Chandigarh | July 09, 2026: Fortis Mohali and Intuitive, a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish India’s first Total Program Observation (TPO) site in a non-metro city. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Abhijit Singh , Head – Strategic Business Unit (SBU), Fortis Mohali; Dr. Bishnu Panigrahi , Group Head – Medical Strategy and Operations, Fortis Healthcare; Glenn Vavoso , Senior Vice President and President, Intuitive Asia Pacific; and Rohitt Mahajan , Vice President and General Manager, Intuitive India.
The collaboration reflects a shared vision to support the next phase of robotic-assisted surgery in India, with a focus on programme maturity, structured training, patient safety and multidisciplinary readiness. The TPO site at Fortis Hospital Mohali will create a peer-to-peer learning platform for healthcare professionals to observe how an established robotic programme is built, governed and sustained in a real-world Indian healthcare setting.
Fortis Hospital Mohali has developed a multidisciplinary robotic-assisted surgery programme across specialties including gynaecology, gastrointestinal oncology, urology and head and neck surgery. The hospital has completed more than 3,600 robotic-assisted procedures, supported by 18 robotic surgeons and two da Vinci surgical systems. Serving patients across Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and neighbouring regions, Fortis Hospital Mohali offers a valuable non-metro reference point for institutions looking to strengthen robotic-assisted surgery programmes in similar healthcare settings.
Through the TPO site, visiting surgeons, care teams, hospital administrators and executive leaders will have the opportunity to engage in structured peer-to-peer learning with an established robotic-assisted surgery programme. Beyond clinical observation, participants will gain exposure to the broader elements that support programme maturity, including surgeon training pathways, multidisciplinary team coordination, operating room workflows, patient safety processes, programme governance, executive alignment, financial planning and long-term service development.
Sharing a global perspective, Glenn Vavoso, Senior Vice President and President, Intuitive Asia Pacific, said, “Across the world, we are seeing healthcare systems increasingly focused on building robotic-assisted surgery programmes that are sustainable, scalable and integrated into broader models of clinical excellence. Total Program Observation sites support this by enabling healthcare teams to observe established programmes and apply relevant learnings within their own institutions. Fortis Hospital Mohali’s inclusion in this global network is a testament to India’s growing leadership in robotic-assisted surgery and its commitment to advancing high-quality, minimally invasive care through collaboration, education and peer learning.”
Commenting on India’s evolving robotic-assisted surgery landscape, Rohitt Mahajan, Vice President and General Manager, Intuitive India, said, “Robotic-assisted surgery in India is entering a new phase of growth, where success will be defined not just by technology adoption, but by building sustainable, high-quality surgical programmes. Fortis Hospital Mohali’s recognition as India’s first Total Program Observation site in a non-metro city reflects the growing maturity of the ecosystem and the important role experienced institutions can play in advancing best practices, strengthening capabilities and expanding access to minimally invasive care across the country.”
Commenting on the collaboration, Abhijit Singh, Head – Strategic Business Unit (SBU), Fortis Mohali, said, “Robotic-assisted surgery continues to expand across India, healthcare institutions are increasingly looking to understand how to build sustainable programmes around the technology. Total Program Observation supports this need by enabling structured peer-to-peer learning across clinical, operational and leadership functions. It also reflects a shared commitment to strengthening training, sharing best practices in programme governance and safety processes, and helping hospitals build the capabilities required to deliver advanced minimally invasive care with greater consistency.”
This collaboration is expected to strengthen India’s robotic-assisted surgery ecosystem by creating a practical learning platform for hospitals seeking to build or enhance their own programmes, particularly beyond major metropolitan centres.
About Intuitive India:
Intuitive Surgical India Pvt Ltd, the subsidiary of Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISRG), is a global technology leader in minimally invasive care and the pioneer of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS). Intuitive India brings more than two decades of leadership in advanced robotics, including the da Vinci surgical system. A growing community of passionate and committed Indian surgeons are adopting the solutions in indication areas including gynaecology, urology, general surgery, and surgical oncology, among others. Today, India has over 2000 robotic-assisted trained surgeons and over 250 da Vinci systems installed across major private and government hospitals.
