Ophthalmic plastic lens major, Essilor SRF Optics Limited, the joint venture between Essilor International SA, France and SRF Ltd, is to expand the network of laboratories to enable the company focus on smaller towns that are showing potential. Disclosing this, B. Jayanth, Managing Director, claimed that the company was in the process of strengthening the network of laboratories as well as manpower by way of training opticians to reach the targeted goal in the smaller towns in the country.

The company currently has two self owned laboratories in Bangalore and Delhi. The company's manufacturing facility is in Bangalore that also serves as a processing unit and produces the readymade and blanks types of lenses.

Jayanth however did not detail out whether the network of laboratories would be expanded through the franchise route or whether the company would set them up on its own. "We are working out the same," he added.

"Optical professionals including opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists and eye testing laboratories play crucial roles in the expanding of the business of the company. Hence we are going about training these professionals and increasing the number of testing laboratories so as to enable us to reach a wider segment. We plan to do this in the smaller towns of the country taking to them the plans we adopted in the bigger markets," Jayanth added.

The company currently has a 40 per cent market share in plastic lens segment in the country, which according to Jayanth, is growing at a rate of 25 per cent per annum. "The smaller markets are important for the company. The awareness about plastic lenses in India is increasing slowly and we expect to cash on this, " he added. The main competition for the company's product is from the glass lenses.

The joint venture has so far invested Rs.50 crore and plans to attain full capacity utilisation within five years.

Meanwhile, the company is also looking at strengthening its presence in Asia and Asia-Pacific markets. Essilor International was already becoming a major player in the region by expanding its presence in high-potential countries such as China and India.