AIOS Urges Finance Minister to Reinstate Tax Exemptions on Eye Care Equipment

Hyderabad:The All-India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), representing over 28,000 ophthalmologists, has petitioned Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reinstate the exemption of customs duty and GST on sight-saving ophthalmic equipment in the 2025-26 Budget.

India faces one of the highest rates of blindness and visual impairment globally, with an estimated 5 million people blind and 70 million visually impaired, including 2.5 lakh visually challenged children, the AIOS said and added that over 80 per cent of these conditions could be prevented or treated with the right interventions.

Since 1996, the prevalence of blindness has dropped from 1 one per cent to 0.36 per cent, and visual impairment had decreased by 50 per cent between 2010 and 2020. However, the economic burden of visual impairment remains substantial. The annual cost to the economy was estimated at ` 1.5 lakh crore, including direct medical expenses and lost productivity.

The exemption of customs duty and GST on sight-saving ophthalmic equipment was first introduced in 1993 to support affordable eye care. However, over the years, duties and taxes were re-imposed, raising the cost of care for patients and disincentivising free or subsidised treatments.

AIOS argues that reinstating the exemption would make treatments more affordable and accessible to millions in need, significantly reducing the impact of blindness and visual impairment on individuals and society.