In a village in Karnataka, a little girl beams with pride at her first pair of properly fitted spectacles. In neighbouring Kerala, a child with autism masters a new skill under the guidance of specialized educators. Meanwhile, in distant Madhya Pradesh, a woman breaks several barriers to launch her small tailoring business with a newly acquired sewing machine. These moments—ordinary to some, life-changing to those experiencing them—represent something extraordinary: the alchemy that occurs when Lions Clubs and corporate partners come together to create something greater than either could do alone.
This is the story of that alchemy— of how Lions Clubs across India have forged strategic partnerships, particularly through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, that blend Lions’ community knowledge with corporate capabilities and resources.
In the pages that follow, we shine a spotlight on some of these successful alliances that continue to touch – and shape – lives every day.
The Lions Cancer Hospital in Visakhapatnam stands as a testament to visionary service that evolves with community needs. Lions of District 316A established this pioneering facility in 1984 with a clear mission: making cancer treatment accessible to all at minimal or no cost. As the first cancer hospital built and operated by a Lions District in the region, it introduced a revolutionary approach to community healthcare.
As local health needs evolved, so did the hospital’s scope, expanding beyond oncology to encompass general medicine, surgery, gynecology, ENT, orthopedics, pain management, physiotherapy, and palliative care. This broader mission led to its rebranding as Lions Cancer & General Hospital (LCGH).
“Expanding services required substantial funding that would have been quite challenging through traditional fundraising alone,” explains CA Leader – LCIF PID Vijay Kumar Raju. “Corporate partners recognized the value of our community presence and medical expertise through their CSR initiatives, creating a catalyst for growth.”
LAURUS Charitable Trust contributed ₹25 lakhs for essential surgical equipment. LIC Golden Jubilee Foundation donated ₹24.37 lakhs for diagnostic equipment and an ambulance. Devi Sea Foods CSR Foundation provided ₹15 lakhs for critical care equipment, while Nekkanti Sea Foods Limited invested ₹14.20 lakhs for a 30kW solar power plant.
The Visakhapatnam Port Authority addressed another critical need with a ₹10.35 lakh contribution for a 25 KLD sewage treatment plant, ensuring the hospital meets essential regulatory requirements while protecting environmental health.
For tens of thousands of rural schoolchildren across Karnataka, vision challenges once meant limited educational opportunities and diminished prospects. The Vaishnavi Lions Service Foundation, under the aegis of Bangalore Vaishnavi Lions Club, District 317A, recognized both the scale of the problem and the potential for impact through strategic partnerships.
In Lion year 2023-2024, the foundation signed a landmark MoU with the Government of Karnataka to screen approximately 75,000 children studying in the Ramanagara district. Building on this success, the program expanded to Tumkur district in 2024-2025, deploying two fully equipped teams with 30 vision care specialists who use WHO-approved technology and software, to efficiently screen large numbers of students in minimal time.
Going beyond simple screening, the initiative conducts comprehensive assessments for vision correction, colour blindness, night blindness, and glaucoma, along with surgical interventions where needed—addressing issues that directly impact academic performance and future socio-economic prospects.
Impressive Outcomes
- 1,00,000 students screened and 43 vision correction surgeries performed in the current Lion year.
- Over 10,000 pairs of spectacles distributed till date, at no cost.
The program’s success stems from its innovative partnership structure. The collaboration includes training of taluk education officers and teachers to support the initiative, creating sustainability through knowledge transfer.
Corporate partners Carl Zeiss and Essilor have provided critical support through their CSR initiatives, contributing more than ₹25 lakhs in cash and kind. Their investment in spectacles, logistics support, and vision care specialists has transformed this from a limited local initiative into a game-changing regional program where each child is screened at a remarkably efficient cost of just ₹75. The foundation’s compliance with 80G, 12A, and CSR regulations under Indian law has facilitated seamless corporate engagement, creating a model for sustainable service delivery.
