Medical technology company Intuitive has partnered with Fortis Hospital Mohali to establish India’s first Total Program Observation (TPO) site in a non-metropolitan city, marking a step towards expanding structured robotic-assisted surgery training beyond major urban centres.
The collaboration was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in the presence of Glenn Vavoso, Senior Vice President and President, Intuitive Asia Pacific; Rohitt Mahajan, Vice President and General Manager, Intuitive India; Abhijit Singh, Head – Strategic Business Unit (SBU), Fortis Mohali; and Dr Bishnu Panigrahi, Group Head – Medical Strategy and Operations, Fortis Healthcare.
The initiative aims to strengthen robotic-assisted surgery programmes in India by promoting structured training, programme development, patient safety, multidisciplinary collaboration and long-term sustainability. The TPO site at Fortis Hospital Mohali will function as a peer-learning centre where healthcare professionals can observe how an established robotic-assisted surgery programme is planned, managed and maintained within an Indian hospital setting.
Fortis Hospital Mohali has built a multidisciplinary robotic-assisted surgery programme covering specialties such as gynaecology, gastrointestinal oncology, urology, and head and neck surgery. The hospital has performed over 3,600 robotic-assisted procedures using two da Vinci surgical systems, supported by a team of 18 robotic surgeons. It serves patients from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and nearby regions.
Under the TPO programme, visiting surgeons, clinical teams, hospital administrators and healthcare leaders will have the opportunity to learn through direct observation of an operational robotic surgery programme. The programme will provide exposure to surgeon training models, operating room workflows, multidisciplinary coordination, patient safety practices, governance systems, executive planning, financial management and long-term service development.
Speaking on the collaboration, Glenn Vavoso, Senior Vice President and President, Intuitive Asia Pacific, said healthcare systems worldwide are increasingly focusing on developing robotic-assisted surgery programmes that are sustainable and integrated into broader clinical excellence models. He noted that the inclusion of Fortis Hospital Mohali in Intuitive’s global TPO network reflects India’s growing expertise in robotic-assisted surgery and its commitment to advancing minimally invasive care through collaboration and education.
Rohitt Mahajan, Vice President and General Manager, Intuitive India, said the country’s robotic-assisted surgery landscape is entering a new phase where long-term success will depend not only on adopting advanced technology but also on building high-quality and sustainable surgical programmes. He said Fortis Mohali’s designation as the first non-metro TPO site highlights the growing maturity of India’s robotic surgery ecosystem and the role experienced institutions can play in sharing best practices.
Abhijit Singh, Head – Strategic Business Unit, Fortis Mohali, said that as robotic-assisted surgery continues to expand across India, hospitals are increasingly seeking guidance on developing sustainable programmes around the technology. He added that the TPO initiative will encourage structured peer-to-peer learning while strengthening programme governance, training standards and patient safety practices.
According to the organisations, the collaboration is expected to support hospitals across the country, particularly those outside metropolitan cities, by providing a platform to learn from established robotic-assisted surgery programmes and improve access to advanced minimally invasive surgical care.