What Sightsavers does

Sightsavers India, legally registered as Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950 (registration number E4330), is a non-profit organization that has operated in India since 1970 to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote disability inclusion. The organization delivers three core programmatic lines: (1) Eye Health Services, encompassing community-based eye screenings and sight restoration surgeries (cumulative 103.3 million screenings and 8.5 million surgeries facilitated since 1970); (2) Inclusive Education, supporting children with visual impairments and other disabilities to access quality schooling; and (3) Social Inclusion, enabling equal participation of people with disabilities in employment and society. Operations span eight Indian states — Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal — through a partner hospital network, with additional occupational programs such as the milestone of screening 1 million truckers for vision and road safety.

The business model is donation-funded rather than revenue-generating. Sightsavers India raises funds from individual donors via an online donation portal (donate.sightsaversindia.in), corporate partners through a dedicated partnerships programme, and institutional grants (notably the HCL Grant 2018 valued at INR 5 Crore / ~$600K USD for inclusive education). The organization also operates an 18-month Ophthalmologist Fellowship Programme (4 months intensive surgical training plus 14 months of partner hospital placements), which functions as both a workforce development pipeline and a brand-building mechanism. Headcount in India is reported at 51-100 employees. Sightsavers India is part of a broader international network with sister entities in the UK, Ireland, US, Italy, Norway, and Sweden; it holds no parent-subsidiary corporate relationship in the legal sense but operates under a unified global brand. Credibility Alliance accreditation (2023), HCL Grant (2018), ICC Social Impact Award (2019), and the Mahatma Award (2019) provide external validation of governance and impact.

Name

Sightsavers

Legal name

Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind

Website

https://sightsaversindia.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sightsavers India, the India arm of the global Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind, is a non-profit operating since 1970 to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote disability inclusion. It delivers eye screenings, sight restoration surgeries, inclusive education, and an ophthalmologist fellowship across eight Indian states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eye Health Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132)

akta.pro primary industry

Neuro-Ophthalmology (HLAKAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB), Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF)

Keywords

• Eye health services
• Blindness prevention programs
• Inclusive education services
• Disability inclusion programs
• Ophthalmologist fellowship training

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Sightsavers India operates as a nonprofit organization (registered as Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind under Bombay Public Trust Act 1950). Revenue is generated through donations from individuals, corporate partnerships, and institutional donors. The organization facilitates sight restoration surgeries, eye screenings, and inclusive education programs funded by charitable contributions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sightsavers India is a nonprofit organization that facilitates eye health services including sight restoration surgeries and mass eye screenings to prevent avoidable blindness, alongside inclusive education and social inclusion programs for people with disabilities. The organization also runs an 18-month ophthalmologist fellowship programme that trains early-career eye specialists through partner hospital placements across eight Indian states. All activities are funded through donations, corporate partnerships, and grants.

Product overview

Sightsavers is a non-profit organization operating as a unified charitable entity that works to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote disability inclusion. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programmes: Eye Health Services (the core offering, including eye screenings and sight restoration surgeries), Inclusive Education, and Social Inclusion programmes. Additionally, the Ophthalmologist Fellowship Programme trains eye specialists, while Corporate Partnerships allows organizations to support the mission. The work spans eight Indian states with a focus on reaching underserved populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eye Health Services Comprehensive eye health programme focused on preventing avoidable blindness through mass eye screenings, sight restoration surgeries (e.g., cataract operations), and treatment of visual impairments. Sightsavers India has facilitated 8.5 million sight restoration surgeries and 103.3 million eye screenings since 1970, serving underserved populations across eight Indian states.
• Inclusive Education Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.5 million sight restoration surgeries facilitated since 1970
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Partner Hospitals (Unnamed)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Sightsavers India partners with leading hospitals across eight states (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal) for the 18-month fellowship programme. Selected ophthalmologists undergo 4 months of intensive surgical training at leading institutions followed by 14-month clinical placements at these partner facilities.
• H. Siddaiah Referral HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner hospital where beneficiaries like Ms. Krishnaveni receive treatment. The hospital employs housekeeping staff who benefit from Sightsavers' eye health programs.
• Corporate Partners (Unnamed)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSightsavers India operates a corporate partnerships programme inviting businesses to partner with the organization. The programme allows companies to support eye health and disability inclusion initiatives.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Orbis International: Global non-profit dedicated to blindness prevention through the Flying Eye Hospital, tele-ophthalmology training, and local partner-hospital programs. Comparable in mission, fellowship/training program structure, and donor-funded operating model across multiple low-resource geographies.
• Operation Eyesight Universal: International development organization working to eliminate avoidable blindness through hospital partnerships and community programs in South Asia and Africa. Comparable donor-funded INGO model focused on India and neighboring regions.
• Aravind Eye Care System: India's largest network of eye hospitals providing high-volume cataract surgery and outreach eye care. Comparable to Sightsavers on mission (eliminating avoidable blindness), patient population (low-income Indians), and surgical volume, although operates owned hospitals rather than a partner-only model.
• Sankara Nethralaya: Chennai-based non-profit eye hospital and trust focused on comprehensive ophthalmic care, community screening, and ophthalmologist training. Comparable mission, comparable Indian geographic focus, and comparable community-screening model to Sightsavers.
• L V Prasad Eye Institute: Hyderabad-based tertiary eye care institution running community eye health programs, training, and rural outreach across India. Directly comparable to Sightsavers on ophthalmic training (fellowships), inclusive eye health models, and research output.
• CBM (Christian Blind Mission): INGO focused on disability inclusion and eye health in low- and middle-income countries including India. Comparable scope of work (eye health plus inclusive education and disability inclusion) and donor-funded model, serving similar beneficiary populations.
• Helen Keller International: Global health organization working on vision, nutrition, and neglected tropical diseases across Asia and Africa. Comparable as an INGO funding and partnering in eye-health and disability-inclusion programs in India and similar markets.

Others

• International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB): Umbrella alliance coordinating global eye-health efforts, including VISION 2020 and related initiatives. Sightsavers is a member; IAPB is comparable as a coordinating body shaping the same avoidable-blindness agenda in India and globally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sightsaversIN
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SightsaversIN
• Facebookfacebook.com/SightsaversIndia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sightsavers-india
• Instagraminstagram.com/sightsaversin

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sightsavers