Mumbai, August 26, 2026: The School Education and Sports Department, Government of Maharashtra, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust have signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand access to vision care for children in government schools across the state.
Under the three-year partnership, the School Eye Health Program, Vision For All, will screen 2 million students studying in Standards 5 to 10 across Zilla Parishad and government schools between August 2026 and June 2029. The programme will also provide 100,000 free prescription spectacles to students identified with refractive errors.
The MoU was signed at Sahyadri State Guest House, Mumbai, in the presence of Shri Dadaji Bhuse, Hon'ble Minister for School Education and Sports, Government of Maharashtra, senior government officials, Mr. Venu Ambati, President Greater India, EssilorLuxottica and Director, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, and Mr. Rajiv Mehta, Trustee, Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust.
Under the agreement, the Department of School Education and Sports will facilitate teacher training and coordinate school-based vision screening. Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust will implement the programme through qualified optometry teams, including refraction services and spectacle distribution, while OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation will provide technical support and 100,000 free prescription spectacles.
The partnership builds on a collaboration that began in 2019. According to the organisations, the initiative has so far screened more than 680,000 children across 800 schools in 18 districts and provided over 63,000 spectacles.
Shri Dadaji Bhuse, Hon'ble Minister for School Education and Sports, Government of Maharashtra, said, “Good vision is fundamental to a child’s learning and development. Through this partnership with OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust, we are strengthening our efforts under Vision for All program to ensure that every child studying in government schools has access to timely vision screening and appropriate eye care services. By addressing vision problems early, we can help students perform better academically, improve their confidence, and create equal opportunities for them to succeed.”
Mr. Venu Ambati, President Greater India, EssilorLuxottica and Director, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, said, “We are proud to strengthen our long-standing partnership with the Government of Maharashtra and Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust to expand access to quality vision care for children studying in government schools across the state. Good vision is essential for learning, confidence, and overall development. Through this renewed collaboration, we aim to ensure that children with vision problems are identified early and receive timely corrective solutions that enable them to achieve their full potential.”
Mr. Rajiv Mehta, Trustee, Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust, said, “Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust is proud to continue its collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to improve access to vision care for school children. Together, we are committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed with clear vision.”
The partners said the programme aims to strengthen a scalable school eye-health model by combining the reach of the government education system with implementation expertise and technical vision-care support.
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