New Delhi, 26 May 2026: Sightsavers India has announced that applications are now open for the 2026 cohort of its India Fellowship Program. It is a distinctive 18-month program fellowship designed to equip early-career ophthalmologists with advanced clinical, surgical and leadership skills while preparing them to deliver quality eye care in highly need areas.
India continues to make progress in expanding access to eye health services, yet strengthening the skills of ophthalmologists remains essential to ensuring quality eye care reaches the communities. The Sightsavers India Fellowship Program reflects the organisation’s long-standing vision, since 1970, of a world where no one is blind from avoidable causes. Having screened over 100 million people across multiple states in India, Sightsavers India recognises the importance of supporting young professionals at a critical stage of their careers and helping bridge the transition from postgraduate education to independent practice through immersive learning and real-world experience.
The Fellowship offers a rigorous and hands-on learning experience. Over 18 months, fellows go through a carefully structured journey starting with four months of intensive surgical training at leading institutions. This is followed by a 14-month posting at a partner hospital in one of eight states- Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, or Rajasthan. Through these placements, the Fellowship contributes to strengthening the availability of skilled ophthalmologists in rural areas where access to specialised eye care can be limited. It also provides fellows valuable experience of working in high-volume settings, managing diverse clinical cases and understanding the realities of delivering eye care in resource-constrained settings.
Fellows receive one-on-one mentorship, progressive clinical and surgical exposure, opportunities to strengthen leadership and management capabilities and experience across both hospital and community eye care settings. The program is designed to develop confident, independent practitioners who are not only equipped to perform quality clinical care but are also prepared to contribute to strengthening India’s broader eye health ecosystem.
Applications are open to Indian nationals holding an MS, DNB or DO degree in Ophthalmology. The programme seeks candidates with a strong learning orientation, adaptability to diverse environments, professional ethics and a demonstrated commitment to serving high-need communities
Speaking on the announcement, RN Mohanty, CEO, Sightsavers India, said: “There is a moment in every young doctor’s career when training meets real responsibility and how that transition is supported makes all the difference. The Sightsavers India Fellowship is built around that moment. It equips passionate ophthalmologists with surgical excellence, confidence and grounding to deliver quality eye care where it is needed most. We look forward to welcoming the 2026 cohort and supporting them every step of the way.”
Selected fellows will receive a monthly stipend along with benefits including completion incentives, mediclaim, accident insurance and professional indemnity insurance.
About Sightsavers India
Sightsavers India also known as Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind, is a development organisation working with partners to reduce avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities. Sightsavers India collaborates with various departments of the respective state governments to scale up operations for Social Inclusion, Eye Health and Inclusive Education— our three core areas of work. We work in a sustainable way to promote lasting change by strengthening existing health systems, seeking to engage with the governments and demonstrating best practices.
About India Fellowship Program – Incubating the future Ophthalmologists
Sightsavers India Fellowship is an opportunity for promising and passionate young ophthalmologists to get trained at some of the leading eye health institutes in India. Alongside, the fellows will get a chance to apply these skills and knowledge in a real-world scenario while being placed under Sightsavers India Eye Health Programme.
The program identifies promising young ophthalmologists from India and grooms them through an innovative 18-month course to enhance their perspectives on rural eye health. After a rapid 4-month training in Cataract, the fellows are placed in the peripheral centres of one of the 8 states- Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The process involves skill upgradation components and personal interactions with eminent leaders in the eye care and development sector.
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