Backed by Zoho and GoI, Bengaluru Startup Builds India’s First Indigenous MRI Scanner, Installs It at Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation

Bengaluru-based medical technology startup VoxelGrids has achieved a major feat as it develops and deploys India's first fully indigenous 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner. According to a report by The Hindu BusinessLine, this is a crucial step toward achieving the country's lesser dependence on imported diagnostic imaging equipment.

The inauguration

The MRI scanner was officially unveiled on December 25, 2025. It's the result of almost 12 years of research and development led by VoxelGrids founder Arjun Arunachalam. The company set out to address India's reliance on global medical imaging giants like Siemens and GE Healthcare by building advanced MRI technology within the country.

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Where it is installed? 

The scanner has been installed at the Chandrapur Cancer Care Foundation near Nagpur and is already operational for patient diagnostics. According to the company, this is the first clinical installation of a fully indigenous 1.5 Tesla MRI system in India.

Commenting on the milestone, CEO of Zoho Corporation Shailesh Kumar Davey said, “We congratulate Voxelgrids on their first successful clinical installation, marking a step forward for indigenous medical tech in India. Zoho's investment in Voxelgrids underscores our commitment to nurturing deep-tech innovation for mission-critical sectors.”

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Specifications

VoxelGrids’ MRI machine is based on what is known as a “dry magnet,” which means that its magnet does not require liquid helium as cooling, as is common practice in other MRI machines, and is therefore expensive and difficult to obtain. This reduces its cost of manufacture by 40% relative to other MRI machines, and its weight is also lower, at about 2 to 3 tons compared to 6 tons for other machines. Another advantage is its small size, which can even allow for mobility to rural or semi-rural areas.

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What makes it different? 

The company has said that the scanner uses less power, is resistant to electrical disruptions, and that it also has a pay-per-use business model that can help decrease startup costs for healthcare institutions.

Industry stats indicate that currently, India has a total of 5,000 MRI scanners in use, which means a density of 3.5 scanners per million people. This prompted VoxelGrids to come forward with a vision of making MRI scanners more accessible and affordable, especially for smaller hospitals.

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