In 1976, His Holiness the Sankaracharya of Kanchi revealed a vision of an institution of excellence with a missionary spirit.

That vision was shared by Dr.S.S. Badrinath and his colleagues. From it emerged Sankara Nethralaya - the Temple of the Eye. On the auspicious day of Vinayaka Chathurthi, on 6th September 1978 Sankara Nethralaya began its relentless journey in providing world-class eye care at affordable cost. An Institution with a missionary spirit that is making a visible difference to the lives of millions of visually impaired people.

Sankara Nethralaya has been adjudged "the Best Eye Hospital in India", by a survey conducted by OUTLOOK MAGAZINE (July 2002), THE WEEK-MAGAZINE (April 2005) and more recently by a survey conducted by THE WEEK-MAGAZINE (April 2007).