The story of GKB (Gopal Krishna Brothers) commenced on a humble

note with the setting up of just four hand-operated single spindle
machines to surface ophthalmic lenses in the verandah of a house at
Agra in 1959. By 1964 the company had moved into its own building.
They were amongst the first manufacturing units in the country to have
installed imported automatic generators and smoothing and polishing
machines to produce ophthalmic lenses. They soon established an
envious position as one of the leading manufacturers of quality
ophthalmic lenses in the country and entered exports in a modest way
in 1975. In 1980, the company received the special CAPEXIL Export
award for Ophthalmic Lenses, for the first time in the country.

GKB was originally started by the four Gupta brothers, all of whom are
today much respected and renowned figures in the ophthalmic optics
business in India.

Mr. Mahendra K. Gupta, the youngest in the family was looking after
exports in addition to other responsibilities. In 1982, he was the first to
leave the nest when he moved to Goa to set up a 100% export oriented
unit at a total project cost of Rupees 45 lakhs. In 1985, a prescription
laboratory was started under the banner of Goa Optolab Pvt. Ltd. A
branch-manufacturing unit at Delhi followed this.

When the family decided to part ways in 1991, Goa Optolab came
under the wings of Mr. Mahendra K. Gupta. Under his dynamic vision
and leadership the company has grown by leaps and bounds.
He founded the GKB Hi-Tech Group that soon came to be reckoned
amongst the leading manufacturers in India for both glass and plastic
ophthalmic lenses.
Currently, his two technocrat director sons, Mr. Shobit Gupta and Mr.
Neeraj Gupta ably assist Mr.Mahendra K. Gupta in running the three
companies under the GKB Hi-Tech Group umbrella. The three
companies are: Goa Optolab Pvt. Ltd., which manufactures
prescription lenses and directly supplies to Opticians worldwide; GKB
Hi-Tech Lenses, which manufactures glass and plastic ophthalmic
lenses for both export and the domestic market, and GKB Optolab Pvt.
Ltd., which takes care of the growing retail operations.

GKB Hi-Tech's turnover has risen at an exponential level, from Rupees

50 lakhs to over Rupees 120 crores, in a short span of just 16 years.
This is no mean feat by any standards.

With its reputation of always keeping up-to-date with the latest

technological advances in the industry, this forward looking company
has grown to become one of the largest and most successful
ophthalmic lens manufacturers in India, with a current market share of
40%. In India, the company can proudly boast of:

 A total manufacturing area ofmore than 200,000 square feet,

with 10 AR coating plants, 20 hard coating machines and 650
machines for the manufacture of glass and plastic ophthalmic
lenses.
 State-of-the-art machinery imported from LOH, Coburn, Balzers
and Satis Vacuum.
 Being the first company in India to manufacture Progressive
lenses, Hi-index lenses and multicoated lenses
 Producing lenses which have ISI specification and which also
meet International standards including DIN of Germany, FDA
ofUSA
 Capacity to manufacture 10,000 Rx lenses, 15,000 hard coated
lenses, 12,000 AR coated lenses and 25,000 stock lenses
 Dispatching over 12,000 made-toorder lenses daily, all over
India.
 Being the first company to set up a network of regional
prescription laboratories. Currently, they have 18 laboratories in
18 major cities in the country.
 A chain of 86 retail showrooms across India.
 Exporting ophthalmic lenses to over 30 countries worldwide,
 including Europe, Middle East and Sub-Saharan countries.
Almost 15,000 lenses are exported daily.

GKB Hi-Tech is a progressive company that has never been known to

falter from its path of creating a well developed infra-structure in the
optical trade.

At an early stage GKB Hi-Tech realised that creating awareness for the
more expensive value added products like lightweight plastic lenses,
progressive lenses and AR coated lenses could not be left alone to the
traditional opticians. So they set about creating an awareness network
for these value-added products by opening their own retail showrooms.

In addition to showcasing the products of the company, these retail

outlets work to create increased awareness of the latest trends in
ophthalmic lenses and encourage consumers to adopt these. This has
resulted in increased volume and returns not only for the company but
also for the entire optical trade in South India. This has also
encouraged other manufacturers to promote value-added products.

GKB Hi-Tech is now poised on the threshold of another new venture

that is sure to make the company scale new heights. This is a joint
venture with Carl Zeiss, a world leader in the optical and opto-
electronic industry, with a rich history spanning back over 150 years.

