Sankara Eye Foundation, USA achieves historic milestone: 500,000 free eye surgeries annually in 2025

MILPITAS, CA: Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF), USA, the world’s largest free eye care program, is proud to announce a monumental achievement in its mission to eliminate curable blindness from India.

In the fiscal year 2025-2026 (May to April), SEF, USA performed over 500,000 free eye surgeries through its network of 29 hospitals in 14 states in India. This milestone marks the critical halfway point in SEF; USA’s bold Vision 2030: March to a Million initiative of providing 1 Million free eye surgeries annually to the underserved in India.

Since its inception in 1998, SEF, USA has grown from one hospital in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, providing 8,000 free eye surgeries to a network of 29 hospitals, providing over 500,000 free eye surgeries annually. This new milestone also underscores the relentless commitment of SEF, USA donor community, thousands of dedicated volunteers, and the skilled medical teams on the ground in India.

“Reaching 500,000 surgeries in one year is more than a statistical achievement; it represents 500,000 lives transformed,” said Murali Krishnamurthy, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of SEF, USA. “For many of our patients, these surgeries mean the difference between a life of isolation and a life of independence. It means that a grandfather can see his grandchildren again, a student can go to school again and work towards a brighter future, or a primary breadwinner can return to work and lift their family out of poverty. It also means the upliftment of communities at large.”

Currently, the network of hospitals span across the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttarakhand. Each facility is equipped with state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical technology, ensuring that rural patients receive a world-class standard of care completely free of cost.

Vision 2030: March to a Million

This achievement is also a cornerstone of the SEF, USA’s strategic roadmap, “Vision 2030: March to a Million.” Launched to scale operations to perform one million free eye surgeries every year by 2030, the initiative focuses on expanding the infrastructure of eye care across the Indian subcontinent.

To meet this bold target, SEF, USA has been funding the construction of new super-specialty eye hospitals in India while enhancing the capacity of existing hospitals and facilities. The March to a Million journey is not just about the number of patients served, but about creating a sustainable and high-quality healthcare ecosystem that ensures no one remains blind simply because they cannot afford treatment.

Key Upcoming Projects

As scaling free surgery capacity is the precursor to achieving Vision 2030, SEF, USA is actively expanding its footprint in the rural areas of underserved states like Bihar and West Bengal to address curable blindness through several key upcoming projects. These are:

• The RJ Sankara Eye Hospital in Patna, Bihar, for which the foundation stone was laid in July 2025. This facility is expected to provide 30,000 free surgeries annually.
• The Akhand Jyoti Rajiv Latika Jain Campus in Mastichak, Bihar, a mega project with a massive capacity of 230,000 free eye surgeries annually.
• The Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, a major expansion project to double the free surgery capacity to 40,000 annually.
• The Netaji Eye Hospital in Kolkata, West Bengal, which has a free eye surgery capacity of 20,000 annually.

A Network of Excellence

SEF, USA’s success is built upon a sustainability model where the revenue generated from patients who can afford to pay for their treatment subsidizes the surgeries for the majority of patients who receive care absolutely free of charge.

Community Outreach and Impact

The 500,000 surgeries performed this year were facilitated through a rural outreach program wherein specialized teams travel to remote villages to conduct screening camps, identifying patients suffering from cataracts, glaucoma, and other treatable conditions. Patients are then transported to the nearest Sankara hospital or partner hospital, provided with surgery, medication, post-operative care, and returned to their villages—all at no cost to the patient or their family.

About Sankara Eye Foundation, USA

Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, was established in 1998 with the mission of eliminating curable blindness in India. Based in Milpitas, California, the organization has grown into a global movement supported by a vast network of donors and volunteers.

SEF, USA has earned top ratings (4 stars) from Charity Navigator for over 14 years for its transparency, efficiency, and high impact. Join SEF, USA, in the “March to a Million” and help bring light to those living in darkness.

For more information:

Phone: (866) SANKARA (726-5272) or write to [email protected] – Visit: www.giftofvision.org