Raju Naidu

Indian social entrepreneur who pioneered low-cost dialysis solutions for rural populations

Raju Naidu (b.1968) transformed healthcare access in India through his 1996 invention of the Portable Dialysis Unit, a device reducing treatment costs by 70%. A mechanical engineer by training, Naidu observed that 80% of kidney failure patients in Tamil Nadu couldn't afford conventional dialysis. His breakthrough involved adapting automotive battery technology to create a compact, reusable system requiring only 10 liters of water per session. The WHO-endorsed system now serves over 500,000 patients annually across 15 countries. Naidu's documentary 'Bloodline' won an Emmy for highlighting global healthcare disparities. His 2002 book Engineering Compassion became a MIT OpenCourseWare reference. Key milestones include:

• First mobile dialysis buses in rural India
• Collaboration with Stanford on AI-driven treatment scheduling
• World Health Assembly commendation in 2018