India Geographical Atrophy Market Research Report: Trends, Forecast & Opportunities (2026-2032)

India Geographical Atrophy Market Report Key Takeaways:

• The India Geographical Atrophy market size was valued at USD 0.87 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 0.96 billion in 2026 to USD 1.79 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 10.94% during the forecast period.
• By diagnosis method, the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) segment represented a significant share of about 39% in the India Geographical Atrophy Market in 2026.
• By end user, the Hospitals segment represented a significant share of about 58% in the India Geographical Atrophy Market in 2026.
• Leading companies in the Market are Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Astellas Pharma, Roche Holding AG (Genentech, Inc.), F. Hoffmann‑La Roche, Novartis AG, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie, Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, Santen Pharmaceutical, and Others.

Market Insights & Analysis: India Geographical Atrophy Market (2026-32):

India Geographical Atrophy Market size was valued at approximately USD 0.87 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow from USD 0.96 billion in 2026 to USD 1.79 billion by 2032. Along with this, the market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of around 10.94% during the forecast period, i.e., 2026-32.

The India market for Geographic Atrophy is gradually expanding as the burden of retinal degenerative diseases increases alongside demographic aging. Geographic atrophy develops as a late stage of Age-related Macular Degeneration, a condition that causes progressive damage to retinal pigment epithelial cells and leads to irreversible vision impairment. As India’s elderly population grows, the number of patients susceptible to advanced retinal disorders is also increasing, creating sustained demand for early detection, clinical monitoring, and therapeutic management.

Population-based epidemiological studies highlight the rising prevalence of AMD across India. The INDEYE study, which assessed retinal health among elderly individuals aged 60 years and above in North and South India, found that late AMD prevalence reached approximately 1.2% in northern regions, while early AMD indicators such as drusen deposits and pigmentary irregularities were observed in nearly 38% of participants. The study included about 1,995 participants from North India, providing strong evidence that retinal degeneration already affects a significant share of the aging population. These findings suggest that a substantial portion of patients may eventually progress to advanced stages such as geographic atrophy, increasing long-term demand for ophthalmic diagnostic and treatment services.

Technological innovation is also shaping the future of the retinal disease management ecosystem. The growing adoption of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology diagnostics is emerging as a transformative trend that can significantly expand screening capacity. A multicenter research study evaluating an AI-based Diabetic Retinopathy Screening System (AIDRSS) analyzed 5,029 participants and more than 10,058 retinal images across clinical centers in India. The deep-learning system demonstrated 92% sensitivity and 88% specificity in detecting retinal diseases, confirming the effectiveness of AI-driven image analysis as a scalable diagnostic tool . Such systems enable automated identification of retinal abnormalities and allow healthcare providers to screen larger patient populations efficiently, particularly in regions where ophthalmology specialists are limited.

Government initiatives are further strengthening the future growth outlook of the market. In February 2025, the Government of Kerala launched Nayanamritham 2.0, a government-led AI-assisted screening program for chronic eye diseases developed in collaboration with Remidio. The program deploys AI-enabled fundus cameras in primary health centers to screen patients for retinal conditions, including AMD, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. The system automatically analyzes retinal images and identifies suspected cases for referral to ophthalmologists, enabling faster detection and improving access to specialized care across the state.

Overall, rising AMD prevalence, expanding AI-driven retinal diagnostics, and increasing government investment in early eye-disease screening are collectively shaping the future of India’s geographic atrophy market. As screening programs scale and early detection improves, the number of diagnosed patients will increase, creating stronger demand for advanced retinal diagnostics and therapeutic interventions in the coming years.

India Geographical Atrophy Market Recent Developments:

• 2025: Eyestem Research Pvt. Ltd. announced the successful completion of its Phase-1 clinical trial for Eyecyte-RPE, a stem-cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium therapy designed to treat geographic atrophy. The study demonstrated favorable safety outcomes and early signs of visual improvement in treated patients, supporting the company’s plan to advance the therapy into Phase-2 clinical trials in India .
• 2025: Apellis Pharmaceuticals released five-year extension study results for SYFOVRE (pegcetacoplan), showing the treatment can delay geographic atrophy lesion progression by approximately 1.5 years. The data strengthen the global clinical evidence base and support potential expansion into emerging ophthalmology markets such as India .

India Geographical Atrophy Market Scope:

India Geographical Atrophy Market Driver:

Increasing Prevalence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration

The growing prevalence of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in India is a major factor driving the geographic atrophy (GA) market, as GA represents an advanced stage of AMD characterized by progressive degeneration of retinal pigment epithelium and gradual central vision loss. With India’s aging population expanding, the number of individuals susceptible to retinal degenerative disorders is increasing, creating higher demand for early diagnosis, monitoring technologies, and specialized treatments.

