New Delhi: In a medical breakthrough, Union Minister, Dr Jitendra Singh launched India’s first indigenously developed, affordable, lightweight, ultrafast, high field (1.5 Tesla), next-generation Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, as an indigenous MRI scanner is made available, the cost of MRI scanning is expected to reduce considerably for the common man thus allowing wider access to the otherwise highly priced MRI scans. He said, additionally, the capital investment in the procurement of MRI scanners from the international market will be substantially reduced which in turn will save a lot of foreign exchange, the twin mission objectives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the overall objective of Atmanirbharta in cutting edge diagnostic and therapeutic manufacturing in India. The Minister said, in coming years, there will be Make in India-Made for the World.
Under the National Biopharma Mission, Voxelgrids Innovations Pvt Ltd has developed a compact and lightweight MRI Scanner that addresses the country’s unmet needs. The Minister emphasized that DBT through BIRAC provided Rs 12 Crore out of the total Rs 17 Crore spent on developing this world-class MRI. The integration of cutting-edge hardware and software has enabled the successful introduction of a highly disruptive product in the field of diagnostic imaging. Notably, this is the first Indian company to receive a commercial sale and manufacturing license from CDSCO, the Government of India.
The National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill aims to foster collaborations between industries, academia, government departments, and research institutions. It also seeks to establish an interface mechanism for the active participation and contribution of industries and state governments, in addition to scientific and line ministries. The primary focus of the bill is to create a robust policy framework and streamlined regulatory processes, which can incentivize industry investment in research and development (R&D). This will drive innovation and pave the way for increased collaboration and spending in the R&D sector.
