MeitY’s R&D Institute Signs MoU With Siemens Healthineers On India MRI technology
SAMEER, Ministry of Electronics and IT’s (MeitY) R&D Institute on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding with Siemens Healthineers aimed at contributing towards the development of new, improved and innovative technologies for advancing healthcare and diagnostic access in India.
Welcoming the strategic agreement, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and Electronics & IT, who was present on the occasion, said it will make available low-cost MRIs as part of PM Modi’s vision of providing quality, and affordable healthcare and diagnostic access for every Indian.
Emphasising that Digital India Programme launched by the PM in 2015 has paved way for India to move from being a consumer of technology to a producer of technology, devices, and products, the Minister said, “The MoU today is a significant step in this direction.”
Stating that healthcare sector in India represents a big market, the Minister said that the Government is prepared to partner with global companies who are willing to set up manufacturing bases in India. “We are also supportive of R&D model based on co-development between global companies and India’s vast network of academic institutions.”
Citing the example of how the government is working closely with industry leaders and academicians in the semiconductor sector, the Minister said, “The government is willing to sit with experts from the healthcare sector to chart out the curriculum for grooming the next gen talent in India.”
The Minister expressed hope that the partnership while synergising the expertise of SAMEER and Siemens Healthineers in healthcare technologies particularly in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Linear Accelerators (LINAC), will pursue joint activities that will improve access to MRI in India. “Siemens Healthineers is a good partner of India not just in health care but also in other sectors as well,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Peter Schardt, Chief Technology Officer, Siemens Healthineers, said, "India is a strategic market for Siemens Healthineers and it plays an important role in global innovation and technology expansion to achieve the future of healthcare."
