The Department of Health Engineering at SRM University-AP, Amaravati, in association with the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE), India, hosted the Healthcare Industry-Academia Dialogue Forum on June 27, 2026, at the university campus. The forum brought together 13 distinguished leaders from India’s healthcare technology and medical devices industry to engage with faculty, explore research collaborations, and participate in shaping the academic vision for the university’s newest undergraduate programme.

The B.Tech. in Health Engineering, launching in August 2026, is one of the few programmes of its kind in India. Designed at the intersection of electronics engineering, artificial intelligence, computer science, and medical sciences, it aims to produce graduates equipped to address complex, real-world healthcare challenges through innovation and research.

The forum was led by Prof. K A Sunitha, Professor and Head of Department, Health Engineering, and Coordinator of the Biomedical Research and Artificial Intelligence Network (BRAIN) Lab.

The thirteen industry leaders who participated in the forum represented some of India’s most respected names in healthcare technology and medical devices. From the medical devices and engineering sector, the forum welcomed Mr Sharad Rayguru, Product Owner, IGT-S, Philips, Pune; Mr Chandan Praveen, Project Lead, Baxter International, Bengaluru; Mr Mohandas Vasudevan, Director of Systems Engineering, Philips; Mr Venkateswaran Perumal, Director, Stryker, Bengaluru; and Mr Shripad Dharmadhikari, Global Director and Head of System Engineering, IGTS Mobile Surgery and Site Leader IGT-Devices, Philips.

Representing the health technology and innovation space were Mr Thamil Anbhu, Founder and CEO, Evai Technologies, Bengaluru; Ms Jayasree M, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Evai Technologies, Bengaluru; Mr Vijayarajan Alagumalai, Founder and CTO, InnAccel, Bengaluru; Mr Vinay Korlepara, Product Innovation Leader, HRS Navigation, Bengaluru; and Mr Mahesh Patrimath, Chief Operating Officer, ROPODS, Bengaluru.

The academia and research community was represented by Dr Biswajeet Champaty, Associate Professor and Dean Academics, The Erba Global Institute of Medical Technology and AMTZ, Visakhapatnam, and Dr Sushmitha Sundar, Head of Life Sciences, Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH), Hyderabad.

From the software and digital health domain, the forum was joined by Ms Suma Nanjundappa, Director of Software Engineering, Medtronic, Hyderabad.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ch. Satish Kumar, addressed the gathering, sharing the university’s mission and vision behind establishing the Department of Health Engineering. He highlighted the university’s growing research infrastructure, including its internationally recognised Quantum Research Centre, and its expanding portfolio of national and international research partnerships. The forum also featured discussions on teaching philosophy, AI-driven healthcare solutions, student internship pathways, industry-led projects, and the department’s long-term focus on areas including mental health.

Prof. CV Tomy, Dean of the School of Engineering and Sciences, joined the deliberations, underscoring the university’s commitment to building programmes that are both academically rigorous and industry-relevant. Mr Srinivasan Thirumalai, Director – Entrepreneurship and Innovation, also joined the forum.

Expressing enthusiasm for the forum, Mr Pankaj Belwariar, Director of Communications, SRM University-AP, noted that events of this nature reflect the university’s belief in building education from the ground up, in close partnership with those who understand industry needs firsthand.

The forum concluded with a shared commitment among participants to pursue concrete avenues of collaboration, with a focus on meaningful outcomes for students and the broader healthcare ecosystem.

The industry leaders extended their full support towards the development of a robust and industry-aligned curriculum, pledging active involvement in shaping a programme that is built not just for the classroom, but for the real world of healthcare innovation. It was a resounding collective endorsement for the successful launch of the B.Tech in Health Engineering at SRM University-AP.