Nowhere is the impact of successful CSR partnerships more evident than in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, where LILLY Lions Special School & Vocational Training Centre is creating new possibilities for children with diverse abilities. Established in 2018 by the Lions Educational Charitable Trust of District 318B, under the leadership of the then Governor G. Venukumar, this initiative has grown from modest beginnings into a government-recognized centre of excellence serving over 140 students with autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other intellectual disabilities.
A team of 25 dedicated professionals—including special educators, therapists, vocational trainers, and support staff—provides individualized care tailored to each child’s specific requirements. And these services are all free of cost with the financial support of corporates, philanthropists, Trustees, Lions Clubs and 500 individual contributors.
“With a total capital investment of ₹5 crore and annual operating expenses of ₹72 lakhs, maintaining the school’s high standards would be impossible without corporate partnerships. CSR contributions have been instrumental in both infrastructure development and ongoing operations,” noted PID R. Murugan.
Sustained Partnerships
- Fouress Safety Products, Middle East: ₹40 lakhs (Since 2018)
- Khatt Water, RAK, UAE: ₹75 lakhs and 60 cents of land for the school campus (2019 onwards)
- GIBB Engineering Enterprises, Jharkhand: Rs. 12 lakhs (2020 onwards)
- Confident Group: ₹12 lakhs (2023 onwards)
- Bhima Jewels, Kochi: ₹1 crore (2024)
- Somany Tiles, New Delhi: ₹5 lakhs
- PRS Group, Thiruvananthapuram: ₹1 lakh
- V-Guard, Kochi: ₹58,000 (2024)
- State Bank of India: ₹2.31 lakhs (2025)
These partnerships extend beyond financial support to include capacity building and community engagement. An LCIF Matching Grant of ₹56.49 lakhs in 2024 further demonstrates the power of multilateral collaboration.
When CSR goals meet Lions’ passion, the impact is amplified. Ghaziabad Lions Club, District 321C1 has seen this happen, again and again at its permanent project: the Lions Eye Hospital.
“Lions Clubs typically fund projects through member contributions or LCIF grants, but strategic CSR partnerships represent a third critical resource,” explains LCIF CSR Head North PDG Sanjeeva Agarwal. “Corporate partners who see our demonstrated impact become ongoing supporters, allowing us to expand our services continually.”
Like Salasar Techno Engineering Limited, a particularly committed partner since 2019 when they first contributed ₹11 lakhs for a Retina Centre. This was followed by ₹27 lakhs in 2021 for a 50kW solar power plant that ensures sustainable energy for the hospital.
More recently, Salasar has focused on preventive healthcare, providing ₹3 lakhs in November 2023 and ₹6 lakhs in December 2024 for cervical cancer vaccines for girls aged 9-14 years. GeoSys India Infrastructures Limited joined this initiative with a ₹4 lakh contribution in March 2024.
Lal Metal Forge Pvt. Ltd. supported physical expansion with a ₹15 lakh donation in March 2024 for extending the Eye Hospital at Village Galand, Ghaziabad. Meanwhile, Amazon/Give Foundation has made multiple contributions for specialized equipment since January 2023, totaling ₹15 lakhs.
“What distinguishes successful CSR partnerships is continuity,” notes LCIF Area Leader Vinay Mittal. “When corporate partners see tangible impact and professional stewardship of their investments, they become long-term allies in service rather than one-time donors.”
The continuing support from current District Governor Ashok Mittal and Vice District Governors Vinay Sisodia and Aditya Gupta has also been instrumental in strengthening these corporate relationships.
In North Bengal, where preventable blindness due to lack of early intervention has long been a challenge, the Siliguri Greater Lions Club of District 322F envisioned a solution that would transform regional eye care. This led to the establishment of the Siliguri Greater Lions Eye Hospital (SGLEH) in 1981 and governed by the Greater Lions Seva Nidhi Trust. Over the decades, SGLEH has evolved into a tertiary-level eye care facility serving Eastern India.
Partners see Lions as trusted stewards of their CSR investments, while projects such as SGLEH benefit from resources that extend its impact exponentially.
