Built an ICU ventilator in 90 days. Now this IIT Kanpur startup powers critical care

Their startup was building robots to clean solar panels. Then the pandemic changed everything. Within just 90 days, two IIT Kanpur graduates built an ICU-grade ventilator that would go on to support hospitals across India.How IIT Kanpur founders, Nikhil Kurele(R) and Harshit Rathore (L) built an ICU ventilator in 90 days (Photo: LinkedIn/Nikhil Kurele, Harshit Rathore)Until early 2020, Nocca Robotics had nothing to do with hospitals.The IIT Kanpur startup was known for building autonomous robots that cleaned solar panels without using water, a solution designed for India's growing renewable energy sector.Then COVID-19 arrived.As hospitals prepared for an unprecedented surge in critically ill patients, India faced an acute shortage of ventilators. Instead of staying with their original business, founders Nikhil Kurele and Harshit Rathore decided to solve a problem they had never worked on before. Within just 90 days, they built a high-end ICU ventilator that would eventually be used in hospitals across the country. ICU Ventilators at Noccarc robotics (Photo: LinkedIn/Nikhil Kurele) THE JOURNEYS OF FOUNDERS TO IIT KANPURNikhil Kurele's journey began in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh. He has often described himself as an average student who was known more for mischief than academics. Mathematics was the only subject where he consistently excelled, scoring 96% in Class 10.Recognising his potential, his parents sent him to Kota to prepare for engineering entrance examinations.He cracked JEE and joined IIT Kanpur in 2012 to study Mechanical Engineering. During college, he became secretary of the institute's Robotics Club, where he developed a strong interest in designing machines that could solve practical problems.After graduating in 2016, he joined Bajaj Auto, but entrepreneurship remained his long-term goal.Harshit Rathore studied in a Kendriya Vidyalaya school. He earned his BS in Chemistry from IIT Kanpur in 2016. After graduating, he completed a summer internship at Tata Motors before working as a Mechanical Design Engineer at Knox Innovations LLP from 2016 to 2017. Harshit Rathore (Photo: Noccarc/Insagram) A STARTUP THAT CHANGED DIRECTION OVERNIGHTIn 2017, Kurele and his IIT batchmate Harshit Rathore left their jobs to launch Nocca Robotics.Their first product was an autonomous robot that cleaned solar panels without water, helping improve efficiency in large solar power plants.The business was growing steadily until March 2020.When Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the COVID-19 Solution Challenge, IIT Kanpur's Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre called on startups to contribute ideas that could help tackle the crisis.The founders proposed building a ventilator despite having no previous experience in medical devices.Harshit Rathore later admitted that they has never seen a ventilater, as per media reports. That did not stop them. They studied how ventilators worked, prepared an initial concept overnight and immediately sought feedback from doctors. ICU ventilators get commissioned at Command Hospital Lucknow (Photo: LinkedIn/Nikhil Kurele) 90 DAYS, 15 MENTORS AND ONE LIFE-SAVING MACHINEThe project quickly evolved into the IIT Kanpur Ventilator Consortium, bringing together doctors, researchers, engineers and around 15 experienced mentors.Using IIT Kanpur's laboratories and engineering infrastructure, the team refined the design continuously.Just three months later, they introduced the Noccarc V310, a high-end ICU ventilator developed using components sourced largely from within India.The machine offered advanced critical care features while costing significantly less than many imported alternatives. During the second wave of COVID-19, the ventilators reached hospitals when demand for life-support equipment was at its peak. Noccarc was among the first five companies selected under the Government of India’s Research Development and Innovation (RDI) funding scheme: a Rs 1 lakh crore R&D initiative for Aatmanirbhar Bharat. (Extreme R: Nikhil Kurele) (Photo: LinkedIn/Nikhil Kurele) FROM PANDEMIC RESPONSE TO A GROWING HEALTHCARE BUSINESSThe emergency project transformed the company's future.Nocca Robotics became Noccarc Robotics, shifting its focus from industrial robotics to medical technology.Today, the company employs more than 50 people, has supplied around 260 ICU ventilators to hospitals across India and operates as a profitable business. Its products now compete with established international manufacturers, including Philips, in India's critical care equipment market.Kurele's work has also earned him recognition in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.MORE THAN A STARTUP SUCCESS STORYNoccarc's journey shows how quickly engineering skills can be adapted to solve real-world problems.The founders did not begin with expertise in healthcare. They began with a willingness to learn, collaborate with doctors and rethink their business when the country needed it most.Today, their startup is no longer remembered for solar-cleaning robots alone. It is recognised for proving that Indian engineers can build world-class medical technology, and do so when it matters the most.- EndsPublished By: Princy ShuklaPublished On: Aug 5, 2026 10:00 IST