The Hindu Business Line : Bausch & Lomb turns focus to youth

Contact lenses are no longer just for vision correction. "The trend is picking up. The youth are picking coloured lenses to improve their looks, to match their dresses. Teenagers in the age group of 14-16 prefer to go for coloured soft lenses," Mr J.P. Singh, Managing Director of eye care solutions leader Bausch and Lomb, said.

Coloured contact lenses have been gaining wide acceptance among teenagers, and within the segment, around 70 per cent of sales comes from non-powered coloured contact lenses.

"About 6 per cent of all contact lens users use coloured soft lenses. This matches the Western average," he told Business Line, pointing out that Australia, at 6-7 per cent, leads the table.

The price range for a pair of coloured lenses begins at around Rs 1,000.

With more and more youth preferring to wear contact lenses, Bausch and Lomb had decided to focus more on this segment. Mr Singh said those in the age group of 18-22 years were found to be Bausch's biggest customers. With the adoption rate coming down, the company expected that this would come down to 14-15 in the next three years.

It said 42 per cent of the contact lens users were in the age group of 20-24 years, while the adoption to contact lenses is highest in the age group of 16-20 years.

For the calendar year 2004, Bausch and Lomb expects to notch up a turnover of Rs 100 crore, a growth of 22-23 per cent over last year.

Citing studies, he said there was a marked difference in the self-confidence levels between those who wear glasses and those who don't. "Our products help them get their self-confidence back," Mr Singh claimed. He said the company was looking at opportunities to launch its ophthalmic pharma division. "We are trying to understand the market." With teenagers getting themselves ready for the next academic year, the company has launched easy-to-handle Soft Lens 38, priced at around Rs 2,000. "Usually, they graduate to contact lens during the vacation," Mr Singh said.