It was the late 19th century. Bifocals had been around for a few decades and trifocals had been recently invented. Contact lenses were still a concept being explored that wouldn't come into their own for at least half a century. The world over, men and women were trying out different eyewear to enhance vision. As evolutionary beings, we had come a long way since Seneca read books using a globe of water for magnification in 4 BC.

India was not unfamiliar with visual aids. There have been references in our texts which point to usage as early as the 19th century, and even invention in South India. Vision aids may have been an accessory of the elite in pre-independence India but a definite market did exist. The industry, however, was in a nascent space.

It was in this environment that a young man brought alive his vision and entrepreneurial dynamism. A young retailer of spectacles, watches and dentistry instruments, set up shop in the Cantonment area of Bangalore to dispense opticianry of quality. Full of verve and versatility, this young man brought his business acumen to usher in organised and professional retail services to a fledgling industry.

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