Engineers' Day: How One Indian Engineer Is Bringing Portable MRI Scans To Rural India

In a country like India with over 1.4 billion people, access to advanced healthcare technologies remains a serious challenge. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans, critical for diagnosing a range of health conditions, are still a luxury for many. India has only 0.004 MRI scanners per 1,000 people, with most concentrated in urban centers. That leaves rural communities, which form the majority of India's population, without access to this vital tool. Globally, the picture isn't much better; over 70% of the world's population has no access to an MRI scanner.

But one man decided that this inequality could not continue.

Dr. Arjun Arunachalam: Engineer Turned Changemaker

Dr. Arjun Arunachalam, an electrical engineer and former assistant professor at IIT Bombay, had a comfortable life in the United States. Working at GE Global Research, he mastered the complexities of MRI technology. Yet, despite his success abroad, a deeper purpose called him back to India. He envisioned an India where MRI scans were not a privilege but a basic healthcare right.

In 2008, he took a bold step leaving behind a high-paying job to return home and build affordable MRI scanners designed specifically for Indian needs.

Overcoming Doubt and Rejection

Much like the early days of the electric bulb, Arjun's idea was met with disbelief. Investors and industry leaders dismissed his vision as unrealistic. The global MRI market was controlled by a few powerful companies, and disrupting this monopoly seemed impossible.

But Arjun didn't back down. His persistence paid off when Manoj Kumar, founder of Social Alpha, recognized the transformative potential of his mission. Backed by Social Alpha, Arjun founded Voxelgrids in 2017 and developed India's first homegrown, lightweight MRI scanner prototype.

Staying True to the Mission

As Voxelgrids gained traction, major global players like GE and Siemens approached Arjun, not to support him, but to buy out his technology. Arjun realized that these offers were not about collaboration, but about control. Selling would mean giving up his dream of affordable healthcare. He refused. Instead of cashing in, Arjun chose to stay true to his purpose.

Sridhar Vembu's Crucial Support

Help arrived from an unexpected ally-Sridhar Vembu, founder of Zoho Corporation. When Arjun explained his vision, Sridhar asked one simple but powerful question:“Can this help rural India?”

Arjun's firm's“yes” convinced Sridhar to invest ₹35 crores into Voxelgrids, giving the company the boost it needed to scale production and move towards real-world deployment.

A New Chapter in India's Healthcare Journey

Today, Voxelgrids represents more than just innovation, it stands for self-reliance, resilience, and a refusal to compromise. Arjun's story reminds us that sometimes, doing what's right isn't easy, but it can change the world.

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