Keratoconus & irregular corneas
Non-surgical and surgical co-management; reports managing or co-managing 5,000+ keratoconus cases B. Named surgical options in his own writing: CXL, CAIRS, CTAC, IPCL, penetrating keratoplasty.
Deep public-record dossier · compiled 25 September 2026 · open-source compilation & verification review
Chandrashekhar Chawan
PhD · FSLS · FAAO
Founder and clinical director of Shekhar Eye Research — a specialty practice for keratoconus, high-order-aberration scleral lenses, orthokeratology and hand-painted ocular prosthetics — and an ocularist whose painted lenses have reached both patients and the film industry.
Optometrist & Ocularist · Thane / Mumbai, India · Orlando & California, USA
36–40years in practice
0keratoconus cases
0trademark filings
0issued patents named
0authored titles
0film productions
A confirmed by an independent record — registry, institution, journal or news outlet with no stake in the claim
B stated consistently by two or more sources, at least one third-party
C self-reported only — his own site, profile or a paid placement
Identity file
Names, aliases, family, locations
Name variants
Chandrashekhar Chawan · Chaandrashekhar Chawan · Chandrashekhar Vasant Chawan B · “Prof. Chandrashekhar Chawan” on one book · commonly “Chandra” A. Spellings Chavan and Chavhan occur in institutional, social and event material.
Profession & post-nominals
Optometrist & Ocularist; also inventor, author, entrepreneur A. Post-nominals: PhD, FSLS, FAAO (also written OD, MS, PhD in some listings).
Bases
Primary: Thane West, Maharashtra, India (clinic) · Mulund, Mumbai (registered address) A.
Secondary: Orlando, Florida (business entities) · California (clinical) A.
Languages
Marathi (native) · Hindi · English · Gujarati C
Family
Wife: Smita Chawan — film producer B. Daughter: Shreeya Chawan — film director; assistant-director credits include the Netflix anthology Ghost Stories (2019); diploma in film direction, Whistling Woods International A. Siblings: brothers Rajan, Sanjay and the late Anil; late sister Ratnaprabha C.
Mentors
Dr. Quresh B. Maskati and the late Dr. B. T. Maskati (India); Ken Pullum (UK), Dr. Donald Ezekiel (Australia), Dr. Perry Rosenthal (USA) for scleral-lens practice B.
Single-source details: the middle name “Vasant” appears only on a US provider-directory entry; the “Prof.” styling appears once, on a self-published cosmology title. Both are provisional. Spelling variants (Chawan / Chavan / Chavhan; Shekhar / Shekar) are merged only where organisation, specialty, geography and account links converge — no formal identity document ties every spelling together.
Namesakes excluded from this record: Dr. Chandrashekhar P. Chavan (Bengaluru computing / AI / IoT); Chandrashekhar J. Chavan / Chandrashekhar Jaysing Chavan (CSIR-NIScPR, public-health & biotechnology research — including a Google Scholar profile that must not be merged); other corporate HR, technology and research professionals named Chandrashekhar Chavan/Chavhan. A generic surname match is insufficient.
Credentials & schooling
Degrees, fellowships, licences — and where the record disagrees
Two biographical traditions coexist: an Indian account (PhD in Physics from the University of Mumbai; nine years as Chief Optometrist at Bombay Hospital; a second doctorate in optometric sciences completed in the USA in 2001) and a US-facing account (PhD in optics/optical sciences at the University of Mumbai, dated 1991–2007 on LinkedIn, with a separate Master’s in optics).
- BPhD, Physics — University of Mumbai / “University of Bombay”
- CPhD, Optometric Sciences — completed in the USA, cited for 2001
- BPhD, Optics / Optical Sciences — University of Mumbai, dated 1991–2007
- CM.Sc., Optics / Optical Sciences — University of Mumbai, 1994–1996
- CB.Sc., Physics — Bhavan’s College, 1991–1994
- BDiploma in Optometry — Municipal Eye Hospital, Mumbai, 1992–1996
- AOcularist training — Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, 1996 (one biography spells it “Moorefields”)
- ASculpture & modelling — Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai (described as a “hobby course”)
- AFAAO — Fellow, American Academy of Optometry; listed as diplomate; included in the AAO-hosted 2022 Fellows & Diplomates announcement (strongest credential corroboration)
- BFSLS — Fellow, Scleral Lens Education Society (repeated but not verified in the accessible society directory)
- AFBFS — Boston Foundation for Sight fellowship
- AFirst Johnson & Johnson “Gift of Sight” International Fellow at the Boston Foundation for Sight, 2003
- CNCLE-AC (National Contact Lens Examiners), 2020
- CABO-A (American Board of Opticianry), 2017
- CRegistered Contact Lens Dispenser, California State Board of Optometry, 2023–2025 (CLD8995 — not confirmed via an accessible DCA License Search result)
- BMemberships: American Society of Ocularists (since 2000); Scleral Lens Education Society; AAO; Maharashtra Ophthalmological Society; Oculoplasty Association of India; Maharashtra Optometry Association
- ANPI public record: CHANDRASHEKHAR VASANT CHAWAN, NPI 1568056596, active, sole proprietor, “PHD FSLS”, primary taxonomy Ocularist (156FX1700X), enumerated 20 Feb 2021 — database corroboration of the record, not proof of every credential printed in it
