Essilor

Essilor’s Inclusive Business Model Eye Mitra Creates Strong Socio-Economic Impact

A new independent study has revealed that Essilor’s Eye Mitra inclusive business program is creating a strong socio-economic impact by addressing the issue of uncorrected vision needs in India.
Eye Mitra, launched in 2013, is one of the inclusive business models being deployed by Essilor’s 2.5 New Vision Generation division to raise awareness and improve access to primary vision care for the 550 million Indian people who suffer from uncorrected poor vision. The program has to date trained over 1,000 under-employed women and men in rural and semi-urban areas, who have each set up a micro- business providing vision care in their local communities.
The study, carried out by Dalberg Global Development Advisors across 6 districts in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, reveals that Essilor’s Eye Mitra (Friend of the Eyes) program is creating a positive impact on individuals’ productivity and self-esteem, while also improving livelihoods through job creation and increased incomes.

75% of people served by Eye Mitra bought their first pair of spectacles and two-thirds reported increased independence in movement and travel thanks to improved vision. This had a positive impact on productivity, with over 1.5 hours per day saved on daily tasks such as farming and domestic chores. The study also showed that the Eye Mitra initiative stimulates the local economy by creating jobs: four in ten Eye Mitra had previously been unemployed and the others now earned 64% more than in their previous jobs. Nine in ten felt more respected in their communities.

“Essilor’s Eye Mitra program demonstrates how correcting vision can contribute to a community in a very real and sustainable way. It both transforms individual lives and economic futures through creating jobs, improving earnings or productivity and benefiting other local businesses,” said Professor Kevin Frick, Vice Dean for Education at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and adviser on the study.

The program created a total quantifiable impact of more than USD 4 million (INR 26.40 crores) a year across the 6 districts surveyed. Extending the initiative to every district in India would represent a potential economic impact of USD 487 million a year.

“This impact study confirms the key role our inclusive business division plays in Essilor’s mission to improve lives by improving sight, as well as in the Group’s strategy to sustainably grow the market by innovating to improve awareness and access to vision care for underserved populations,” said Jayanth Bhuvaraghan, Essilor’s Chief Corporate Mission Officer. “Good vision is a key enabler to achieve the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, and inclusive business programs like Eye Mitra will contribute even further to specific goals such as eradicating poverty, creating work and gender equality.”

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