Vishwaprasad Alva’s company, SKANRAY Technologies, had its beginnings in 2007 in Mysore. However, the actual inception took place in 2012 when he, along with five partners, founded the company. Now, after a decade, they have a team of over 700 highly skilled engineers. The company boasts an annual turnover of 400-500 crore rupees.
The company possesses over 80 patents and more than 50 US FDA and CE certified high-end medical devices, including diagnostic X-ray systems, surgical C-arms, dental radiography systems, patient monitoring systems, defibrillators, critical care ventilators, anesthesia workstations, ECG machines, central nursing systems, and much more.
Made in India
During the COVID-19 pandemic, they achieved a remarkable feat of producing 1 lakh Made in India ventilators. Their success story demonstrates how high-quality devices can be manufactured in India, competes with both Chinese and foreign counterparts.
Alva’s journey serves as a source of inspiration for the younger generation, showing them that there is much to learn from his achievements. He also extends help to the children of border farmers and students.
Vishwaprasad Alva, the founder and managing director of SKANRAY Technologies, is an alumnus of St. Aloysius College, Mangalore. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Alagappa Chettiar College of Engineering and Technology and a Master’s degree in Industrial Electronics from NITK, Surathkal. He has worked in various medical companies in different countries for several years before returning to India to take care of his family. He aspired to start something new, but his family was initially hesitant as his father was employed with the electricity board.
Initially, Alwa faced various challenges due to Government policies. It took three years to acquire the land for the project, and he raised funds through friends and other individuals. Eventually, with the assistance of the then DC (Deputy Commissioner) of Mysore and other officials, the company was launched.
Commencing with MNc (Medical Noncritical) products and attracting experts to join a startup company posed challenges, and they initially struggled to offer competitive salaries. Nevertheless, they persevered and worked diligently.
Suitable city for startups
Mysore was chosen because it was found to be a suitable coastal city and was convenient for people from all over the world, including those working in his company from the USA, Mexico, European countries, and Brazil.
At the time of starting the company, there were no other major companies in India involved in the production of medical devices. The company began with five engineers, expanded to 150 engineers with a background in R&D, and later acquired L&T Medical Systems. This journey continued, and the company expanded to 400 employees. Subsequently, they acquired another R&D company in Italy, and a second R&D company was established in Italy. They also acquired Cardia in the Netherlands. In Italy, their focus primarily lies in veterinary products and cathlabs related to cardiology.
Currently, they employ a dedicated workforce of around 700 professionals. The company’s first product was exported to the United States, with two units established in Brazil and two units in Kerala. Now, all major hospitals, including Apollo and Narayana Health, utilise the products manufactured by this company. The company manufactures all its products from scratch and does not import any products from China or any other country.
In fact, India has a relatively lower number of R&D companies compared to Japan and the USA. The company has more than one lakh products in the medical field and is spread across 80 countries. Starting with an initial investment of just 5-6 crores, the company has grown to a turnover of 400 to 500 crores, with a goal of reaching 1 billion USD.
This company is recognised as an ‘Original Equipment Manufacturer’ (OEM) of medical devices. Establishing a place for an Indian company in the global arena is a proud achievement. With dedicated design teams in Europe and India, manufacturing facilities in India, Italy, and Latin America, SKANRAY Technologies is an internationally acclaimed firm in healthcare technology.
SKANRAY Technologies deserves credit for manufacturing a large number of ventilators for the country during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is actively involved in the Swavalambhi Bharat campaign.
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