Pallab Bhattacharyya

On July 10, a significant milestone in Northeast India's healthcare landscape unfolded as Dr. Parveez Ubed inaugurated the 7th Hub Hospital of ERC Eye Care in Abhayapuri, Bongaigaon district, Assam.

The ceremony represents more than just another hospital opening—it symbolizes the transformative vision of a social entrepreneur who chose to stay in his homeland over greener pastures in metropolitan cities.

Dr. Parveez Ubed's story begins in Jorhat, Assam, where, after completing his ophthalmology specialization from the Gauhati Medical College in 2007, he decided to change lives.

His classmates left for bigger cities for attractive offers, but Dr. Ubed chose to stay put in Assam to serve his people. His decision was driven by his understanding of the region's healthcare challenges.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Presenting an award to Dr Perveez Ubed

His entrepreneurial journey started in June 2011, when he founded ERC Eye Care in a converted kitchen space with just Rs 4 lakhs borrowed from his mother.

What began as a single-man mission has now evolved into a phygital (physical + digital) eye care network spanning across Northeast India with 267 full-time employees and 190 part-time staff.

Dr. Ubed's venture addresses a critical healthcare gap in Northeast India, where the statistics paint a sobering picture.

Assam has a blindness prevalence of 3.03% against the national average of 1.99%, with an estimated 92% preventable blindness. The World Health Organization reported that 18.8% of Indians suffer from vision impairment due to cataract in Assam alone, making it one of the most affected regions in the country.

Bad roads and difficult terrain, lack of information, poor overall health status, and absence of escorts are barriers that limit access to eye care services in the region.

The beneficiers of Dr Perveez Ubed's eyecare facilities

With only 0.6 ophthalmologists per 100,000 population in Assam, the doctor-patient ratio represents a massive healthcare infrastructure deficit.

Dr. Ubed's entrepreneurial genius lies in his innovative hub-and-spoke business model that tackles the three critical healthcare challenges: affordability, accessibility, and availability. The model operates through: Hub Hospitals: (i) Equipped with surgical and diagnostic facilities serving as main centres in Sivasagar (2015), Nagaon, Silchar, Guwahati, Tezpur, Boko (6th hospital, January 2025), and now Abhayapuri (7th hospital, July 2025).

(ii) Spoke Centres: Satellite vision centres and mobile units extending basic eye care to remote areas, bringing services directly to patients' doorsteps. (iii) Digital Integration: The organization leverages AI and IoT technology through their digital platform erclens.com, making them the world's first phygital eye care company.

Dr. Perveez Ubed with a patient

Dr. Ubed's transformation from a medical professional to a successful social entrepreneur showcases remarkable business acumen. "All my nights were spent reading MBA books to find a business plan," he recalls with characteristic humility.

Dr. Ubed's vision extends far beyond numbers, though the statistics are impressive: over 1.1 million patients served, 500,000 eyeglasses distributed, and 43,000 cataract surgeries performed. Each figure represents a life transformed, a livelihood restored, and hope renewed. The organization's pricing model reflects its social mission: eye consultations for Rs 50, optical retail starting at Rs 99, and cataract surgeries from Rs 3,500. Studies referenced by ERC indicate that good vision can increase incomes by 30% and productivity by 25%, making eye care not just a medical intervention but an economic empowerment tool.

Dr. Parveez Ubed

Dr. Ubed's forward-thinking approach incorporates artificial intelligence, machine learning, and IoT technologies to create scalable healthcare solutions. The digital platform erclens.com offers teleconsultation services, online appointments, and home eye testing, making ERC a pioneer in tech-enabled healthcare delivery for underserved markets. The organization's expansion plans extend beyond India to Southeast Asia and Africa, positioning ERC as a global model for affordable healthcare delivery.

Dr. Parveez Ubed stands as living proof that one person's commitment to serve can illuminate the path for millions. In a world where success is often measured by personal wealth, Dr. Ubed has chosen a different metric—the number of people who can see clearly enough to dream again, work productively, and live with dignity.

His story reminds us that true entrepreneurship lies not in creating unicorns, but in nurturing phoenixes—taking communities from the ashes of neglect and helping them rise to their full potential.

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As thousands more patients walk through the doors of this new hospital in Abhayapuri, they will not just be receiving medical treatment; they will be touching the legacy of a man who saw beyond the obvious, dreamed beyond the conventional, and dared to stay when leaving would have been easier.

In the annals of social entrepreneurship, Dr. Parveez Ubed's name will be etched not just as a successful businessman but as a visionary who gave vision to the visually impaired and hope to the hopeless, proving that sometimes, the greatest journey is not about going far but about going deep into the heart of what truly matters.

The author is the former DGP of the Assam Police