At Aurolab’s manufacturing facility in Madurai, India, precision and purpose fill every corner. Young women from nearby villages expertly operate advanced machinery, producing intraocular lenses (IOLs) used in cataract surgery to replace the eye’s natural lens—helping restore sight around the world. It’s a notable impressive example of what’s possible when a bold idea is rooted in compassion and carried forward with care.
In the early 1990s, the high cost of IOLs—up to $300 each—made cataract surgery inaccessible for millions. Together with the Canadian government’s International Development Agency (CIDA), Seva Canada backed an ambitious solution: the development of a local Indian facility to produce high-quality, affordable lenses. Since then, Aurolab has enhanced that original locally-based vision to give it a truly global impact. Today, one of its lenses is implanted every nine seconds in over 160 countries— at a cost of around $3.
Beyond IOLs, Aurolab now manufactures sutures, pharmaceuticals, and other essential ophthalmic supplies. But perhaps most striking is how the organization’s values still permeate the space. Behind the high-tech buildings on the Aurolab property lies an organic farm and, at the edge of the campus, a serene memorial to Dr. G. Venkataswamy (Dr. V), Aravind’s founder. It includes a museum, library, and meditation hall—a reminder that this work is ultimately about service to humanity. Dr. V understood that restoring sight was not just a medical service, but a calling that transforms lives and communities.
This holistic approach is part of the larger vision of Aravind Eye Care System, an organization that has fundamentally transformed how eye care is delivered worldwide. From an 11-bed hospital in 1976, Aravind has grown into one of the world’s largest eye care providers, proving that high-quality, high-volume, low-cost, sustainable care is possible even in resource-constrained settings. Seva Canada continues to collaborate with Aravind, including on the LEAP training program, which shares Aravind’s expertise with other hospitals and eye care professionals, including Seva’s existing partners.
Aurolab is a powerful example of how a single idea—supported by committed partners and carried forward by skilled, dedicated individuals—can cascade into global change. Seva Canada is proud to have been there at the beginning of this remarkable journey. Today, with nearly all our program partners relying on Aurolab products in their sight-restoring work, it’s clear that the most sustainable and prolific solutions often emerge from within the communities being served.
