in Karnataka’s hospital services, see the Sakra IKOC launch in Bengaluru.
Editorial note: the earlier description of this centre as South India’s “first” has been removed because the sources reviewed do not establish that regional priority.