Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth will inaugurate India's first International Ophthalmology Research Conference at Manekshaw Centre, Delhi Cantonment on 9 May 2026, co-hosted by the Department of Ophthalmology at Army Hospital (Research & Referral), New Delhi. The two-day event, running through 10 May, is being jointly organised with the All-India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) and is billed as the country's first civil-military ophthalmology research summit of this scale.

Key Participants and National Significance

The conference, formally titled AIOS-AFOU 2026 (All-India Ophthalmological Society – Armed Forces Ophthalmology Update), will be attended by the three Service Chiefs and the Defence Secretary, underlining its tri-service character and national importance. Nearly 200 renowned ophthalmologists from across India will convene alongside the country's top military eye specialists, making it an unprecedented platform for civil-military cooperation in eye care.

Eminent Faculty and International Experts

More than 100 distinguished faculty members are expected, drawn from institutions including AIIMS, New Delhi; PGI, Chandigarh; LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad; Sankara Netralaya, Chennai; and the Aravind Eye Care System. Two internationally acclaimed ophthalmologists will also participate. Professor Harminder Singh Dua, Chair and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Nottingham, UK, is globally recognised for his pioneering research in chemical ocular injuries and his landmark discovery of Dua's Layer — a paradigm-shifting contribution to corneal anatomy. Dr Colin Siang Hui Tan, Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist and Clinician Researcher at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, heads the Fundus Image Reading Centre at the National Healthcare Group Eye Institute and is renowned for his expertise in retinal imaging, diabetic retinopathy, and AI-driven ophthalmic diagnostics.

What the Conference Will Cover

The programme is designed to comprehensively address ophthalmology's latest advances across all major subspecialties, from corneal anatomy to AI-assisted diagnostics. This comes amid a growing national focus on integrating artificial intelligence into clinical eye care, particularly for conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, which affects millions of Indians. The conference is also intended to serve as an inspiring platform for young serving ophthalmologists from across the country to present their research and learn directly from leading experts.

Civil-Military Collaboration in Focus

The event marks a significant step in formalising civil-military cooperation in medical research — a domain that has historically operated in parallel tracks. By bringing together military eye specialists with leading civilian institutions under one roof, organisers aim to create a sustained framework for knowledge exchange. Officials indicated that the conference format could serve as a model for similar multi-disciplinary medical summits in the future.