VMPL
New Delhi [India], April 20: Positioning innovation at the forefront of surgical progress, the Vattikuti Foundation hosted and concluded the KS International Innovation Awards 2026 in Miami, recognising breakthroughs shaping the future of robotic surgery. The awards continue to serve as a global platform spotlighting advancements that are transforming surgical care.
Instituted in 2015 in honour of the late Shri Krishnaswamy Subrahmaniam, the awards were conceived to recognise breakthrough ideas and foster collaboration across the global surgical community. A driving force behind early advancements in robotic assisted surgery, Shri Subrahmaniam championed the adoption of emerging technologies in India and globally, recognising their potential to enhance precision, reduce patient suffering and expand access to quality care. In recognition of his legacy, the Vattikuti Foundation named its annual international innovation awards in his honour. The initiative continues to be shaped by the vision and leadership of Mr. Raj Vattikuti, President, Vattikuti Foundation, Dr. Mahendra Bhandari, CEO, Vattikuti Foundation, and Abhinav Vattikuti, Vice President, Vattikuti Foundation.
This year's submissions were evaluated through a structured and rigorous process by a robust jury body comprising Dr. David Neal, Senior Vice President for Global Research at Elsevier and Professor Emeritus at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford, Dr. Rajeev Kumar, Professor of Urology and Associate Dean at AIIMS, New Delhi and Dr. Sherry M. Wren, Professor of Surgery at Stanford University and Director, Global Surgery at the Centre for Innovation in Global Health, along with other global experts. Entries were assessed on parameters such as originality, clinical relevance, scalability and real world impact.
In the Technology Track, Federico Piramide from San Luigi Gonzaga Hospital was awarded First Place for his work on leveraging immersive virtual environments to enhance preoperative surgical planning. Daniele Amparore from the University of Turin and Candiolo Cancer Institute was named Runner Up for advancing telemonitoring in postoperative care using connected medical devices, and was also recognised as a finalist in the Procedure Track. Finalists included Enrico Checcucci, Derek Mendonca and Michael Stifelman.
In the Procedure Track, Federico Lavagno from the University of Turin secured First Place for a single port nephroureterectomy technique that advances minimally invasive urologic surgery with improved precision and recovery. Dr. Kalayarasan Raja from the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research was named Runner Up for his robotic modified TajMahal hepatectomy, expanding the boundaries of complex gastrointestinal surgery. Finalists included Swapnil Kushwaha, Mohan Gundeti and Daniele Amparore.
The People's Choice Award was presented to Dr. Atanu Kumar Pal from Aster Medcity, Kochi, for a robotic Level 3 IVC thrombectomy using suprahepatic IVC control, a complex procedure that received strong recognition from both peers and the wider medical community.
Commenting on the significance of the awards, Mr. Abhinav Vattikuti, Vice President, Vattikuti Foundation, said, "The scale and diversity of innovation we are witnessing today signal a decisive shift in how robotic surgery is being imagined and applied globally. What is particularly encouraging is the convergence of technology, data and clinical expertise to solve real world challenges. Platforms like these play a critical role in accelerating that momentum by bringing the global surgical community together."
Dr. Mahendra Bhandari, CEO, Vattikuti Foundation, added, "These innovations are not incremental, they represent a fundamental shift in how complex surgeries are approached and delivered. At the Vattikuti Foundation, our focus has consistently been on advancing robotic surgery through education, innovation and global collaboration. From preoperative planning to intraoperative precision and postoperative care, we are seeing a redefinition of the entire surgical continuum. The real impact lies in translating this progress into better outcomes, wider access and safer procedures for patients across diverse healthcare settings."
As robotic surgery continues to evolve rapidly, the KS International Innovation Awards remain focused on identifying and amplifying innovations with meaningful clinical impact. The Vattikuti Foundation looks forward to further expanding the reach and impact of the awards in the years ahead.
About Vattikuti Foundation
Vattikuti Foundation was established in 1997 by Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist Raj Vattikuti and his wife, Padma Vattikuti. The Foundation's mission is to advance and support the global adoption of robotic surgery. Robotic surgery offers significant advantages, including smaller incisions, reduced blood loss, expedited recovery times, and enhanced precision, particularly for soft tissue procedures, tumour removal, and joint replacements. Since 2010, the Foundation has played a pivotal role in catalysing the adoption of robotic surgery in over 200 hospitals across India, fostering a comprehensive ecosystem that includes the training of super-specialist surgeons to become accomplished robotic surgeons.
This transformative initiative has successfully made robotic surgery the standard of care in India, equipping a variety of hospitals--including those run by government, trust, private, and corporate institutions--with advanced surgical capabilities. Under the leadership of Dr. Mahendra Bhandari, the Foundation's CEO and Director of Robotic Research and Education at the Vattikuti Urology Institute (VUI), Henry Ford Hospital, Michigan, the Foundation has trained over 500 robotic surgeons in India. The robotic procedures carried out at VUI are recognised globally, with many considered the gold standard, particularly in the field of urology.
For current and future activities conducted by Vattikuti Foundation to support improved patient outcomes in womens health and robotic surgery, visit www.vattikutifoundation.com
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