As a progressive fallout of this joint venture, an exclusive laboratory for

manufacturing Zeiss lenses will see the light of the day at Goa. This
laboratory costing 80 million Rupees will have the capacity to
manufacture 1000 Rx lenses a day which will be multicoated and laser-
marked with the Zeiss mark of quality, signifying the lifelong guarantee
that comes with every Zeiss lens. These Zeiss lenses will be available
to every optician in India.

Further expansion plans for the company includes an upgrade of the

existing GKB Hi-Tech facilities with the latest generators from LOH of
Germany and several new machines for AR and hard coating of
ophthalmic lenses. Cost of this upgrade is projected to be up to Rs.
120 million.

Manufacturing Process:

1. Taping
A special surface saver tape is applied on to the front surface of the
lens to prevent it from any damage.
2. Blocking
The semi-finished lens is then blocked on CNC blockers using low
melting alloys. The CNC blocker reads the Rx data from the Rx server
and automatically induces required prism, de-centeration and axis in
the semi-finished lens.
3. Generating
Here the semi finished lens is cut to its final curve and thickness by a
diamond tool. This operation is done on a machine called generator.
This is a versatile machine, which can cut the desired curve on the
semi finished lens surface, fast and accurate. The generator also reads
the data from the Rx server.
4. Smoothing
Smoothing is removing the grinding marks from the surface of the semi
-finished lens without changing its curvature. Here the lens is brought
to the exact curve required and surface is smoothened not to have any
mark or scratches.
5. Polishing
This operation is identical to the previous one. The lens is polished on
a felt pad or a special plastic pad by a very fine polishing chemical
mixed with water.
6. Quality Control Check
To ensure that lenses do not have any surface defect, have the right
thickness and accurate power; stringent quality check is done using
high-end lensometers by our qualified personnel.
7. Hard Coating
In this process, the lens is super cleaned by ultrasonic, then dipped in
lacquer maintained in super clean environment and at sub zero
temperature. The lens is then withdrawn from this lacquer by robot PC
controls and goes through 2 types of polymerization. 1st stage - 750C
for 5 minutes. 2nd stage - 1150C for 2 hours.
 8. AR Coating (Anti-Reflection Coating)
The application of an AR coating can virtually eliminate unpleasant
mirroring effects and reflections in the lenses that can impede vision.
The process of AR coating varies from mineral or organic lenses and
also varies as per refractive index of the lenses.

Types Of Lenses

Single Vision Lenses:

Whatever we do - whether we are working, playing, reading or driving - we
want to look great in our new eyeglasses. Essentially, we want perfect vision.
These lenses are used to correct Myopia and Hypermetropia. They provide
correction to the whole of the lens areas. A spherical lens has one dioptric
power. A cylindrical or toric lens have a combination of two powers and this
lens is used for correction of Astigmatism.

Bi Focal Lenses:
These type of lenses have two segments - one for distance and one for
reading, combined in one lens. There is a visible line between the two
segments. They come in 2 different designs to suit different uses and the
customer's preference.

Kryptok Bifocal:
The inner segment is round in shape, and usually 28mm in size

Flattop or 'D' Bifocal:

The segment is in English letter 'D' and the size of the segment is
usually 28mm. The position of the segment is de-centered for right eye
and towards the nasal for left eye.
 Hi-Index Lenses:
Normal lenses of high power are very thick with full aperture and when
fitted on the spectacle the wearer finds it heavy and bulky. To
overcome this problem, hi-index lenses were introduced. These lenses
are up to 40% thinner and lighter than standard lenses.

The density / refractive index of Hi-Index lenses is more which makes

the lens 20% to 50% thinner than normal lenses. Thus, allowing the
wearer to choose any frame from the wide range available.

Advantages of Hi-Index compared to normal lenses:

 They are 20% to 50% thinner and the wearer can be sure of having
lenses that don't put weight on his/her nose
 More discrete lenses offering a more aesthetic setting for the eye and
yet allows for a wide range of frames. The wearer's eyes are no longer
concealed behind thick lenses.
 Ideally suited for AR (Anti-Reflection) coating to further eliminate short
images and improve transmission.
   Organic Mineral
Normal 1.498 1.523
Hi Index 1.56 1.6
  1.601 1.7
  1.67 1.8
  1.74 1.9

