1980 - B.Tech - Civil Engineering Founder & President @ Sankara Eye Foundation, USA
For more than a decade now, Sridharan has worked as Founder and the President of Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF), USA, whose objective is to eradicate curable blindness across India. SEF was set up in 1998 in San Jose, CA, and works with its partner in India, Sankara Eye Care Institutions (SECI). Set up in 1977 under the auspices and blessings of Sankaracharya in Coimbatore initially, SECI now has expanded to numerous locations around the country. SECI has been recognized all over India as a leading philanthropic organization that performs free eye surgeries among other preventive care for eye-related diseases, especially in rural areas of the country. Sridharan has, through his tireless efforts, led a dedicated group of volunteers all over the USA to raise funds for the development of this exemplary organization, its growth and achievement of its objectives.
In India, a single hospital in Coimbatore, Sankara Eye Hospital, performed about 8,000 free eye surgeries in 1998. When SEF joined the mission, a much bigger goal was set – Vision 20/20 by the Year 2020. To replicate the success of the Coimbatore hospital all over India, a unique scalability model was introduced: Every hospital should be self-sustaining in 5 years after starting operations. The self-sufficiency is attained by performing 20 percent of the surgeries on paying patients, and performing the other 80 percent of the surgeries totally free. This model was proved in the first hospital SEF built in India – in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. There are now 8 functioning hospitals, including ones in Bangalore, Shimoga, Anand, Krishnan Koil, Silvassa, and in Rishikesh. SEF is currently raising funds for building the next super-specialty eye-care hospital in Punjab. The number of free eye surgeries has increased from 8,000 in 1998 to over 120,000 in the year 2010. Sridharan is a key member of the core team driving policies, strategy and process for the organization, and is also part of the implementation team. He handles the organization’s governance and growth, and is involved in identifying key growth opportunities for the Sankara Eye Foundation – in corporate grants and foundations.
SEF and its sister organization in India (Sankara Eye Care Institutions – SECI) have won many awards for the work they have done so far. SECI recently won the FICCI Health Care Excellence Award 2010 Towards Innovative and Inclusive Health Care. It has won this award 2 years in a row. In addition, SECI won the 2008 Asian Hospital Management Award and NGO of the year Award in India. SEF has won the coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator 3 years in a row, for its efficient management of the organization.
Sridharan’s day job at Intel Corporation as Director of Strategy and Marketing of Software Pathfinding & Innovation is no less demanding and does take up well over the usual 40 hours of work a week, but he nevertheless finds enough time, energy and conviction to spend an equal amount of time and energy to work towards furthering the goals of Sankara Eye Foundation. Sridharan obtained his B.Tech. in Civil Engineering from IIT Madras in 1980, two M.S. degrees from Southern Illinois University in 82 and 84, and an Executive MBA from Pepperdine University in 2004.
In recognition of Shri Sridharan’s philanthropy and outstanding contributions to eye-care among the rural poor in India, IIT Madras and its alumni are proud to confer on him this award.
In recognition of his outstanding professional accomplishments and his significant and sustained contributions to the Nuclear Engineering Group of IGCAR, IIT Madras and its alumni are proud to confer this award on him.
