Johnson & Johnson Vision Care leading the Indian contact lenses market with a 24% share

The Indian contact lenses market saw growth of approximately 20% in terms of value sales through 2012, to reach a valuation of Rs5.3 billion.

It is estimated that approximately 28% of the population in India requires some sort of vision correction. This makes the market size for any type of lens a whopping 310 million individuals.

The growing number of Indian youths and adults who are concerned about their beauty and appearance continued to drive demand for contact lenses within the Indian market. Over the last six years all manufacturers have been targeting the youth market through various advertisement campaigns, which helped the contact lenses sector to expand significantly in 2012.

The young females in the middle- and upper-income groups in particular were key target markets for the manufacturers, as they show greatest concern about maintaining a fashionable look. The working people in the metropolitan areas also supported robust growth within the Indian contact lenses market.

With regards to contact lenses, there are of two types. The conventional contact lens and the disposable one. The former are used for at least a year while the latter have to be bought at least three or four times a year.

Nowadays there are even daily disposable contact lenses but users are few. Conventional contact lens buyers are a majority whereas disposable contact lens account for 35% of contact lens users. Contact lenses are also sold in pairs and approximately 5 million of those are sold annually amongst a million users.

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc is the leading player in the Indian contact lenses sector with a value share of approximately 24%. The company has a wider distribution network than any other player, reaching around 8,000 outlets as of 2012, and it plans to expand its operations to reach 10,000 outlets by 2014. The wider distribution and the trust in the company amongst its users have made it the market leader.

Acuvue from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care Inc is the market leader with a market share of around 24%. The 1-day Acuvue lens has become quite popular in urban India and has gained more attention amongst the youth since 2006.

Although spectacles are the most popular eyewear products in India, sales of contact lenses are expected to continue growing at a 20% constant value compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through to 2017.

For more information on the Indian contact lenses market, see the latest research: Indian Contact Lenses Market

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