BENGALURU, India – August 5, 2026 — HealthCare Global Enterprises Limited (HCG), a premier network of specialty oncology centers in India, has officially commenced patient treatment utilizing Karnataka’s first Elekta Unity MR-Linac system. The clinical launch marks a landmark shift in regional cancer care, bringing high-field Magnetic Resonance-guided online adaptive radiation therapy (MRgRT) to patients across Karnataka and neighboring states.
Traditional radiation therapy relies on pre-treatment imaging, which can struggle to account for daily internal anatomical shifts, organ movement, or tumor shrinkage over a multi-week treatment course. The Elekta Unity system addresses this fundamental challenge by integrating a diagnostic-grade high-field 1.5 Tesla (1.5T) MRI scanner with an advanced linear accelerator inside a single platform.
This integration empowers radiation oncologists and medical physicists to visualize tumors and adjacent healthy soft tissues in real time during radiation delivery. Clinicians can adjust and adapt treatment plans “on the couch” before each session. By re-optimizing the radiation beam to match the exact daily anatomical contours of the patient, the system maximizes target dose coverage while drastically reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy organs.
Addressing India’s Escalating Cancer Burden
The deployment comes at a crucial moment for cancer care infrastructure in India. According to projections from the Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), new cancer cases in India are projected to reach 2.08 million annually by 2040—representing a 57.5% increase over 2020 levels. With Karnataka witnessing a parallel surge in oncology cases, there is an urgent demand for advanced therapeutic modalities that improve localized control, minimize treatment side effects, and optimize therapeutic efficacy.
“In the era of precision medicine, HCG is proud to add one more milestone with the installation of the Unity MR-Linac, where precision is taken to the level of near perfection. With this adaptive therapy, patients who qualify for the treatment will benefit immensely from radiation focused directly on the tumor, with minimal or no exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue. This gives us the opportunity to deliver the right treatment and improve outcomes with minimal or no side effects. And this is what HCG has always stood for—bringing the world’s most advanced cancer care to patients here at home, in Karnataka and across India.” — Dr. B.S. Ajaikumar, Founder and Chairman, HealthCare Global Enterprises Limited
“With Karnataka’s first Elekta Unity MR-Linac now treating patients, HCG is redefining the delivery of radiation therapy. Real-time imaging and adaptive treatment enable highly precise, personalised care while protecting healthy tissue. Combined with our multidisciplinary approach, this technology will help improve patient outcomes and expand access to advanced cancer care across Karnataka and neighbouring regions.” — Dr. Manish Mattoo, Executive Director and CEO, HealthCare Global Enterprises Limited
Strengthening Global Clinical Collaboration
“We are thrilled to partner with HCG hospitals and welcome them to our global community of Unity MR-Linac users. Elekta’s Unity MR-Linac ensures clinicians can accurately hit the tumor target and spare healthy tissue, even when the target moves. As early adopters of technology, HCG hospitals have always been ahead of the curve, serving patients with intent and accuracy. We believe our cutting-edge technology will enable their clinicians to deliver enhanced patient care through better dosing and visualization capabilities. We will further collaborate with HCG hospitals to accelerate adoption of adaptive radiotherapy in the country through workshops and skilling programs. This reaffirms our commitment to advancing high-quality cancer care across the region.” — Feras Al Hasan, Head – TIMEA, Elekta
“We are delighted to partner with HCG as they bring MR-guided online adaptive radiation therapy to patients in Karnataka. HCG’s commitment to providing patients with the most advanced treatment options is exemplary and this milestone reflects their leadership in advancing precision cancer care in India. By enabling clinicians to adapt treatment in real time based on the patient’s anatomy on the day of treatment, Unity is helping redefine what is possible in radiation therapy.” — Dr. John P Christodouleas, Head of Medical Affairs and Partner Research, Elekta
MR-guided online adaptive radiation therapy offers significant advantages for complex soft-tissue malignancies, including tumors of the prostate, pancreas, liver, brain, and pelvic region. For patients, the technology provides a significantly more targeted and individualized treatment journey. Real-time visualization ensures high confidence during target delivery, enabling clinicians to safely escalate doses to the tumor while mitigating common treatment-related toxicities.
The clinical integration of the Elekta Unity MR-Linac at HCG establishes a new benchmark for image-guided adaptive radiotherapy in Southern India, expanding access to world-class precision oncology.