Progressives:
When people reach the age of 40, they start to have difficulty focusing objects
at close range. Single vision lenses can no longer be used for the entire range
of vision from near to far. As well as, traditional bifocal lenses provide clear
vision of objects in the distance and near ranges. Thus, everything in between
remains blurred. And, the visible dividing line is a sign showing everyone that
you are wearing bifocals.
Progressive lenses have different prescription segments blended onto the
lens, but without a visible line. There is a gradual change from the distance
vision at the top of the lens to the near vision at the bottom.
Many people find that the Progressive give them more natural vision from
near to middle to distance, and are more relaxing to wear, as the progression
imitates natural focusing and they can see better. In all Progressives, there
are three main are: Distance, Reading and Intermediate.
 OPTION A - Transitions TM:
They are unique variable tint lenses that offer all day comfort protection,
versatility, value and style.
How do Transitions TM work?

1. They contain sunlight-sensitive photo-chromic molecules that cause

the variable tint to lighten and darken under different UV radiation and
temperature conditions.
2. They darken outdoors under high UV light and lighten indoors under
low UV light.
3. They become darker at low temperatures (cold climate) and lighter in
hot conditions (warmer climate).

Why choose Transitions TM lens?

 Eye health protection: Transitions TM lenses provide 100%

protection from UV-A and UV-B radiation even when inactivated. This
helps reduce the chance of developing cataracts.
 Visual comfort: The variable tint in Transitions TM lenses adjusts to
different conditions and helps absorb harsh sunlight to reduce glare.
 Physical comfort: Made of plastic that weight up to 50% less than
glass, they sit more comfortably on the nose.
 Durability: Besides being shock-resistant, they have built-in scratch-
resistance as well.
 Versatility: Because the variable tint becomes clear indoors and
darkens outdoors, they can be worn at home, work, play� anytime.
They are versatile enough to provide all-day comfort and protection
both indoors and outdoors.

Transitions is a registered trademark of Transitions Optical, Inc.

 OPTION B - Transitions TM:
Transitions Lenses are the #1-recommended Photochromic lenses in the
world.

Transitions Lenses change from clear to dark in the presence of ultraviolet

light, and block 100% of harmful UV rays. Our innovative photochromic
technologies have produced unparalleled lens performance in nearly every
lens design and material, including shatter-resistant lenses, bifocals, trifocals,
progressives, and standard and high index materials.
When you choose Transitions Lenses, you choose visual quality, visual
comfort and convenient protection with these performance features:

 Virtually as clear as regular clear lenses indoors

 Even clearer with an anti-reflective coating
 As dark as most sunglasses outside in bright light
 Fast to activate
 Fast to fade back
 Block 100% of harmful UV rays
 Reduce the effects of glare
 Reduce eye fatigue
  Improve contrast
 Offer the right tint at the right time in changing light.

Who Can Wear Transitions� Lenses?

Everyone who needs protection from glare and UV rays can benefit from
Transitions Lenses. They are appropriate for children, adults and patients with
special eyecare needs. The tint level of Transitions Lenses adjusts quickly as
light conditions change to provide convenient protection from glare and 100%
blockage of harmful UV rays.

Children & Transitions Lenses

It's never too early to start caring for your children's eyes. Children are
excellent candidates for Transitions Lenses. It is estimated that 80% of total
lifetime exposure to UV rays occurs before age 18. Children are more
susceptible to UV radiation because their eyes continue to develop into the
teen years. Children also require safe, shatter-resistant lens materials.
Transitions Lenses are the perfect solution - available in sturdy, lightweight,
shatter-proof materials. Transitions Lenses provide the convenience of
automatic protection by blocking 100% of harmful UV rays. They also offer
increased comfort by reducing eye strain and fatigue. Transitions Lenses help
you instill a lifetime of Healthy Sight habits by promoting good eye health in
children.

Patients with Special Needs

Certain people develop a heightened sensitivity to light, known as
photosensitivity, and are more susceptible to visible light. Photosensitivity can
develop with conditions, such as diabetes or recent eye surgery. The
condition can also be caused by taking certain prescription medications.
Some medications, even those used to treat conditions not related to vision,
can cause the eyes to be more susceptible to damage from UV rays. During
product testing, eyecare professionals were asked if Transitions Lenses
seemed a good choice for people with specific visual needs.

Active Adults
Protection from glare and UV rays is important for the comfort and quality of
your vision today. It's also important for long-term care of your eyes. It's never
too late to help protect against the cumulative effects of UV rays, which can
lead to eye conditions that compromise the quality of your vision.