Population-based ophthalmic studies in India highlight the rising burden of AMD. The Central India Eye and Medical Study evaluated 4,711 individuals aged 30 years and above to determine the prevalence of retinal diseases. The findings showed that early AMD prevalence increased to about 8.3% among individuals aged 60 years and older, while late AMD prevalence reached approximately 0.6% in the same age group, indicating that a portion of the elderly population is already progressing toward advanced disease stages such as geographic atrophy .

Further evidence comes from the INDEYE Study, which examined retinal health among elderly populations across North and South India. Among adults aged 60–79 years, the study reported early AMD prevalence of 39.3% and late AMD prevalence of around 1.2%, demonstrating a significant burden of retinal degeneration . In southern regions such as Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, analysis of 2,271 participants showed early AMD signs in about 40.8% of elderly individuals, with late AMD prevalence reaching approximately 1.3%, slightly higher than in northern regions.

Overall, these epidemiological findings indicate that AMD is increasingly affecting India’s elderly population. As demographic aging continues and retinal screening programs expand, the number of patients progressing to geographic atrophy is expected to rise, strengthening long-term demand for advanced diagnostics and therapeutic solutions in the market.

India Geographical Atrophy Market Trend:

Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Retinal Diagnostics

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into retinal diagnostics is emerging as a major trend in the geographic atrophy and broader ophthalmology market. AI-enabled systems can analyze retinal images from technologies such as Fundus Photography and Optical Coherence Tomography to automatically detect early retinal abnormalities, improving diagnostic speed and accuracy. These tools support ophthalmologists in identifying retinal diseases such as Age-related Macular Degeneration and other vision-threatening conditions at earlier stages.

India has begun implementing large-scale AI-based retinal screening initiatives. In 2025, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Wadhwani AI, launched MadhuNetrAI, an AI-powered mobile screening tool for retinal disease detection. The system analyzes retinal photographs within seconds and achieved over 95% detection accuracy during validation tests performed on more than 3,000–4,000 retinal images from a dataset of about 13,000 scans.

Government implementation of this technology has already expanded screening capacity. According to the Press Information Bureau, the MadhuNetrAI platform has been deployed across 38 healthcare facilities in 11 Indian states, assisting in the analysis of over 14,000 retinal images and screening approximately 7,100 patients through AI-assisted diagnostics .

The technology allows non-specialist healthcare workers in primary health centers to conduct preliminary eye screening and triage patients who require specialist care. This significantly expands diagnostic coverage in rural or underserved regions where ophthalmologists are limited.

Overall, AI-driven retinal diagnostics are transforming ophthalmology by enabling faster, scalable, and more accurate disease detection. As governments expand AI-based screening programs and integrate them into national healthcare systems, early detection of retinal disorders will increase, strengthening demand for geographic atrophy diagnostics and therapeutic solutions.

India Geographical Atrophy Market Opportunity:

Development of Curative Regenerative Therapies

The emergence of regenerative therapies represents a significant opportunity in the treatment landscape for Geographic Atrophy, as conventional treatments mainly slow disease progression rather than repair retinal damage. Regenerative medicine aims to restore the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells that degenerate in geographic atrophy, potentially enabling functional vision recovery.

India is increasingly becoming a center for retinal cell-therapy research. In June 2025, Eyestem Research Pvt. Ltd. completed a Phase-1 clinical trial of its stem-cell-derived therapy Eyecyte-RPE, designed to replace damaged retinal pigment epithelial cells in patients with geographic atrophy caused by dry AMD. The study treated nine patients across three dose levels (100,000–300,000 cells) and demonstrated no serious adverse events along with measurable vision improvement, including an average gain of 15.8 letters in early participants over six months.

Following these encouraging results, India’s drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization, approved in January 2026 a randomized Phase-2 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Eyecyte-RPE in a larger group of patients with moderate geographic atrophy.

Additionally, the therapy is based on human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE cells, which can be manufactured at scale to replace degenerating retinal tissue, an approach supported by India’s national stem-cell research framework under the Indian Council of Medical Research .

India’s growing biotech ecosystem and regulatory support for stem-cell research are accelerating the development of regenerative retinal therapies. As clinical trials progress toward larger patient populations and potential commercialization, curative regenerative treatments could significantly expand therapeutic options and drive future growth in the geographic atrophy market.

India Geographical Atrophy Market Challenge:

High Cost of Advanced Therapies

One of the major challenges in the treatment landscape for Geographic Atrophy is the high cost of newly approved advanced therapies, particularly biologic complement-inhibitor drugs that require repeated intravitreal injections over long treatment periods.

For example, the complement inhibitor pegcetacoplan (approved for geographic atrophy treatment) has an approximate purchase price of about USD 2,190 per injection. Because the therapy is administered either monthly or every two months, the cumulative treatment expenditure becomes substantial for patients .

