Mission Vision: A First-of-Its-Kind Movement to Help India See Better!

At Roche, we believe that innovation must go hand-in-hand with impact. We have been committed to improving lives in high-burden, high-impact disease areas—and Ophthalmology is one of them. Roche Pharma India took a bold and purposeful step to drive change where it matters most -- by launching Mission Vision, a national movement to bring retinal health to the forefront of India’s healthcare agenda. In India the burden of retina induced vision loss looms large. In India, about 11 million people live with some form of retinal disorders that can lead to vision impairment or blindness. Among diabetics, an estimated 16.9% of people are affected by diabetic retinopathy (DR), and ~3.6% are at high risk of significant vision loss. One-third of the world’s visually impaired population lives in India. Nearly 80% of this vision loss is preventable. Yet, retinal diseases like DR and diabetic macular edema (DME) often go undetected until the damage is advanced or potentially irreversible. Therefore, there couldn’t have been a more opportune and relevant time to embark upon this initiative.

Mission Vision is a public health initiative by the Vitreo Retinal Society of India (VRSI) and The Times of India (TOI), supported by Roche. It represents a powerful coalition between India’s top retinal specialists, the country’s largest media platform and Roche’s legacy in eye care innovation. Together, we have set out to address a growing public health crisis that has, for too long, been neglected: preventable vision loss due to retinal diseases like Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME).

As part of the Mission Vision initiative, VIEW (Vision Improvement Experts Working) Council -- a multi-disciplinary task force has been formed to develop actionable solutions and drive systemic change. At its inaugural meeting, the VIEW Council brought together leading retina specialists, eminent policy makers and public health experts to co-create a national roadmap to tackle retinal disease head-on. The high-impact working session resulted in a co-signed charter of commitments and a strategic agenda across four key areas:

1. Public Awareness

2. Screening & Diagnosis

3. Capacity Building

4. Policy brief to advocate for access to best-in-class treatment

Top medical practitioners from leading eye institutes and hospitals appreciated the initiative for adopting such an integrated, multi-stakeholder approach to strengthen retinal care delivery. Dr. R. Kim, President of VRSI and CMO, Aravind Eye Hospital, said: “It’s about starting a national conversation where every diabetic patient asks for an eye exam. We must integrate this entire network—diabetologists, optometrists, primary care physicians—to ensure no patient is

left behind.”

Roche Pharma India CEO Rajji Mehdwan reinforced Roche’s unique position to go beyond medicines and lead as a catalyst for change. “Vision health is not a luxury but a necessity. The question is not whether we can eliminate preventable vision loss—but how soon we can act together to make it a reality,” she said. The initiative sparked several in-depth media conversations underscoring the burden of retinal diseases, the need for urgent action and policy intervention. Mission Vision and the VIEW Council are the start of a long-term, purpose-driven movement to ensure sight is prioritized for every Indian.