The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Apollo Hospitals on Tuesday announced the signing of a MoU for collaborative research in the clinical application of AI and other areas of mutual interest in healthcare technology.

This first-of-its-kind formal collaboration between Asia’s largest integrated healthcare provider, and a globally renowned institution of technology, engineering and computer science, is a formal recognition of the rapid convergence of healthcare and technology that is transforming the practice of medicine.

Prof. AR Harish, Dean R&D, IIT Kanpur and Prof. Krishnan Ganapathy, Director Apollo Telemedicine, Apollo Hospitals, signed the MoU in the presence of Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director of IIT Kanpur, and Dr Prathap C Reddy, Founder & Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group, among others.

Apollo Research and Innovations (ARI), a department of Apollo Hospitals, has been spearheading medical research, innovation, health education, teaching and clinical deployment of AI for over two decades. The first to have ISO certified AI-based clinical applications to predict the risk of developing lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, COPD and asthma, and liver fibrosis, Apollo has proven these in clinical practice after intensive studies with globally renowned partners from the academia and industry. The collaboration with IIT Kanpur will build on this foundation and expand the domain of research and development in healthcare technology.

Dr. Prathap C Reddy, founder and chairman of the Apollo Hospitals Group welcomed the MoU. He said, “Apollo has been at the forefront of providing patients with access to the latest in medical technology. We look forward to our experience and expertise adding value to the innovative research done at IIT Kanpur. The collaboration will provide teaching and research opportunities to those inside and outside the Apollo ecosystem.”

Prof. Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur, said, “Being a research and educational institution of national importance, IIT Kanpur has consistently invested in imparting and undertaking cutting-edge multi-disciplinary research in science, technology and engineering in association with industry and other institutions. The Gangwal School of Medical Sciences and Technology that is coming up at IIT Kanpur is in line with IIT Kanpur’s endeavour to bring about a paradigm shift by merging medical research and technological innovations in the country. With this MoU with Apollo Hospitals, we envision to have fruitful collaborations in areas such as AI in health and other emerging innovations that will contribute towards making India’s healthcare systems robust and self-reliant.”