Hyderabad, Jan 28 (FN Agency) All-India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), the world’s largest body of ophthalmologists, has appealed to the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to exempt customs duty and GST on sight-saving ophthalmic equipment (HS Code 901850) in the upcoming Budget 2025-26.In a petition, signed by AIOS President Dr Samar K Basak, Honorary Secretary Dr. Santosh G Honavar, and Treasurer Dr Manoj C Mathur, it highlights the urgent need to reduce costs for critical equipment to combat India’s significant burden of blindness and visual impairment.A copy was also sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key officials.
India has an estimated 5 million blind and 70 million visually impaired individuals, with economic losses due to blindness exceeding Rs 1,500 billion annually. AIOS emphasized that 80 percent of blindness is preventable with timely intervention and urged the government to reinstate exemptions on customs duty and GST, last granted in 1993.The petition outlines the role of ophthalmologists in reducing blindness prevalence from 1 percent in 1996 to 0.36 percent today through initiatives like performing 9 million cataract surgeries annually, with 60-70 percent offered free of charge.AIOS believes duty exemptions will improve accessibility, reduce treatment costs, and align with India’s Vision 2030 goals to eliminate preventable blindness, benefiting millions in need.