Clinical cost analyses based on U.S. Medicare reimbursement data indicate that the two-year treatment cost for pegcetacoplan therapy can reach approximately USD 70,000 with monthly injections, while treatment administered every other month costs around USD 34,600 over two years .

Such repeated injection schedules significantly increase long-term treatment expenses. Since geographic atrophy is a chronic and progressive retinal disease, patients often require continuous monitoring and therapy over several years, further increasing lifetime healthcare costs. In addition to drug prices, patients must also bear costs related to ophthalmology consultations, diagnostic imaging, and intravitreal injection procedures.

Overall, these high costs limit treatment accessibility, particularly in countries where a large share of healthcare expenditure is paid out-of-pocket. As a result, affordability challenges remain a key barrier to widespread adoption of advanced geographic atrophy therapies.

India Geographical Atrophy Market (2026-32) Segmentation Analysis:

The India Geographical Atrophy Market study of MarkNtel Advisors evaluates & highlights the major trends and influencing factors in each segment. It includes predictions for the period 2026–32 at the country level. Based on the analysis, the market has been further classified as;

Based on Diagnosis Method:

• Fundus Autofluorescence (FAF)
• Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A)
• Multifocal Electroretinography (mfERG)

Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCT-A) holds the largest share in the diagnosis segment, accounting for about 39% of the geographic atrophy diagnostic market. The technology enables high-resolution, non-invasive visualization of retinal and choroidal microvasculature without requiring dye injection, which significantly improves patient safety and diagnostic efficiency. Compared with traditional imaging methods such as Fundus Autofluorescence (FAF) and Multifocal Electroretinography (mfERG), OCT-A provides detailed structural and vascular mapping of retinal layers, allowing clinicians to detect early retinal degeneration and monitor disease progression more precisely.

Leading ophthalmology centers increasingly rely on OCT-A because it supports early detection of atrophic lesions and helps evaluate treatment response in patients undergoing emerging therapies such as complement inhibitors or regenerative approaches. In addition, improvements in imaging speed, automated lesion measurement, and integration with artificial-intelligence-based retinal analysis tools are further strengthening its adoption in advanced eye care facilities. These technological advantages and their ability to support precise clinical decision-making continue to drive the strong market share of OCT-A in geographic atrophy diagnosis.

Based on End User:

• Hospitals
• Ophthalmic Clinics / Specialty Eye Care Centers
• Homecare & Others

Hospitals hold the largest share in the geographic atrophy market, accounting for approximately 58% of total demand. Hospitals typically function as primary referral centers for complex retinal disorders and therefore handle a large volume of patients requiring advanced diagnostic imaging and specialized ophthalmic treatment. Geographic atrophy management often requires multidisciplinary ophthalmology teams, access to high-end retinal imaging equipment, and the ability to administer intravitreal therapies under controlled clinical settings, all of which are more readily available in hospital environments.

Hospitals also play a central role in clinical research and therapeutic trials involving emerging treatments such as complement inhibitors and gene-based retinal therapies. Many tertiary hospitals collaborate with pharmaceutical companies and research institutions to conduct clinical trials, which further increases patient inflow and treatment adoption. Additionally, hospitals are better equipped to manage complications related to retinal injections or advanced degenerative eye diseases. Their strong infrastructure, specialized ophthalmology departments, and access to advanced diagnostic technologies collectively support the dominant share of hospitals in the geographic atrophy treatment and management ecosystem.

India Geographical Atrophy Market (2026-32): Regional Projection

The market for Geographic Atrophy treatment in India is dominated by the South India region, particularly major healthcare hubs such as Chennai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. This dominance is mainly attributed to the strong presence of advanced ophthalmology institutions, well-established eye-care infrastructure, and a higher concentration of specialized retina clinics.

Leading eye hospitals and research institutions, including L V Prasad Eye Institute and Aravind Eye Care System, are located in the southern region and actively conduct retinal disease diagnosis, treatment, and research programs. These institutions handle thousands of retinal disease cases annually and contribute significantly to early detection and clinical research related to age-related macular degeneration and geographic atrophy.

Additionally, southern states such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Karnataka have stronger ophthalmology screening programs and better access to advanced diagnostic technologies like retinal imaging and optical coherence tomography.

As a result, the concentration of specialized eye hospitals, experienced retina specialists, and advanced diagnostic infrastructure has positioned South India as the leading regional market for geographic atrophy diagnosis and treatment.

Gain a Competitive Edge with Our India Geographical Atrophy Market Report:

• India Geographical Atrophy Market Report by MarkNtel Advisors provides a detailed & thorough analysis of market size & share, growth rate, competitive landscape, and key players. This comprehensive analysis helps businesses gain a holistic understanding of the market dynamics & make informed decisions.
• This report also highlights current market trends & future projections, allowing businesses to identify emerging opportunities & potential challenges. By understanding market forecasts, companies can align their strategies & stay ahead of the competition.
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