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India continues to face a significant burden of corneal blindness, with donor cornea availability falling well short of the need. While the eye-banking ecosystem has strengthened, greater public awareness and informed family conversations are critical to closing this gap,” according to Dr Sushmitha Sriganesh, executive director, Shraddha Eye Bank, and chief medical officer, Shraddha Eye Care Trust.
Dr Sushmitha Sriganesh stated that the shortage is not only a question of infrastructure, but also of awareness and public understanding of eye donation.
India is home to approximately 1.1 million people living with corneal blindness, while only around 25,000-30,000 corneal transplants are performed annually, according to recent data highlighted by the ministry of health and family welfare during the 41st National Eye Donation Fortnight in August 2026.
One of the barriers, Dr Sushmitha noted, is the misconceptions surrounding eye donation. “Many people still fear that eye donation will disfigure the face, believe that only younger people can donate, or assume that conditions such as diabetes, hypertension or previous cataract surgery make donation impossible. These are misconceptions. The eye bank carefully assesses the suitability of donated tissue, and eye donation is a dignified and respectful process”
“Pledging your eyes is only the beginning. It is extremely important to tell your family about your decision so they can honour that wish when the time comes. A formal pledge is not the only route to donation; even if someone has not formally pledged, their family can still come forward and give consent if they know their loved one wished to donate, subject to the applicable process and medical assessment,” said Dr. Supriya Sriganesh, consultant – cataract and refractive surgeon, and executive director, Nethradhama Superspeciality Eye Hospital.
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