Sankara Nethralaya Chennai – India's Most Trusted Eye Hospital Since 1978

Sankara Nethralaya, meaning "Temple of the Eyes" in Sanskrit, has been the gold standard for ophthalmological care in India since its founding in 1978. Serving more than 1,200 patients every day across its five locations in Chennai, Rameshwaram, Tirupati and Kolkata, it stands as the most experienced and respected eye care institution in South Asia — and a global reference centre for research and training in ophthalmology.

The hospital's clinical breadth is extraordinary: it covers every subspecialty of ophthalmology, including medical and surgical retina, cornea and external disease, glaucoma, cataract and refractive surgery (LASIK, LASEK, SMILE), paediatric ophthalmology and squint, neuro-ophthalmology, ocular oncology and orbital and oculoplastic surgery. Each department is staffed by consultants who have trained at leading international institutions and who contribute to peer-reviewed research that shapes global ophthalmic practice.

NABH and NABL accreditations certify the hospital's rigorous standards of clinical care and laboratory practice. The institution also maintains a Research Foundation that has contributed landmark studies on diabetic retinopathy, corneal infection, retinal degenerations and paediatric eye disease — making it as much a research powerhouse as a clinical centre.

For international patients with complex eye conditions — retinal detachment, corneal disease requiring transplant, advanced glaucoma or ocular tumours — Sankara Nethralaya offers a combination of clinical expertise, surgical volume and research depth unmatched in the region. Patients from the Gulf, Southeast Asia, Europe and the Americas travel specifically to Chennai for the hospital's expertise in conditions that would require long waiting lists or prohibitive costs in their home countries.

Chennai's excellent international connectivity — direct flights from Dubai, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur — and the hospital's well-developed International Patient Services make it straightforward for overseas patients to plan their treatment journey.