Mr. Nikhil Kurele

(BT/ME/2016)

Mr. Nikhil Kurele is an entrepreneur and technology leader, and Co-Founder & CEO of Noccarc Robotics, an IIT Kanpur-incubated medical technology company focused on developing smart, indigenously designed critical-care devices. His work combines engineering, entrepreneurship and healthcare innovation, with a focus on building affordable and technologically advanced medical devices for hospitals in India and global markets. He received his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, in 2016. During his time at IIT Kanpur, he developed a strong interest in robotics and served as Secretary of the Robotics Club. He also undertook internships in design and technology, including at Tata Technologies and IIT Kanpur's Frugal Innovation in Design and Technology initiative. After graduating, he worked as a Graduate Engineering Trainee at Bajaj Auto Limited from 2016 to 2017, where he gained practical exposure to automation in assembly and machining processes. Mr. Kurele co-founded Noccarc Robotics with fellow IIT Kanpur alumnus Harshit Rathore and Tushar Agarwal. The company initially developed autonomous waterless solar-panel cleaning robots, but its direction changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with India's acute shortage of ventilators, the founders redirected their engineering capabilities toward healthcare and, in just around 90 days, designed and developed an indigenous ICU ventilator. During the first wave of the pandemic, Noccarc manufactured ventilators at scale, achieving a record production of 103 ventilators in a single day on May 23, 2021. Its indigenous ventilators, including the Noccarc V310 and H210, received the Technology Development Board, Government of India National Award 2021 for Technology Start-up. The company's rapid response demonstrated how engineering entrepreneurship could be mobilised to address an urgent public-health challenge. Under Mr. Kurele's leadership, Noccarc has since evolved from a ventilator-focused startup into a broader medical-technology company. Its portfolio now includes advanced ventilators and patient-monitoring systems, with products deployed across hundreds of hospitals in India. Recent reporting indicates that Noccarc products are present in more than 700 hospitals, including major government and private healthcare institutions, while its latest high-end ventilator has been installed in more than 155 hospitals. The company's current expansion is increasingly centred on intelligent healthcare technologies. Noccarc is developing AI-enabled solutions capable of analysing clinical data and supporting doctors in diagnosis and treatment, reflecting the company's transition from hardware manufacturing toward integrated medical technology and AI-driven critical-care systems. Mr. Kurele's entrepreneurial journey has received significant recognition. He was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, and Noccarc's innovations have received national recognition for technology and healthcare innovation. In 2026, the company was among a group of deep-tech startups selected for support under the Government of India's Research, Development and Innovation initiative, further recognising its potential in indigenous medical technology. Beyond building a successful technology company, Mr. Kurele's work represents a broader contribution to India's technological self-reliance in healthcare. By developing critical-care devices domestically, Noccarc has sought to reduce dependence on imported medical equipment while making advanced healthcare technologies more accessible to Indian hospitals.
Honouring his pioneering contributions to Entrepreneurship, Medical Technology and Healthcare Innovation, and his distinguished impact in building indigenous critical-care technologies and responding to India's healthcare needs through engineering and innovation, IIT Kanpur confers upon Mr. Nikhil Kurele the Young Alumni Award 2026 under the category of Professional Excellence.

Achievements and Honors

• Forbes' 30 under 30 Asia 2018.