Tata Community Initiatives Trust and Tata Steel Foundation inaugurate Upgraded Eye Care Facilities at Bijayananada Patnaik Eye Centre (LVPEI), Keonjhar

Keonjhar, September 2, 2025: The upgraded eye care facilities at the Bijayananda Patnaik Eye Centre (BNPEC), part of the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) network was inaugurated on Tuesday at Keonjhar, Odisha.

The facility has been augmented by Tata Community Initiatives Trust and Tata Steel Foundation (TSF).

Present on the occasion were Pradeep Kumar Mishra, ADMO-Medical, Keonjhar, Shirang Dhavale, Cluster Head – Social Services, Tata Sustainability Group, Tata Sons, Rajesh Kumar, Chief, Joda, Tata Steel, Dr. Rohit Khanna, Network Director, Public Health, LVPEI, Bibhu Panda, Delivery Center Head, Tata Consultancy Services, Dillip Sahoo, CSR Head, TPNODL, Ravindra Kumar, Head, Joda Impact Cluster, Tata Steel Foundation, Sudhir Singh, Chief Human Resource Officer, Tata Steel Foundation, Sanjeev Kr. Poddar, Chief Financial Officer, TSF.

Preventable blindness, primarily due to untreated cataracts, continues to be a major public health challenge. To overcome this challenge, the partnership between the two Tata entities has provided ten OT instruments including slit lamp and applanation tonometer, vision monitor, digital lensometer, cautery for plastic surgeries, handheld non-contact tonometer, emergency care equipment (DeFeb+Monitor), phaco machine, surgical microscope, cataract surgical sets and OT table to Bijayananda Patnaik Eye Centre (BNPEC) at Keonjhar. By strengthening infrastructure of BNPEC, this initiative impacts the overall objective to prevent blindness, contributing to vision restoration and improved quality of life among underserved and tribal regions of Odisha.

This initiative focuses on the Foundation’s operational areas – Kalinganagar, Bamnipal, Sukinda and Joda – and includes the strategic upgradation of BNPEC to strengthen secondary-level eye care services of LVPEI. The goal of the initiative is to reach 10,000 individuals over the next three years and facilitate approximately 2,250 cataract surgeries.

On the occasion, Shri Pradip Mishra said, ” I believe this facility will be of great help to the needy people of this region. I am thankful to Tata Group for this noble initiative”.

Sourav Roy, Chief Executive Officer, TSF, said, “Tata Steel Foundation has been actively working towards building transformative, replicable models to strengthen education and public healthcare systems in Keonjhar district for a long time. The Foundation is committed to address societal challenges holistically and generate real impact through collaborative solutioning across aspirational blocks and districts, through an evidence-based architecture that stands the test of time. We are hopeful of ensuring access to quality education, healthcare and public systems, while unlocking potential and public entitlements, because true development begins with access.”

Shrirang Dhavale added, “The Tata Group has long upheld its value of nation-building. The eye care initiative in Keonjhar exemplifies its unwavering commitment to strengthening public health infrastructure in underserved regions. The partnership of Tata Steel Foundation, LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) and Tata Community Initiatives Trust, to upgrade the Bijayananda Patnaik Eye Centre is a powerful demonstration of bringing the best to the region. By combining the Tata Group’s community-focused approach with LVPEI’s domain excellence, this initiative aims to eliminate preventable blindness and enhance the quality of life for tribal and marginalized populations in Odisha. I wish them the very best in this journey.”

Dr. Rohit Khanna, Network Director-Public Health, LVPEI said “We sincerely thank the TATA group for their generous support of this initiative. Their contribution will greatly strengthen the services available to the underprivileged and needy population of this region. Moreover, it will help create meaningful livelihood opportunities, fostering hope and progress within the community. We deeply value this partnership and look forward to making a lasting impact together.”

Tata Steel aims to serve the community in a large scale in the days to come.