Nandan Nilekani Supports Dhristi initiave with fresh funds

 by Shrutee K/DNS

Drishti set to expand operations exponentially in Karnataka
        Nandan Nilekani supports initiative, to invest in the venture
     Operations set to expand to six more districts in the state
Bengaluru, June 23, 2016: Drishti, an eye care chain focused on providing affordable treatment in under served markets, based out of Bangalore is set to expand its reach to six more districts in Karnataka in the next phase of expansion, after infusion of fresh funds by Mr. Nandan Nilekani, cofounder and former chief executive of Infosys.
Mr. Nilekani’s investment will not only boost the capacity of Drishti, but also provide much needed eye care services to underserved areas of Karnataka. “It is both an honour and privilege to partner Mr. Nilekani, this will help Drishti realise its goals – to deliver quality eye care through eye hospitals, telemedicine supported vision centres and mobile eye clinics,” said Kiran Anandampillai, founder and CEO of Drishti.
Mr. Nandan Nilekani making the announcement said, ‘providing affordable healthcare leveraging technology is a very critical issue. I like Drishti’s approach and believe that the co-founders Kiran and Anjali have their heart in the right place, and want to build a sustainable business with high impact.’
According to the founders of Drishti, as the co-founder of one of India’s Indian software services pioneer companies, Mr. Nilekani has affirmed his faith in utilizing innovative methods that include technology to benefit a large section of the population
“This gesture is going to have a long term impact,” said Anjali Joshi, co-founder of Drishti. “It would mean that by employing innovation we will be able to touch the lives of millions in the semi urban and rural areas.” As per the National program for control of blindness, about 1% of India is affected by blindness and over 80% of that is from treatable conditions.
“Drishti employs innovative approaches to reach those affected by these conditions and provide them treatment,” Mr. Anandampillai informed. As an impact organization, Drishti provides services to people of all economic segments, with a focus on those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Drishti currently operates in four districts in Karnataka -- Bangalore Rural, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagar and Chitradurga.
Innovation and effective use of technology have been the core competencies of Drishti, which was seed funded by Lok Capital, one of India's leading impact investors. Commenting on the transaction, Aditya Sharma, Director, Lok Capital said, “Drishti will benefit immensely from the vision and guidance of Mr. Nilekani, in businesses where innovation & execution are both critical, his insights will have far reaching implications”.
Drishti was also shortlisted as a finalist in the 2015 ET startup awards in the social impact sector. “This boost,” Ms. Joshi said, “will give us impetus to replicate the Drishti model in other states, and across India.” Nandan Nilekani’ Family Office, Entrust was involved in the investment consummation.
About Drishti: Drishti was started by Kiran Anandampillai and Anjali Joshi, who gave up their respective careers in IT to work in areas that can bring about meaningful impact Kiran was also one of the founding members of On Mobile, a company spun out of Infosys. He helped take the company from its inception to over Rs. 550 Crores in revenue and over 1600 employees. He was also a volunteer - technology at UIDAI. www.drishticare.org

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