Prescription eyewear market in India

The prescription eyewear market in the country was estimated to be Rs 1,350 crore in 2009.
In volume terms, the market is estimated to be around 25 to 30 million units a year.
The prescription eyewear market is growing at 15 to 20 per cent a year.
The market is highly fragmented, with the unorganised sector accounting for nearly 95 per cent share.
Although there are strong regional players like GKB, Saberi’s and so on, barring Lawrence & Mayo and Titan Eye+, there are no major pan-India brands in this category.
Despite the presence of global lens brands like Essilor in India, customers typically leave the choice of lens to the optician.

Market for contact lenses in India

The Asia-Pacific region is the fastest-growing market for contact lens in the world. Major players are eyeing the Indian market for growth where the demand is on the rise and penetration low.
The penetration of contact lens in the country is a mere 5 per cent. The number of people with vision imperfection is over 15 million.
A number of factors contribute to the low penetration, such as apprehensions in inserting a foreign particle in the eye, the lack of awareness about the benefits and the belief that spectacles are more economical.
Bausch and Lomb is the market leader for the category in India.
In this category, the demand for varifocals is increasing compared to bifocals, even though varifocals are four times as expensive as a single-vision lens. There is also a transition towards disposable lenses from hard and semi-soft lenses, primarily because of comfort.