Diwakar Vaish ( ; born 23 July 1992) is an Indian-born robotics researcher and Head of Robotics and Research at A-SET Training and Research Institutes (2010âÂÂpresent). He is the developer of India's first completely indigenous 3D printed humanoid robot (Manav), India's first mind controlled robot, and the world's first production brain controlled wheelchair. Diwakar collaborated with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences to create the AgVa Ventilator, a compact and inexpensive medical ventilator. He founded AgVa Healthcare (now D&D Healthcare) to make and distribute the product. The company was the subject of controversy in 2020 due to claims that many of its ventilators were defective and that some were adjusted to report delivering higher levels of oxygen than were actually being delivered.
Vaish was in the news in 2020 over accusations that his company, AgVa Healthcare, provided ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic that could not deliver required levels of oxygen, even though the software reported that the correct level was being delivered. Vaish had a public dispute with Indian politician Rahul Gandhi over these claims. Vaish claimed that the criticism of his company was a result of upsetting a foreign cartel that provides ventilators to India.