India Vision Institute

What India Vision Institute does

India Vision Institute (IVI) is an independent not-for-profit registered trust established in 2012, headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with a stated headcount of 91 employees. Its mission is to deliver primary eye care—primarily free vision screenings and corrective spectacles—to urban poor, rural, and underprivileged populations across India, while building the country's optometry workforce. According to internal data, IVI has reached over 2 million beneficiaries across 25 states through more than 4,500 (recently cited as 10,500) vision screening programs, more than 600 capacity-building initiatives for optometrists, and 100+ organizational collaborations.

The organization's service model combines three delivery channels: Vision Screening Camps conducted at schools, workplaces, and rural communities; permanent Vision Centres in underserved areas; and Mobile Eye Units/Van clinics that extend reach into remote locations. Beneficiaries identified with refractive error receive free corrective glasses on-site, while those needing cataract or other advanced treatment are referred to partner hospitals such as M.N. Eye Hospital and LV Prasad Eye Institute. The underlying technology stack is modest and operational rather than software-led: data capture relies on Microsoft Excel templates with records stored in Google Drive. IVI also publishes research-grade outputs, notably the RE2030 report on uncorrected refractive error in India, and runs professional development programs (Resmeet symposium, Studometry student conference, Young Leaders Program) that build the talent pipeline it draws upon.

IVI's revenue model is donation- and grant-driven rather than commercial. Funding sources include individual donations (eligible for 50% Indian tax deduction under Section 80G and routed internationally via FCRA and a US 501(c)(3) partner, IDRF), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partnerships with companies across financial services, automotive, and eye care, event sponsorship for awareness campaigns and conferences, and corporate employee engagement programs. IVI holds Section 12A, 80G, and FCRA clearances, and counts Brien Holden Vision Institute as a founding partner alongside a roster of strategic CSR partners including LIC Housing Finance, Titan Company, IIFL Samasta, ICICI Foundation, Cholamandalam, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, and Sightsvers India.

Name

India Vision Institute

Legal name

India Vision Institute

Website

https://indiavisioninstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

India Vision Institute is a Chennai-headquartered not-for-profit trust, founded in 2012, that provides free vision screenings and corrective spectacles to underserved schoolchildren, drivers, and rural communities across 25 Indian states, while training optometrists through professional development programs funded by donations, CSR, and international grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Eye Care Services / Primary Vision Care

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)

Keywords

• Vision screening services
• Primary eye care
• Corrective spectacles distribution
• Optometry professional development
• Community eye health outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: IVI accepts donations from individuals globally. Indian donors receive 50% tax deduction under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act. US donors can contribute through IDRF (501(c)(3)). International donors use FCRA-designated bank account.
2. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Partnerships with corporations for vision screening programs, focusing on education, health, livelihood, women's empowerment, and gender equality. Companies align CSR activities with IVI's eye care initiatives.
3. Event Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorship for awareness campaigns, vision walks, community engagement programs, professional development initiatives, and leadership development events such as Resmeet and Studometry.
4. Employee Engagement: Corporate employees volunteer and participate in vision screening, outreach, and awareness programs as part of company engagement initiatives.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

India Vision Institute provides free primary eye care services to underserved populations in India through community-based vision screening programs, free corrective spectacles distribution, and referrals for cataract and other eye conditions to partner hospitals. Services are delivered via fixed Vision Centres, Mobile Eye Units, and outreach camps at schools, workplaces, and rural communities across 25 Indian states. IVI also runs professional development programs (workshops, conferences, leadership training) to build the capacity of optometrists and eye care professionals in India.

