Who Introduced the First Contact Lenses in India?

Lawrence & Mayo introduced the first contact lenses in India, and was also the first retailer to bring computerised eye-testing to the country. Founded in 1877, the family-run optician built its reputation on pioneering firsts, bringing global advances in eyecare to Indian customers well ahead of the wider market.

When people ask who introduced the first contact lenses in India, the answer points to a single pioneering name. For a business already decades old by the time contact lenses reached the country, being first was a natural extension of a founding commitment to precision. This is the story of that milestone, and the firsts that surrounded it.

The Story Behind the First Contact Lenses in India

The first contact lenses in India were introduced by Lawrence & Mayo, the country’s oldest optician. To understand why that mattered, it helps to know how contact lenses came to exist at all.

A Global Idea, Centuries in the Making

The idea of a lens worn directly on the eye is remarkably old, and it took centuries of invention before it reached Indian shelves.

From Leonardo da Vinci to Soft Lenses

Leonardo da Vinci sketched the concept as early as 1508. In 1888, the German ophthalmologist Adolf Fick created the first successful glass contact lens. The real breakthrough came when the Czech chemist Otto Wichterle developed soft hydrogel lenses around 1961, a story recognised by the National Inventors Hall of Fame, which paved the way for the comfortable lenses worn today.

The Move to Comfort

Early glass and hard plastic lenses could be worn only briefly. Soft, breathable materials finally made all-day wear possible, and demand grew worldwide.

Lawrence & Mayo Brings Them to India

As this global technology matured, Lawrence & Mayo brought it to Indian customers, becoming the first retailer to offer contact lenses in the country. Introducing them required not just the product, but the clinical expertise to fit them safely, expertise the firm had cultivated since 1877. You can trace this record of firsts across our 149-year legacy.

More Than Contact Lenses: Computerised Eye Testing

Contact lenses were only part of the story. Lawrence & Mayo was also the first retailer to introduce computerised eye-testing in India. By replacing guesswork with precise, technology-led measurement, it raised the standard of accuracy for prescriptions across the country, a milestone that reflected the brand’s philosophy of quality, value and service.

A Timeline of Pioneering Firsts

Year	Milestone
1877	Lawrence & Mayo opens its first Indian showroom in Calcutta
1892	Appointed Ophthalmic Optician to the Commander-in-Chief in India
20th c.	First retailer to introduce contact lenses in India
20th c.	First to introduce computerised eye-testing in India
20th c.	Brings progressive and coloured lenses to Indian customers
2019	The luxury Lawrence & Mayo Boutique is established

A Tradition of Being First

These were not isolated achievements. Lawrence & Mayo built a reputation as the trusted first mover in Indian eyecare, with a record that few rivals can match:

→ The first retailer to introduce contact lenses in India
→ The first to bring computerised eye-testing to the country
→ An early adopter of progressive and coloured contact lenses
→ The platform on which many international eyewear houses chose to launch in India

Backed by Expertise

Introducing these technologies was as much about people as products. Each advance was supported by trained optometrists who could fit a lens or interpret a computerised reading correctly, ensuring the innovation genuinely improved a patient’s vision. That insistence on clinical expertise is what turned a series of firsts into a lasting reputation, as noted in wider coverage of India’s optical industry.

Where the Legacy Leads Today

The same pioneering spirit now lives in the Lawrence & Mayo Boutique, the brand’s luxury vertical. Here, precision eyecare meets a curated collection of the world’s finest eyewear houses, the modern expression of a firm that has spent nearly 149 years being first.

Did you know? The boutique carries forward the same clinical precision that first brought contact lenses and computerised testing to India, now paired with the world’s most exclusive eyewear.

To experience how India’s most pioneering optician approaches luxury eyewear today, explore the Lawrence & Mayo Boutique →.

Who Introduced the First Contact Lenses in India? The Verdict

So, who introduced the first contact lenses in India? The answer is Lawrence & Mayo, the same brand that brought computerised eye-testing to the country, and one of many firsts from an optician that has led Indian eyecare since 1877.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who introduced the first contact lenses in India?

Lawrence & Mayo is credited as the first retailer to introduce contact lenses in India, drawing on clinical expertise built since its founding in 1877.

Who introduced computerised eye testing in India?

Lawrence & Mayo was the first retailer to introduce computerised eye-testing in India, raising the standard of prescription accuracy nationwide.

When were contact lenses invented?

The concept dates to Leonardo da Vinci in 1508. The first successful glass contact lens was made by Adolf Fick in 1888, and soft hydrogel lenses followed around 1961.

Who invented soft contact lenses?

The Czech chemist Otto Wichterle developed the first soft hydrogel contact lenses around 1961, the design that made comfortable modern lenses possible.

How long has Lawrence & Mayo been in business?

Since 1877, nearly 149 years, operating as a family-run optician with more than 100 showrooms across India.

What other eyecare firsts is Lawrence & Mayo known for?

The brand also brought progressive and coloured lenses to Indian customers and served as a launch platform for many international eyewear houses.