Today, the hospital operates 60 primary eye care centers and offers sub-specialty services in vitreo-retina, low vision, child eye care, squint, glaucoma, contact lenses, and cornea, alongside core cataract services. Approximately 60% of patients receive treatment at no cost, with revenue from paying patients helping cross-subsidize free care.
This commitment to community eye health has earned SGLEH national and international recognition, including the 2024 FICCI Healthcare Excellence Award for Community Engagement (NGO) and the ‘Sant Hirdaram Netra Sewa Samman’ for innovative practices reaching underserved populations.
Corporate partners have been instrumental in the hospital’s growth. Tea Board India donated a B-Scan to enhance care for cataract patients. Life Insurance Corporation of India provided a surgical microscope that expanded surgical capacity and funded the installation of solar panels for the hospital. SBI Life Insurance contributed a fully equipped Mobile Eye Care unit to reach remote areas, while Atharva Apparels, Kolkata donated a Patient Mobile Care Unit. Cognizant Foundation supported a School Screening Program and provided eye care equipment.
The Trust’s 12A, 80G, and CSR compliance streamlines engagement with corporate donors seeking credible implementation allies.
There’s something heartwarming about CSR initiatives driven by members of the organization itself. After all, who better understands the impact of service than those who regularly deliver it? When a member directs corporate resources, they bring insider understanding to both sides of the partnership. We’ve seen this happen across the country, in project after project. And more recently in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh.
Under Governor Yogendra Runwal’s leadership, District 3233-G1 prioritized improving living standards for the economically disadvantaged. Lion Pramod Vyas saw an opportunity where others might have missed it. As both an active member of Ratlam Lions Club and the owner of Malwa Oxygen and Industrial Gases, Vyas directed ₹5.50 lakhs from his company’s CSR budget to acquire 118 sewing machines—tools that would transform recipients from job-seekers to job-creators in their communities.
The distribution strategy maximized community impact: 90 machines went directly to beneficiaries ready to start home businesses, while 28 machines equipped 14 training centres that have already taught sewing skills to 75 young women. In total, about 200 families have gained new income sources through this single initiative.
What makes this project stand out is the connection between corporate funding and community needs—both understood firsthand by a Lion who bridges these worlds.
For rural communities around Nanded, access to eye care once meant difficult travel and significant expense. Today, a fully-equipped Mobile Eye Care Clinic brings professional diagnosis and treatment directly to those who need it most, thanks to a partnership between Lions and Life Insurance Corporation of India.
Nandigram Lions Trust, a joint initiative of Lions Clubs of Nanded and Nanded Midtown, District 3234-H2, has operated eye and dental hospitals in Nanded since 2011. In February 2024, the trust received a Mobile Eye Care Clinic valued at ₹38 lakhs from LIC of India under their CSR program, facilitated by Lion Dnyaneshwar Thete.
“This partnership addresses one of the fundamental barriers to healthcare—geographical access,” says PID Dr. Nawal Malu, who inaugurated the mobile facility along with Western Zone Manager – LIC, Kamal Kumar and Municipal Commissioner Maheshkumar Doiphode.
Equipped with a slit lamp, autorefractor, vision chart, chair unit, retina scope, air conditioning, generator, and essential furniture, the clinic brings hospital-quality diagnostics directly to underserved areas.
The impact has been immediate and substantial. Since its launch, the Mobile Clinic has conducted 38 outreach camps, examined 15,680 patients, and facilitated 1,859 free cataract operations performed at the Eye Hospital.
The Future of Service: Strategic Synergy
These partnerships across India showcase what happens when Lions’ grassroots knowledge meets corporate capabilities. Each collaboration creates ripples of impact far beyond what either partner could achieve alone.
These strategic alliances represent not just a funding mechanism but a force multiplier for community impact. They demonstrate how Lions’ trusted community presence, when combined with corporate capabilities, creates an alchemy of service that turns limited resources into limitless possibilities.
The true measure of these partnerships extends beyond buildings constructed or equipment purchased—it lives in the changed futures of those served. These are the dividends of strategic service—investments that will continue paying returns in human potential for generations to come.
