NEW DELHI, — April 11, 2026 : SS Innovations International, Inc. (SSI), a Gurugram-based medical technology company, is developing a drone-deployed robotic surgical system under Project Vimana, aimed at enabling remote emergency medical procedures for wounded personnel in forward combat zones.
The system, also referred to as the SSi Vimana Aero, was presented during the third Global SSI Multi-Specialty Robotic Surgery Conference (SMRSC 2026), held from April 9 to April 11, 2026, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The project was unveiled by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Pratap Rao Jadhav alongside other SSI initiatives, including Project Operion.
Project Vimana integrates a GPS-guided heavy-lift autonomous drone with a compact robotic surgical unit. Designed for rapid deployment, the drone navigates to the casualty’s location, lands nearby, and deploys two miniature robotic arms. Each arm features seven degrees of freedom and is equipped with 5 mm surgical instruments such as forceps, scissors, cautery tools, suction devices, and needle drivers.
The system is operated remotely by a trauma surgeon using the SSI Mantra Surgeon Command Center, based on the company’s SSi Mantra modular robotic surgery platform adapted for field conditions. Through real-time visual transmission and control, the surgeon can perform critical stabilisation procedures, including haemorrhage control, chest decompression, shrapnel extraction, wound repair, and suturing. These interventions are intended to stabilise injured personnel during the interval between injury and medical evacuation.
According to available specifications, the drone has an estimated flight endurance of approximately 30 minutes and supports an operational window of about 30 minutes for surgical procedures. The system remains in the proof-of-concept and development stage, with no confirmed deployment timeline. SSI has indicated that ensuring resilience against electronic interference, including cyber threats and signal jamming, is a key requirement prior to operational use.
The underlying SSi Mantra platform is a modular, multi-arm robotic surgery system developed for accessibility and cost efficiency. It has been used in more than 100 types of surgical procedures across India and supports telesurgery capabilities, forming the technological base for Project Vimana.
SSI, founded by Dr. Sudhir Srivastava, focuses on robotic surgical technologies. While Project Vimana is primarily intended for battlefield applications, the company stated that the system could also be adapted for civilian use cases, including disaster response, road accident care, and medical support in remote or inaccessible regions.
No additional performance details, including payload capacity or operational range beyond stated endurance, were disclosed during the conference. Project Vimana forms part of SSI’s broader effort to extend robotic surgical capabilities beyond conventional hospital environments.
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