Lenskart & Virohan Boost Eye Care Training in India

National, 16 May 2025: Addressing India’s critical shortage of primary eye care professionals, Virohan, a leading healthcare and allied education institution, has partnered with Lenskart, India’s largest eyewear brand, to launch SureStart a pioneering education-to-employment program aimed at training 50,000 skilled eye care professionals over the next decade.

SureStart is India’s first large-scale, industry-integrated initiative focused on optometry. The curriculum has been co-designed with Lenskart’s clinical and retail teams to equip students with both deep scientific knowledge and strong customer-facing skills. This collaboration forms part of Virohan’s larger vision to train 1 million skilled healthcare professionals across the country.

According to PubMed Central, India currently has only 42,000 primary eye care professionals, while the estimated requirement exceeds 125,000, underscoring the urgent need for a scalable skilling solution.

The SureStart program offers two structured pathways: a 3-year B.Sc. in Ophthalmic Techniques and a 4-year Bachelor of Optometry. Both courses combine classroom learning with practical training, covering critical subjects such as ocular pathology, contact lenses, binocular vision, and optometric procedures. Students will benefit from paid internships across 2,000+ Lenskart stores, live demonstrations, tech-enabled learning, and one-on-one mentorship ensuring they’re prepared to meet the needs of today’s fast-evolving vision care landscape.

“At Lenskart, our mission is to make quality eye care accessible to every Indian, and skilled professionals are at the heart of this vision,” said Peyush Bansal, Co-Founder and CEO, Lenskart. “Through the SureStart Program with Virohan, we’re shaping the future of optometry in India. By blending hands-on experience with guaranteed career pathways, we’re building a workforce ready to lead the next chapter of India’s eye care evolution.”

As part of the program, Virohan students will gain exposure to real-world scenarios through guest lectures, on-ground store visits, and customized learning modules focused on the eye care sector. Graduates will also receive an Award of Excellence, further enhancing their career credentials.

“At Virohan, we believe education must lead to meaningful careers,” said Nalin Saluja, Co-Founder and CTO, Virohan. “SureStart is designed to do just that—equipping students with in-demand skills, real-world experience, and direct access to job opportunities. Our partnership with Lenskart marks a significant step toward building a stronger, future-ready healthcare workforce for India.”

The program is initially launching across key Virohan campuses, with plans to expand to more cities in the coming months. By combining industry-relevant education with immediate employment opportunities, SureStart sets a new benchmark for how healthcare education and corporate partnerships can solve national workforce challenges at scale.

About Virohan

Founded in 2018 by Kunaal Dudeja, Nalin Saluja, and Archit Jayaswal, Virohan is India’s leading healthcare education platform, focused on creating a skilled and future-ready workforce. With innovative tech-driven learning and strong industry collaborations, Virohan has trained over 10,000 students, maintains a 98% placement rate, and partners with 20+ institutions. The organization is on a mission to train 1 million students and partner with 100+ universities over the next three years.