Titan enters prescriptive eyewear

EVRYTHING from mobile phones to diets may be getting lighter. But when it comes to spectacle lenses, the Indian market is still skewed towards the good old heavy glass lenses rather than the lighter, sleeker plastic ones. With only a handful of branded players, plastic lenses hold less than 15% of the market, growing at 30-40% annually. India is still way behind other countries in the usage of the more progressive plastic lenses. It is likely that as more players enter this market, this trend could reverse. Joining companies like Essilor and Carl Zeiss, Titan has also now entered the fray. “India is one of the few countries where a majority are still using glass lenses. In most other countries, the shift has already been made to plastic and other lighter lenses like the polycarbonate lenses. Here, the transition has only begun,” says B Jayanth, managing director, Essilor India, leading plastic and progressive lenses manufacturer. Though there is no organised statistical data available on the usage of ophthalmic lenses, an estimated 35-50 million pieces are sold per annum in India. To make the most of this Rs 1,800-crore industry, Titan Industries today launched its prescription eye wear store called Titan Eye+. The company is offering lenses under its own brand name Titan, in the Rs 145-Rs 21,000 range and other reputed brands like Essilor and Nikon in the Rs 350-Rs 15,000 range. Titan is expected to have a range in both plastic and glass lenses. They have a collaboration with Essilor for the manufacture of their plastic lenses and with GKB for the manufacture of their glass lenses. “Today nearly 85% of the consumers in India use glass lenses. While more people are shifting their usage to plastic lenses, it is still not a significant portion. For example, in Europe, the usage of plastic lenses is really high,” said Ronnie Talati, associate vice president and business head, Fastrack and New Brands, Titan Industries. Carl Zeiss, which entered the Indian market in 2005, has both glass and plastic lenses but 90% of their sales currently is plastic lenses, says Manish Soni, general manager, Carl Zeiss India. “The problem in India is that only 30% of those who need primary eye care can actually access it. Carl Zeiss exists in the super-niche segment. But in India, we have positioned ourselves at a more accessible level,” he says.

Courtesy: EconomicTimes

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