The Problem: Getting a basic eye check-up and a pair of glasses, may be easy for someone who has easy access to the products or services, it does not remain so for a person in rural area - who has to travel several kilometers, lose a day's wages in the process, incur additional travelling & costs of food - and then access eye care in city, paying at par with the urban customer - which in most cases become un affordable to him - already bearing the additional costs as explained above. The additional costs are in the range of INR 1500 - 2000, which is more than the total disposable income for most rural families. This out of pocket expenditure can only be done, if resources are diverted from some area, which are also important for them, nevertheless.

With 85.92% of North-East Indians living in villages- compounded with frequent socio-political unrest, poor connectivity, and poor transportation facility, poorer economic status - the problem assumes gigantic proportions. This in the backdrop of a WHO Survey (2003-2005: Assam), which states that almost 40% have some form of visual impairment. (Assam has a total population of 31 million).

This however, is a silver lining. Because 80% of defective vision can be corrected with two simple measures- a pair of glasses (43%) and a relatively simple cataract surgery (33%). The challenge is only in delivering an affordable, accessible, "on demand" eye care to the rural person, at par with those available in cities.

With a Mission to provide affordable eye care in an accessible manner, and having a vision to ensure right of every person to be able to see & work productively, we started out in 2011. We devised our customized unique Hub & Spoke model to reach out to the most underserved and inaccessible areas.

With more than 55,000 patients treated since June 2011, who bear testimony to our services, we are now gearing up for more- to improve access, make affordable Primary Eye Care to the un- & underserved persons in the BoP.