Photochromatic Lens: They can change from clear state to dark tint when
exposed to sunlight. These lenses can be used throughout the year, indoors
or outdoors, in all climates and for various activities. Another advantage of
these lenses is that they are available in all lens material and design. Popular
colors are Grey and Brown.

UV Lens:
UV-A is absorbed primary by the lens of the eye, although a small percentage
penetrates the ocular media to reach the retina. UV-A is referred to as the
"near" UV ray. UV-B the "middle wave" ultraviolet radiation is absorbed by the
cornea and the lens but it can also reach the retina. UV-C is absorbed by the
zone in the stratosphere and is called the "far" UV ray.
The intensity of UV rays exposure depends on

 The season and the time of the day.

 The number of cloudy and sunny days in the particular city.
 The altitude at which the city is located. (It increases by 5% for every
1000 feet increase in altitude.)
 Outdoor enthusiasts like sportsmen, athletes, architects, golfers,
project engineers.

Protection from UV Rays:

UV exposure can be reduced by more than 75% by wearing

 Regular sunglass with UV cut-off lens.

 Transitions TM lenses.
 Any lens with anti-reflection coating.

They give complete protection from UV rays even if you have normal vision.
Doctors recommend these lenses whenever you are outside to ensure 100%
UV-B protection.

Hard Coating:
It is a special coating done on plastic lenses and polycarbonate lenses to
make them scratch resistant which means that a normal CR-39 when used by
any customer tends to get scratched due to its softness and if they are hard
coated then scratches caused due to normal day to day usage by the
customer is protected by this coating.
The coating has a tendency of scratch resistance. It will not make the lens
scratch proof. Scratch resistance means that the tendency of the lens surface
to get scratched is reduced and scratch proof is that the entire lens will not get
scratched at all.

High Level Dip Coating:

In this process first the lens is super cleaned by the ultrasonic, and then
dipped in crystal lacquer, maintained by super clean environment and at sub
zero temperature. The lens is then withdrawn from this lacquer by robot PC
controls and goes through 2 types of polymerization.
1st stage: 75C for 5 minutes.
2nd stage: 115C for 2 hours.

Advantages:

 The best hard coat available in the market.

 Highly durable and virtually scratch proof.
 Best results of anti-reflection coating achieved with this hard coating.

AR (Anti-Reflection) coating:

To improve both the vision through the lenses and the appearance of the
glasses, an anti-reflective coating (also called AR coating) is applied. AR
coatings are similar to the coatings found on microscopes and camera lenses.
They consist of several layers of metal oxides applied to the front and back
lens surfaces. Because of the layering effect, AR coatings sometimes have a
hint of green or purple color, depending on the individual manufacturer's
formula.
Each layer is scientifically calculated to block reflected light. The result is that
you'll see a reduction in glare, annoying reflections and halos around lights.
This is a great safety benefit when you're driving at night.
Also, anti-reflective coating reduces both internal and external reflections on
the lenses themselves, creating a nicer cosmetic appearance. Internal
reflections appear as rings that make lenses look thick. External reflections
mask your eyes from a clear, complete view when someone is looking at you.
So with an anti-reflective coating, eyeglass lenses appear thin or non-existent,
and your eyes look more natural.
Anyone on TV or whose photo is taken often benefits tremendously from the
coating, but really, all eyeglass wearers would benefit from an anti-reflective
coating from a cosmetic point of view. If you have a strong prescription, you
can use the AR coating in conjunction with high-index lenses to make your
glasses look and feel as thin as possible.
With sunglass lenses, an AR coating is better applied only to the back surface
of the lens (the surface nearest the eye). Because sunglass lenses are so
dark, the AR coating can wind up looking smeary on the front surface. Coating
the back side helps reduce the reflections of light that enter from behind you
and bounce off the surface into your eyes. A back-side coated sun lens is
much more comfortable than an uncoated sunglass

Infrastructure

 A total manufacturing area of more than 250,000 square feet, with 13

AR coating plants, 26 hard coating machines and 650 machines for the
manufacture of glass and plastic ophthalmic lenses.
 State-of-the-art machinery imported from LOH, Coburn, Balzers and
Satis Vacuum.
 Being the first company in India to manufacture Progressive lenses, Hi-
index lenses and multicoated lenses.
 Producing lenses which have ISI specification and which also meet
International standards including DIN of Germany, FDA of USA.
 Capacity to manufacture 10,000 Rx lenses, 15,000 hard coated lenses,
12,000 AR coated lenses and 25,000 stock lenses.