ABSTRACT
The original idea for VisionSpring was driven by the need Jordan and Scott saw for reading glasses in low-income communities in the developing world. Presbyopia is a natural condition whereby the lens of the eye loses its flexibility, resulting in blurry up-close vision. VisionSpring India, headquartered in the southern city of Hyderabad, was VisionSpring's largest and fastest-growing operation. In India, VisionSpring utilized Vision Entrepreneurs (VE), franchise partners, and a wholesale channel to distribute its glasses. In the VE Channel, District Coordinators provided direct support to the VEs. The VE channel accounted for approximately 30% of VisionSpring India's sales. The franchise partner channel used the same blueprint as the VE Channel, but leveraged existing distribution networks of entrepreneurs, community health workers, or computer kiosk owners to sell its reading glasses. The wholesale channel targeted middle and upper-middle class customers who shopped at branded pharmacies.
