Page 59 - The Indian Digital Edition September-October 2020

demands and exports, there is a huge According to Vinod Daniel, CEO of
THE INDUSTRY opportunity to attract investments for IVI, over 100 million people need access
NEEDS A PUSH an alternate production destination to a pair of glasses but don't have it. In
THROUGH THE to de-risk their world requirements many parts of rural India, people are
CREATION OF AN manufactured in China, feel experts. not aware that they cannot see well
OPTICAL CORRIDOR But, it's easier said than done. To get because they don't have access to a
onto the lucrative, but competitive road,
pair of glasses. The absence of outlets
AND A FEW efforts have be focussed on creating where they can go and test and skilled
MANUFACTURING quality infrastructure, good logistics manpower makes it a challenge for half
CLUSTERS WITH and efficient export procedures, quality of India's population living in rural areas
SUBSIDISED LAND and trained manpower. Make in India is to be fully productive in life.
AND POWER TO certainly one way. In a study of working men and
COMPETE WITH The industry needs a push through women in India, wearing reading glasses
CHINA the creation of an Optical corridor and was found to increase productivity by
a few manufacturing clusters with 34 per cent and workers income by 20
of all products wherein Indian and subsidised land and power to compete per cent. As much as 80 per cent of what
FDI investments can also come in. with China. There is also a need to move children learn is acquired through visual
But this has to be supplemented by into high end technology products processing of information, he explains.
ancillary industries also being set up as India enjoys a competitive edge
States like Telangana recently
along with mass manufacturing", says over China due to better IPR laws and launched 'Kanti Velugu' programme, to
Ramachandran. manpower. The rapid growth in use of
smart, digital devices is leading to eye provide spectacles to the poor. Several
THE CHINESE DEPENDENCE states has different programmes. Efforts
fatigue. Similarly, the early exposure to by NGOs with support from some lens
The dependence on China for a computers and mobile phones among makers have also been working in the
range of finished products and raw children is bringing its own challenges. area. But, the efforts are small compared
material is significant as on date. There is a need to have corrective and to the scale and range of the problem.
For example, in the manufacture of protective lenses.
spectacle frames there are just a handful VISION CHALLENGES Kind courtesy: Reprinted from Hans
of MSMEs in making plastic and metal AND POOR News Service
frames. But, more than 75 per cent to 80 https://www.thehansindia.com/hans/
per cent of the volumes are imported In the Indian context the huge opinion/news-analysis/optical-industry-
from China. The spectacle lenses are burden of vision correction in itself looks-for-calibrated-support-646636
processed and finished according is both a challenge and impediment
to the doctor's prescription and the for the growth of the optical industry. "WE MUST CREATE AN
consumer's taste. The casting of lenses Institutes like the LV Prasad Eye, INDUSTRY CLIMATE
from liquid monomer is again made in Sankara Nethralaya, Rajendra Prasad FOR MASS-SCALE
China, which could be approximately Ophthalmology Centre and many MANUFACTURE
90 percent of Indian consumption says have been doing immense service in OF ALL PRODUCTS
Ramachandran. Even in sunglasses, up reaching out to the poor and needy. In WHEREIN INDIAN AND
to 90 percent of volumes consumed in recent years, the India Vision Institute FDI INVESTMENTS
the country are imported, with China (IVI) has joined hands with these and CAN ALSO COME IN.
bagging the lion's share. Out of the total global companies to reach more BUT THIS HAS TO BE
eyewear import, China accounts for a people quickly. SUPPLEMENTED BY
total of 80 percent according to industry ANCILLARY INDUSTRIES
sources – thus making it the single The focus is on creating and ALSO BEING SET UP
largest exporter of eyewear to India. addressing the twin problems of ALONG WITH MASS
awareness and reducing the incidence MANUFACTURING", SAYS
While there are some MNCs, who of cataract and refractive error among RAMACHANDRAN
are expanding to cater to domestic school going children and the old.

SEPT-OCT 2020 | 55 Opinion