India Ophthalmology Devices Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Market Overview

The Indian ophthalmology devices market is expected to register a CAGR of 7.3% during the forecast period, 2022 - 2027.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented health concern and has affected every sector in different ways. The World Health Organization (WHO) alerted the pandemic as a public health issue. In India, most ophthalmologists were not seeing the patients as the government imposed a nationwide lockdown during the pandemic. This can be attributed to the high risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during ophthalmic procedures. In December 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), the Government of India, released guidelines to minimize COVID-19 infection among the Ophthalmologist, Ophthalmic assistants/technicians, nurses, support staff, patients, and their attendants. In addition, according to these guidelines, eye care facilities in containment zones were to remain closed, and only outside containment zone were allowed to open. This significantly impacted the demand for ophthalmic procedures and devices in the country. However, with the availability of vaccines and the upliftment of lockdown in the country, the patient inflow in ophthalmic centers is anticipated to increase.

Ophthalmology-based diseases in India are increasing. According to the statistics by the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey 2015-2019, cataract contributes to 66.2% of overall blindness in people above 50 years of age. As per the 2019 statistics by the AgeingAsia.org initiative of HelpAge International and the members in the Asia-Pacific, more than 139 million people in India are above 60 years and comprise 10% of the country’s total population. Furthermore, as per a study done by L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad, published in 2019, by the year 2030, a staggering 275 million people are expected to be affected by dry eye disease. The projection is based on the current incidence rates of 45% of the country’s urban population. There is a significant and growing burden of moderate visual impairment in India.

Furthermore, as per the 2021 statistics by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI), India, the number of females and males in the elderly population is projected to reach 100.9 million and 92.9 million in 2031, respectively. Such an anticipated increase in the growth rate reflects the increasing number of cataract surgeries performed per year that, in turn, indicates the rising demand for ophthalmic devices in the country. For instance, as per the Union Helath Minister of the country, the country requires 49 lakh surgeries to clear the backlog of blindness due to cataract and 53.63 lakh surgeries are needed to clear the backlog of severe visual impairment due to cataract.

Scope of the Report

As per the scope of the report, ophthalmic devices are medical devices used in the identification and treatment of ocular defects or deficiencies and eye disorders. The ophthalmic devices are designed for diagnostics, surgical, and vision correction purposes. These devices are continuously gaining increased importance and adoption due to the high prevalence of various ophthalmic diseases, such as glaucoma, cataract, and other vision-related issues. The Indian ophthalmology devices market is segmented by device (surgical device, diagnostic and monitoring device, and vision care). The report offers the value (in USD million) for the above segments.

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Key Market Trends

The Glaucoma Surgery Devices Segment is Expected to Hold the Largest Share in the Market

Glaucoma surgery devices are used in the treatment of glaucoma disorder. Glaucoma disorder is characterized by progressive and irreversible damage to the optic nerve and is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in India.

According to the Government of India, 2019, glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness with at least 12 million people affected and nearly 1.2 million people blind from the disease. More than 90 percent of cases of glaucoma remain undiagnosed in the community. Thus, the number of patients in India suffering from glaucoma is increasing with the growing population. Such patients undergo surgery to treat glaucoma and are contributing to the rising demand for glaucoma surgical devices, including glaucoma drainage devices. Glaucoma drainage devices are the most used second-line surgical interventions for glaucoma.

In addition, the introduction of micro-invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) has allowed for improved management of patients with mild to moderate glaucoma. The field of MIGS has expanded rapidly in the last decade, owing to the ability of ophthalmic surgeons to tailor surgical approaches. This has augmented the usage of MIGS surgery devices in India. MIGS devices provide reduced surgery time, shorter recovery periods, affordability, and a low risk of post-surgical complications.

Moreover, presently, Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT) and Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty (ALT) are the commonly preferred glaucoma procedures in India, indicating a consistent demand for glaucoma surgery devices used in these procedures in the country. Thus, the increased demand for glaucoma surgery devices owing to the aforementioned factors is likely to boost the market’s growth.

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