Pune, May 05th, 2025
In a landmark step toward advancing holistic healthcare, the academic wing of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS), Nashik the country’s premier institution overseeing over 600 medical, dental, Ayurveda, and allied health institutions has officially partnered with Nihilent to explore clinical applications of Emoscape, the company’s innovative AI-based emotion detection platform. This collaboration marks a transformative moment in the Indian healthcare landscape, combining the ancient Indian concept of Navarasa (the nine emotions) with modern artificial intelligence to fundamentally reshape how emotional well-being is integrated into diagnosis, treatment, and patient care.
Emoscape leverages cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to detect nine core emotions love, joy, compassion, anger, courage, fear, disgust, wonder, and calmness by capturing subtle upper-body movements (shoulder and above) in 3D. This breakthrough platform draws inspiration from Navarasa, the ancient emotional theory that has played a pivotal role in Indian performing arts for centuries. The integration of this ancient wisdom with modern AI allows for real-time emotion detection, providing unprecedented insights into a patient’s emotional state and opening new avenues for personalized care and treatment.
Lt Gen (Dr.) Madhuri Kanitkar, Vice Chancellor of MUHS, emphasized the profound impact of this collaboration on the future of healthcare in India: “You cannot separate the mind from the body. Healthcare must be holistic. This is not just research it’s a revolution. By combining the time-tested wisdom of Navarasa with state-of-the-art technology, we are opening new doors for understanding and addressing emotional well-being. Our students, researchers, and healthcare professionals will now have access to an advanced platform that can aid in diagnosing and treating emotional and psychological issues with greater accuracy and empathy.”
As one of the most renowned institutions in the country, MUHS has long been a leader in medical education and research. This collaboration with Nihilent positions the university at the forefront of healthcare innovation. The partnership will allow MUHS to explore clinical applications of Emoscape across a range of disciplines, including non-communicable diseases, pediatric and adolescent care, maternal mental health, pre-surgical counselling, psychiatric conditions and ensuring patient privacy. Through this initiative, MUHS aims to bring emotional diagnostics into mainstream healthcare, aligning with its commitment to delivering comprehensive, patient-centred care.
Sandeep Pendurkar, Business Director of Emoscape at Nihilent, highlighted the role of emotional AI in revolutionizing patient care: “For the first time, we’re offering a platform that brings together AI, clinical science, and cultural heritage to redefine healthcare. Emoscape’s ability to detect emotional states with precision is a game-changer. This partnership with MUHS is not just about technology it’s about creating a new framework for emotional well-being in medicine. By detecting and understanding emotions, we can provide more personalized and effective care, improving both patient outcomes and the overall healthcare experience.”
In addition to its clinical applications, the collaboration will facilitate hands-on student engagement through Nihilent’s Summer Internship Program, providing MUHS students with valuable exposure to the intersection of AI and healthcare. This initiative will empower the next generation of healthcare professionals with the skills and knowledge necessary to embrace technological advancements and innovate in their respective fields.
The partnership between MUHS and Nihilent also paves the way for India to become a global leader in emotion-AI-driven healthcare. With both organizations committed to generating empirical data through rigorous research, this collaboration aims to mainstream emotional diagnostics and usher in a new era of holistic, human-centred medicine that can be adopted globally.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between MUHS and Nihilent was signed in a formal ceremony attended by key figures from both institutions, including Lt Gen Dr. Madhuri Kanitkar (Retd), Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of MUHS; Dr. Milind Nikumbh, Hon’ble Pro Vice Chancellor of MUHS; Dr. Rajendra Bangal, Hon’ble Registrar of MUHS and Sandeep Rathod, Assistant Registrar at MUHS. From Nihilent, the signing ceremony was witnessed by Sandeep Pendurkar, Business Director of Emoscape, along with Saurabh Shaligram, Principal Data Scientist, and Sai Sanjana Chitturi, Associate Consultant.
This collaboration represents a significant step forward in transforming healthcare by placing equal emphasis on emotional health and technological innovation. As it moves forward, this alliance will continue to pave the way for future breakthroughs in healthcare delivery, making India a trailblazer in emotion-AI-driven medical practices.
About MUHS
Established in 1998 and headquartered in Nashik, MUHS is the statutory body regulating health science education in Maharashtra, encompassing over 600 affiliated colleges across Medicine, Dentistry, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, and allied fields.
About Nihilent
Nihilent is a global consulting and solutions company specializing in business transformation, digital innovation, data analytics and technology solutions. Founded in 2000, it operates in multiple countries, helping businesses enhance efficiency and customer experience. Emoscape is one of Nihilent’s pioneering AI platforms, reflecting the company’s focus on creating category-defining solutions that bridge technology, human behaviour and ancient wisdom.
https://emoscape.ai/