Product overview

India Vision Institute (IVI) offers a comprehensive suite of vision care services and programs focused on providing primary eye care to underserved populations in India. The core offering consists of vision screening programs conducted through fixed Vision Centres, Mobile Eye Units, and community outreach camps, delivering free eye examinations and corrective spectacles. IVI's professional development vertical includes the Young Leaders Program, annual ResMeet symposium, and Studometry student conference for optometry professionals and students. Additional programs encompass road safety through driver vision screening, advocacy campaigns, and various health initiatives including hearing screenings and mental health awareness. The organization operates as a service-delivery non-profit rather than a software product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vision Screening Programs Comprehensive free eye examinations conducted in underserved communities, schools, and rural areas across India to detect vision problems and provide corrective spectacles to underprivileged populations including children and adults.
• Vision Centres Fixed vision care facilities providing ongoing eye care services to underserved populations in India, including eye examinations and corrective glasses distribution.
• Mobile Eye Units / Mobile Van Clinics Mobile vision screening clinics and vans that bring eye care services to remote, rural, and inaccessible communities across India where fixed facilities are not viable.
• Free Corrective Spectacles Distribution Provision of free or affordable corrective eyeglasses to individuals identified with refractive errors during IVI vision screenings, including for children, adults, truckers, and other beneficiaries.
• Professional Development Programs for Optometrists Continuing education programs for eye care professionals including workshops, panel discussions, conferences, leadership training, and webinars, designed to build India's primary eye care capacity.
• Driver Vision Screening (Road Safety) Dedicated vision screening programs for commercial vehicle drivers (truckers, auto drivers, bus drivers) to detect and correct vision impairment, improve road safety, and preserve driving careers. Includes dedicated Vision Centres such as the Attibele Bangalore truckers' centre.
• Awareness and Advocacy Campaigns Public awareness and advocacy campaigns about vision health delivered through print, social media, community outreach events, and initiatives such as Walk in the Dark, aimed at reducing uncorrected refractive error across India.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children learn twice as much if they have their vision corrected
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Titan Company Limited (Titan's Happy Eyes)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2025Partnership to benefit 37,000 drivers, making Indian roads safer through vision screening and corrective glasses.
• IIFL Samasta Finance LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2025Screening campaign bringing clear vision to marginalized communities across 5 states.
• LIC Housing FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2025Partnership to empower 50,000 schoolchildren with clear vision in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• Operation Eyesight Universal (OEU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2025Partnership to screen 40,000 children in Kurnool. Focus on sustainable, community-based eye health programs.
• Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 August 2024Partnership for Vision Centre for truckers at Attibele, Bangalore.
• LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 July 2024Co-host of 34th International Pupil Colloquium with global leaders in pupil research.
• Sightsavers IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 January 2024Partnership for vision screening programs including truckers' vision screening program (RAAHI). Collaboration on Vision Centre for truckers at Attibele, Bangalore.
• ICICI FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative vision screening campaign in Jammu bringing services to remote communities.
• Amada Soft IndiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Corporate partner supporting IVI's beneficiary programs including provision of spectacles to beneficiaries like Ravi.
• M.N. Eye HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Referral partner hospital for cataract surgeries and eye treatments. IVI refers patients identified with cataracts during screenings.
• VisionPlus MagazineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration on panel discussions about eye health topics including ASD and UV radiation, and blog content sharing.
• OneSight EssilorLuxottica FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 January 2023Partnership for vision screening programs for Delhi NCR bus drivers and commercial vehicle drivers.
• Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Founding partner and ongoing supporter of IVI's programs. Named IVI Brien Holden Young Optometry Researcher Rolling Trophy.
• Brien Holden Vision InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2021Co-host of 2nd IVI International Optometry Conference 'Eye Health in a Changing World'.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Orbis International: Orbis International is a global non-profit fighting avoidable blindness through hospital partnerships, training, and advocacy. It shares IVI's community screening and optometry capacity-building focus but operates at much larger global scale with a broader programmatic portfolio.
• Sankara Nethralaya: Sankara Nethralaya is a leading tertiary eye hospital network in India offering clinical services, training, and community outreach. It overlaps with IVI on community vision screening and ophthalmic professional training, with broader hospital-based delivery.
• LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI): LVPEI is a major comprehensive eye care institution in India combining clinical services, research, and education. It is an IVI referral partner and co-host for the International Pupil Colloquium, with much broader scope (tertiary care, surgeries) but overlapping on community outreach and optometry training.

Direct peers

• Combat Blindness International: Combat Blindness International is a non-profit dedicated to preventing blindness through partnerships in underserved communities globally, including India. It funds vision screenings and surgeries, overlapping directly with IVI's primary eye care service model.
• Operation Eyesight Universal: Operation Eyesight Universal is an international development organization working to eliminate avoidable blindness. IVI has partnered with OEU to screen 40,000 children in Kurnool, making it a directly comparable peer in community-based vision care programs in India.
• VisionSpring: VisionSpring is a social enterprise that provides affordable reading glasses to low-income communities globally, including India. It pioneered a market-based model for vision correction among working-age adults, sharing IVI's mission of reaching underserved populations with corrective eyewear.
• OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation: OneSight is a global non-profit that has partnered with IVI for vision screening in Delhi NCR bus drivers. It provides free vision screenings and eyewear to underserved communities worldwide, making it a directly comparable peer in program model and beneficiary segments.
• Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI): BHVI is IVI's founding partner and global optometry research/education institute. It conducts vision research, develops optometry workforce capacity, and addresses uncorrected refractive error globally — closely aligned with IVI's professional development and capacity-building mission.
• Sightsavers India: Sightsavers India is a non-governmental organization focused on avoidable blindness and visual impairment in India. They run vision screening programs, cataract surgeries, and inclusive education for the visually impaired, making them the most direct operational and mission peer to IVI.

Others

• Titan Eye+ (CSR Arm): Titan Eye+ is a major Indian optical retail chain whose parent (Titan Company) is an IVI CSR partner for the 'Happy Eyes' driver vision screening program. While primarily a commercial retailer, Titan Eye+ conducts eye exams and dispenses spectacles to consumer and CSR-funded beneficiary populations in parallel to IVI's model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OptometryIndia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@indiavisioninstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/IndiaVisionInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/india-vision-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/indiavisioninstitute

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about India Vision Institute