Meet the 5 Eye Hospital Giants Treating Millions in India — World Sight Day 2025

World Sight Day falls on October 9 every year and serves as a global reminder to prioritize eye health and access to quality vision care. India bears one of the world’s highest burdens of visual impairment, with cataracts remaining the leading cause of blindness, making the role of the best eye hospitals in India critical in delivering both treatment and preventive services.

According to the National Blindness & Visual Impairment Survey 2015–19, among persons aged ≥50 years in India, the prevalence of blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60 in the better eye) was 1.99 percent, while overall visual impairment (presenting <6/12) affected 26.68 percent of that population. Major causes included cataract (66.2 percent), refractive error, glaucoma, and posterior segment conditions. ¹

This year’s World Sight Day theme is “Love Your Eyes,” which emphasizes making eye care accessible, available, and affordable for all, while centering lived experience and community action in global advocacy efforts. ²

Founded: 1976, Reach: 8 tertiary hospitals, 8 secondary centers, 119 vision centers across South India, international collaborations in Africa
Services: Cataract surgery, retina care, pediatric ophthalmology, low vision rehabilitation
Why It Stands Out: Pioneered a high-volume, low-cost model with over 50% of services free or heavily subsidized; globally recognized for training programs and affordable intraocular lens production.

Annual Impact: Per institutional reports, the hospital performs over 480,000 eye surgeries annually and screens millions through outreach camps.³

Founded: 2007, Reach: 36+ hospitals in India, branches in Nigeria
Services: Cataract (bladeless laser), LASIK, retina & glaucoma care, squint surgery, ICL, optical services
Why It Stands Out: Extensive eye screenings, affordable treatments, and high-volume surgeries across urban and semi-urban areas.

Established: 1957 | Reach: 240+, centers in India, international branches
Services: Cataract, LASIK, cornea transplant, retina & glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology
Why It Stands Out: Advanced technology, trusted expertise, and strong patient-focused care across India.

Annual Impact: The network reports conducting over 500,000 surgeries annually, with significant expansion across tier-2 and tier-3 cities.⁴

Years in Service: 35+, Reach: 6 centers in Delhi NCR
Services: LASIK, cataract, retina & cornea care, pediatric ophthalmology, oculoplasty
Why It Stands Out: NABH-accredited, technology-driven care, convenient multi-branch access.

Founded: 1998, Reach: 27 hospitals in 14 states
Services: Cataract & cornea surgery, glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology, low vision rehabilitation
Why It Stands Out: High volume of free surgeries, rural outreach, and millions screened through eye camps.

Annual Impact: Sankara Eye Foundation has performed over 2.6 million free eye surgeries and continues to expand its vision centers across rural India.⁵

Other notable contributors to India’s eye health landscape include LV Prasad Eye Institute (Hyderabad) and Narayana Nethralaya (Bengaluru), both pioneers in research and advanced ophthalmic care.

1. Murthy, G. V. S., et al. “Prevalence and Causes of Blindness and Visual Impairment and Their Associated Risk Factors in India: National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey 2015–19.” Indian Journal of Ophthalmology 70, no. 8 (2022): 2783–2790. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9302795/

2. International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). “World Sight Day to Put People at Its Heart.” IAPB News, accessed October 5, 2025. https://www.iapb.org/news/world-sight-day-to-put-people-at-its-heart/

3. Aravind Eye Care System. Annual Report 2023–2024. Madurai: Aravind Eye Care System, 2024.

4. Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital. Annual Performance Report 2024. Chennai: Dr. Agarwal’s Group of Eye Hospitals, 2024.

5. Sankara Eye Foundation India. Impact Report 2024. Coimbatore: Sankara Eye Foundation, 2024.

_MSM