Rajkumar Narayanan, senior vice president, Alcon International, inaugurates the Aravind Alcon Global Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Vitreoretinal Surgery.
COIMBATORE, India—Aravind Eye Care System, a network of eye hospitals and clinics based in Tamil Nadu, India, and Alcon have launched the Aravind Alcon Global Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Vitreoretinal Surgery Training in Coimbatore, according to an announcement from Alcon. Building on the successful launch of the Global Cataract Centre of Excellence in 2024, Alcon said the new center marks the second phase of its partnership with Aravind to address one of the most critical gaps in global eyecare: access to retina training.
The dedicated Vitreoretinal Centre of Excellence will strengthen surgical capabilities by equipping ophthalmologists with advanced retina training and expanding access to quality eyecare in underserved regions, Alcon said. While cataract care has expanded effectively, retina care remains limited because of a shortage of trained specialists, particularly across Africa, Latin America and parts of Asia.
Established within Aravind Eye Care System, the center is designed as a global training hub that combines hands-on surgical training with scalable virtual education, focusing on practical surgical skills and long-term capacity building. Aravind Eye Care System is recognized globally for delivering high-quality eyecare services alongside medical education. Alcon said the new center will advance vitreoretinal training by strengthening surgical capabilities and improving access to retina care in regions where specialist services remain scarce.
By combining hands-on training with scalable virtual education, the initiative aims to build long-term health care capacity and support better patient outcomes worldwide. The center also features a state-of-the-art wet lab for vitreoretinal training and will initially train about 60 participants annually while extending its reach through virtual fellowship programs, the announcement said.
“For more than two decades, Alcon and Aravind have partnered to advance surgical education and help strengthen eyecare around the world,” said Raj Narayanan, senior vice president and president international, Alcon. “The inauguration of this new Global Centre of Excellence in Retina marks an important step in our shared commitment to developing the next generation of eyecare professionals through world-class training and capability building. We are proud to continue a partnership that is helping improve patient outcomes and expand access to high-quality eyecare globally.”
“At Aravind Eye Care System, training has been central to our mission of eliminating needless blindness from the beginning. For more than two decades, our partnership with Alcon has helped us translate this commitment into world-class surgical education,” added Dr. Narendran Venkatapathy, chief medical officer, Aravind Eye Care Hospital, Coimbatore.
“We are proud that Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore, is now home to India’s first Global Center of Excellence in Retina,” Dr. Venkatapathy said. “This comes at a critical time, as retinal disease is an increasingly common cause of vision loss in India and worldwide, and the need for skilled retinal surgeons continues to grow. The center provides the next generation of ophthalmologists with a structured, hands-on pathway to master complex procedures with precision and confidence. Together with Alcon, we look forward to strengthening eyecare, improve patient outcomes, and expand access to quality treatment for all who need it.”
