Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology is a Nepal-based nonprofit founded by Dr. Sanduk Ruit that operates community eye hospitals providing free cataract surgeries and screenings to underserved rural populations across Nepal, funded primarily through the Fred Hollows Foundation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersKathmandu, Nepal
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology does
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, also doing business as Nepal Eye Program, is a Nepal-based nonprofit eye care organization founded by Dr. Sanduk Ruit and headquartered in Kathmandu. It operates a network of facilities anchored by the Tilganga Eye Centre in Kathmandu, which functions as the central hub for advanced ophthalmic care and surgeon training, and the Tilganga Nijgadh Community Eye Hospital in Bara district, which delivers free cataract surgeries and screenings to rural populations with no prior nearby eye care access. Its core proprietary asset is an innovative fast, affordable cataract surgery technique developed by Dr. Ruit that enabled sight restoration for approximately 100,000 people by 2009 and underpins the organization's high-volume, low-cost delivery model.
The institute's go-to-market is community-led: it runs rural outreach programs and screening camps, providing services at no cost to patients and relying on word-of-mouth and the personal reputation of Dr. Ruit rather than traditional marketing channels. Its revenue mechanics are donor-funded rather than commercial; the Fred Hollows Foundation is the named core financial partner supporting community hospital operations, and no fee-for-service pricing is publicly disclosed. Operating exclusively within Nepal with 101–250 employees, Tilganga functions as a high-throughput charitable healthcare provider whose strategic value lies in clinical impact (USD 451 million in potential annual economic benefits estimated from eye health investment in Nepal) rather than in financial returns.
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology
- Legal name
- Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology
- Website
- https://tilganga.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology is a Nepal-based nonprofit founded by Dr. Sanduk Ruit that operates community eye hospitals providing free cataract surgeries and screenings to underserved rural populations across Nepal, funded primarily through the Fred Hollows Foundation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Eye Care Services
- NAICS
- Ambulatory Health Care Services (621), All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services (62199)
- SIC
- Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care) (HLAKAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Ophthalmology Surgery Centers (HLAFAIAF), Vision & Ophthalmic Diagnostic Centers (Optometry/OCT/Retinal Imaging) (HLAFAKAI), Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)
Keywords
Where Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kathmandu
- HQ country
- Nepal
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Charitable Healthcare Services: The institute provides free eye surgeries and healthcare services to rural communities, funded primarily through support from the Fred Hollows Foundation and likely other donors. Services are provided at no cost to patients in underserved areas.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology operates a network of eye care facilities in Nepal that deliver cataract surgeries, vision screenings, and specialty ophthalmology services. The Tilganga Eye Centre in Kathmandu provides advanced eye care and surgeon training, while the Tilganga Nijgadh Community Eye Hospital and rural outreach screening camps extend services to underserved rural communities, often free of charge.
Product overview
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (also known as Nepal Eye Program) operates a network of eye care facilities in Nepal, including the Tilganga Eye Centre in Kathmandu that serves as the central hub for advanced eye care and surgeon training, and the Tilganga Nijgadh Community Eye Hospital that extends services to rural communities in the Bara district. The institute provides comprehensive eye health services including screenings and cataract surgeries, operating with support from the Fred Hollows Foundation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tilganga Eye Centre Central eye care facility in Kathmandu that delivers advanced ophthalmology services and trains surgeons, extending impact into remote villages across Nepal.
- Tilganga Nijgadh Community Eye Hospital Community eye hospital in Nijgadh, Bara district providing eye care services to rural communities, including free cataract surgeries for populations that previously had no nearby eye care access.
Quantifiable outcome
- 38,524 eye operations performed in one year at a single community hospital
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh: National network of eye hospitals and community outreach programs within Nepal, operating in overlapping geographies and serving similar rural cataract-surgery patient segments as Tilganga.
Direct peers
- Aravind Eye Care System: India-based nonprofit eye hospital network with the most directly comparable model: high-volume, low-cost cataract surgery delivered through a hub-and-spoke system reaching rural and underserved populations, with strong surgeon training programs.
- Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya: Indian rural eye hospital delivering high-volume, low-cost cataract surgery and community outreach in underserved areas — comparable hub-and-community model for charitable ophthalmology in South Asia.
- L V Prasad Eye Institute: Indian nonprofit ophthalmology institute offering comprehensive medical and surgical eye care, training, and rural outreach — a closely aligned institutional peer in mission, scale, and service mix to Tilganga.
- LVPEI's secondary centers (Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam): Secondary eye care centers under LV Prasad delivering cataract and general ophthalmology services in tier-2/tier-3 locations — directly analogous to Tilganga's community-hospital model in Nepal's secondary cities.
- Sankara Nethralaya: Nonprofit ophthalmology hospital and training center in India delivering high-volume medical/surgical eye care to underserved populations, directly comparable in mission, surgical volume, and community outreach orientation.
Broad incumbents
- Orbis International: Global nonprofit focused on preventing blindness, including training and surgical programs across Asia and Africa — broader in scope but operates in the same charitable ophthalmology delivery space as Tilganga.
- Seva Foundation: US-based nonprofit supporting community eye care and cataract surgery programs across Asia, Africa, and Latin America — comparable mission and funding-model peer with overlapping geographies.
- Fred Hollows Foundation (operating programs): Major international eye-health nonprofit that funds and operates cataract surgery programs across multiple developing countries — not a direct competitor to Tilganga's facilities but a strategic funder and broader-scale peer in the same charitable ophthalmology category.
Emerging players
- HelpMeSee: Global nonprofit focused on scaling cataract surgical capacity through simulation-based training and partnerships — overlaps with Tilganga's training-plus-surgical approach but with a distinct technology-led methodology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology social profiles
Digital presenceTilganga Institute of Ophthalmology financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology
What does Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology do?
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology operates a network of eye care facilities in Nepal that deliver cataract surgeries, vision screenings, and specialty ophthalmology services. The Tilganga Eye Centre in Kathmandu provides advanced eye care and surgeon training, while the Tilganga Nijgadh Community Eye Hospital and rural outreach screening camps extend services to underserved rural communities, often free of charge.
Is Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology a public or private company?
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology founded?
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology was founded in 1992. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology based?
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal, in the Asia region.
How does Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable Healthcare Services.
Who are Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology's main competitors?
Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Aravind Eye Care System, Sadguru Netra Chikitsalaya, L V Prasad Eye Institute, LVPEI's secondary centers (Bhubaneswar, Visakhapatnam) and Sankara Nethralaya. Broad incumbents are Orbis International, Seva Foundation and Fred Hollows Foundation (operating programs). HelpMeSee is listed as an emerging player.
Does Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology.
What industry is Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology in?
Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology's product category is Eye Care Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAKAKAC, Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care), with a secondary code of HLAFAIAF, Ophthalmology Surgery Centers. Its NAICS code is 621 and its SIC code is 8011.