Robotics is set to expand beyond surgical procedures into diagnostics, treatment and therapy across multiple medical specialities, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh said at the International Conference of the Society of Robotic Surgery.

The Minister said robotics, combined with artificial intelligence (AI) and nanoscience, could create a broader ecosystem for precision health delivery and personalised medicine. He noted that applications could eventually extend from robotic surgery to areas such as robotic medicine, robotic endocrinology and robotic cardiology.

Highlighting the role of technology in personalised healthcare, Singh said medical decisions are increasingly expected to take into account factors such as a patient’s genetic profile, environment, lifestyle and dietary patterns. He also pointed to the Genome India Programme, noting that 10,000 individuals have already been sequenced, while AI and robotics could play an important role if genetic sequencing is eventually expanded to India’s population of around 1.4 billion.

Tele-robotics was another key area highlighted by the Minister. In February 2026, an indigenously developed tele-robotic ultrasonography system enabled a doctor in Delhi to conduct a real-time ultrasound examination of a person located more than 12,000 kilometres away in Antarctica. The system was jointly developed by AIIMS New Delhi and IIT Delhi, in collaboration with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research.

Singh said such technologies could help take specialist expertise to patients across geographical boundaries, particularly in remote and underserved areas. The broader convergence of AI, robotics, genomics, biotechnology and nanomedicine, he said, could support India’s transition towards more precise and personalised healthcare.