Aravind Eye Care and Alcon Launch Global Retina Training Centre in India

Aravind Eye Care System and Alcon Launch Global Centre of Excellence for Retina Training in Coimbatore, India
Aravind Eye Care System and Alcon, global leaders in Eye Care, announced the launch of the Aravind Alcon Worldwide Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Vitreoretinal Surgery Training in Coimbatore. Building on the successful launch of the Worldwide Cataract Centre of Excellence in 2024, the novel Centre marks the second phase of Aravind & Alcon's collaboration to tackle one of the most significant gaps in worldwide eye care access to retina training. The intended Vitreoretinal Centre of Excellence will strengthen healthcare capacity by equipping ophthalmologists with well-developed retina training and increasing access to quality eye care in underserved areas.

While cataract care has scaled efficiently, retina care remains retrain as a shortage of trained specialists, specifically in Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia. Established in the Aravind Eye Care System, the Centre is intended as a worldwide training hub that integrates hands-on surgical training with scalable virtual teaching, focusing on practical surgical ability and long-term capacity building. The Centre is also equipped with an advanced wet laboratory for vitreoretinal training and will initially train around 60 participants yearly, while also increasing its reach via virtual fellowship programmes.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Raj Narayanan, Senior Vice President and President International, Alcon said, "For more than two decades, Alcon and Aravind have partnered to advance surgical education and help strengthen eye care around the world. The inauguration of this new Global Centre of Excellence in Retina marks an important step in our shared commitment to developing the next generation of eye care professionals through world-class training and capability building. We are proud to continue a partnership that is helping improve patient outcomes and expand access to high-quality eye care globally."

Dr. Narendran, Chief Medical Officer, Aravind Eye Care Hospital, Coimbatore, said: "At Aravind Eye Care System, training has been central to our mission of eliminating needless blindness from the beginning. For more than two decades, our partnership with Alcon has helped us translate this commitment into world-class surgical education. We are proud that Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore, is now home to India's first Global Center of Excellence in Retina. This comes at a critical time, as retinal disease is an increasingly common cause of vision loss in India and worldwide, and the need for skilled retinal surgeons continues to grow. The center provides the next generation of ophthalmologists with a structured, hands-on pathway to master complex procedures with precision and confidence. Together with Alcon, we look forward to strengthening eye care, improving patient outcomes, and expanding access to quality treatment for all who need it."

Aravind Eye Care System is recognized worldwide for delivering advanced-quality eye care alongside world-class medical education and knowledge transmission. The well-developed Centre advances vitreoretinal training by supporting strengthened healthcare capabilities and enhancing access to retina care in the regions where specialist retina services remain scarce. By integrating hands-on training with scalable virtual education, the initiative aims to build long-term medical care capacity and support advanced patient outcomes globally.

According to Towards Healthcare, the ophthalmology devices market is projected to experience significant growth, with estimates suggesting the market size will increase from USD 8.3 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 13.03 billion by 2035, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.14% from 2026 to 2035, driven by, ophthalmology tools are specialized healthcare instruments and equipment intended for the treatment, diagnosis, and management of eye-associated conditions and disorders. These tools encompass a broad range of technologies, involving diagnostic devices such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) scanners and fundus cameras, healthcare instruments like phacoemulsification technology and lasers, and vision care products such as contact lenses and spectacles. They play a significant role in addressing different eye conditions, including cataracts, glaucoma, refractive errors, and retinal disorders, allowing ophthalmologists to offer precise interventions and enhance patients’ quality of life via improved vision care.

About Alcon

Alcon helps patients to see brilliantly. As the international leader in eye care with an inheritance spanning over 75 years, provides the widest portfolio of products to improve sight and enhance people's lives. Their Surgical and Vision Care products touch the lives of more than 260 million patients in over 140 countries each year, living with conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, retinal diseases, and refractive errors. This organization has more than 25,000 associates who are improving the quality of life via advanced products, collaborating with Eye Care Professionals and programs which advance access to quality eye care.

A recent report by Towards Healthcare highlights that the ophthalmology devices market is growing, as portable devices play an important role in monitoring and managing medical care for a broad range of patients. A large-scale spectrum of portable healthcare tools is already available in the market, while different next-gen devices are still under development. These tools are popularly being applied in ever-increasing uses such as those applicable for cardiac, respiratory, and wellness concerns, involving apnea monitors, continuous positive airway pressure machines, electrocardiogram monitors, blood glucose meters, blood pressure monitors, insulin infusion pumps, pulse oximeters, and ultrasound tools. The significant benefits of this technology involve portable technology that allows high-quality image capturing to assess age-associated macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy (DR).