"We have been making concerted efforts to further strengthen our non-automotive business in the Indian market. The launch of the eye screening and detection system is a step in this direction.... Our foray into this area aims to promote better ophthalmological care for all Indians," said Dr Steffen Berns, president, Bosch Group India, at the product launch.

The new eye screening and detection system offers a combination of hardware and software, and provides affordable eye care.

According to global health statistics, nearly one of every three visually impaired people in the world is an Indian.

The compact hand-held fundus camera is designed to respond to the shortage of eye-care specialists and the high demand for vision screening in the country.

The newly-launched solution also reflects Bosch's approach to solving local problems by leveraging global capabilities. Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Limited, Bosch's largest software development centre outside Germany, started the product development almost two years ago in collaboration with various startups and universities.

Offering early detection and imaging without dilation, the new system can capture both the front and back of the eye, and a light weight for easy portability. Its software is cloud- and smartphone-compatible and caters to the needs of both specialists and technicians. 

The device has been tested by several eye-care providers. Thus far, Bosch India has filed five patents in this field and is planning to further develop the technology in this line of business in the upcoming years.

"We believe that Bosch's eye screening and detection system will bring global standards of eye care to India. It has been conceptualized and developed in India with state-of-the-art technology from across the world," Dr Berns added.

According to eye-care experts, 80 percent of cases of vision loss in India are preventable.

Bosch's eye screening and detection system meets the demand for comprehensive eye care of the middle- and lower-income demographic and offers high functionality, ease of use, and a cost effective system to doctors.

The new eye screening and detection system is now available to an array of customers, ranging from ophthalmologists, to optical chains and from government primary healthcare centers to non-governmental institutions involved in vision care.

Offering early detection and imaging without dilation, the system has a modular architecture for capturing both the front and back of the eye, and a light weight for easy portability.

Its software is cloud- and smartphone-compatible and thus appropriate for Indian settings, and caters to the needs of both specialists and technicians.

The hardware and software combination represents a first for the Indian market and can be augmented with automated detection algorithms for different eye conditions, said Bosch's press statement.