| Claim | Evidence located | Classification & assessment |
|---|---|---|
| PhD in optics/physics | SER biography, Maharashtra Optometry Association bio, LinkedIn, NPI record | First-party / association / database display; unresolved. Descriptions vary between University of Mumbai physics/optics and a U.S. PhD in Optometric Sciences. No degree certificate located. |
| PhD in Optometric Sciences | LinkedIn and related profiles | Self-reported; unresolved — a second doctorate or an inconsistent description of one doctorate. |
| FAAO | AAO 2022 Fellows announcement + AAO directory + first-party pages | Strongest credential corroboration; directory does not display a complete certificate or fellowship file. |
| FSLS | First-party pages, LinkedIn, NPI display, social bios | Repeated but not independently verified; reviewed society directory loaded no target listing (qualified negative, not disproof). |
| Diploma in Optometry | Maharashtra Optometry Association, LinkedIn | Association / profile claim; document not located. |
| Moorfields ocular-prosthesis training | MOA bio, LinkedIn; BostonSight biography | Repeated claim; manufacturer bio supports it; independent training record not located. |
| NCLE-AC and ABO-A | LinkedIn and first-party profiles | Self-reported; not independently verified. |
| California CLD8995 | Unresolved. CLD is a regulated category; DCA License Search is the verification route; no stable matching result. | |
| Physician / ophthalmologist licence | Promotional / social wording | Not verified. Strongest evidence supports optometry / ocularistry; “doctor”, “ophthalmologist”, “celebrity doctor” treated as self-presentation or marketing. |
| Active NPI & ocularist taxonomy | NPPES-derived public registry | Public database record corroborated; supports existence of the displayed NPI record only. |
Discrepancy watch
| Claim | Version A | Version B |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate | “PhD in Physics, University of Bombay” (Moorfields / BostonSight bio, SiliconIndia) | “PhD (Optics)” at Mumbai, 1991–2007, plus M.Sc. Optics (LinkedIn) |
| Second doctorate | “PhD in Optometric Sciences, 2001, USA” (Maharashtra Optometry Association bio) | Not mentioned anywhere else |
| Years in practice | “36+ years” (own website); “over four decades” (NSHM 2026); “33 yrs 7 months” (LinkedIn tally) | Entered the field aged 23, which points to the mid-1980s |
| Founding of Shekhar Eye Research | 1988 (CEO India) · “since 1986” (earlier own-site copy) | Jan 1993 (LinkedIn role start) · 1999–2007 (MOA: hospital established 2007) |
Career chronology
A merged timeline of dated public records and self-reported phases
mid-1980s
Enters eye care as an optometrist, aged about 23
India B
~1 year
Professor of Physics
Bhavan’s College, Chowpatty, Mumbai A
9 years
Chief Optometrist & Contact Lens Specialist
Bombay Hospital, Mumbai A
1993 → present
Director, Shekhar Eye Research
Mumbai / Thane, India A
1996
Trains in ocular prosthesis
Moorfields Eye Hospital, London A
1999
Develops the world’s first soft hydrogel ocular prosthesis
The work that brought him into the American Society of Ocularists and led to a US post B. Same year: LinkedIn claims the book Artificial Eyes, Smitshree Publications C — independent publisher record not located.
1999–2002
Associate Ocularist, Ocular Prosthetics Lab Inc.
USA C
2001
Returns to India
Citing an appeal to NRIs by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and requests from Dr. Badrinath and Dr. Gangadhara Sundar (Sankara Nethralaya) and Dr. Santosh Honavar (LVPEI) A
2003
First Johnson & Johnson “Gift of Sight” International Fellow
Boston Foundation for Sight, USA A. Same year: secondary company-data pages report incorporation of SHEKHAR EYE RESEARCH PRIVATE LIMITED on 11 April 2003 (CIN U24230MH2003PTC140033, ROC Mumbai) — direct MCA confirmation not obtained.
2004
Introduces scleral-lens technology to India
Cited as a first B
2004–2009
Director, BostonSight / Boston Foundation for Sight
Scleral-lens design and outreach to India, Singapore, Malaysia, Kuwait, UK, USA C
2005
Co-authors “Oxygen Permeable Scleral Contact Lens”
Journal of the Bombay Ophthalmologists’ Association, Vol. 14 No. 1, Apr 2005, pp. 22–23, with Dr. Quresh Maskati A
2009
Invents a technique for painting / tinting RGP scleral lenses
India; credited in a third-party BostonSight biography A
28 Oct 2010
Nine Indian trademark filings, mostly on a single day
Proprietor “CHANDRASHEKHAR CHAWAN”; mark “SS Shekhar Eye Research” reported used since 2007 A
2011
Launches the La SER gold-and-diamond “eye jewellery” lens line
Mumbai; international press wave (TODAY.com, Hindustan Times, The Times, Wired) A
2012 / 2015
Patent claims on LinkedIn
Eye Jewelry Contact Lens IN 11778 (2 Feb 2012); Coal Catalyst IN 343205 (23 Mar 2015). An X post claims Pepsi special-effects lens work in 2015 C — exact-name Google Patents search returned no results (qualified negative).
Feb 2015 → present
President, ARC Energy USA LLC
Coal-combustion catalyst and clean-energy line, Orlando, FL B. Florida Division of Corporations filing names Chandrashekhar V Chawan as submitting person, authorized member and registered agent A.
May 2018 → present
Director, La SER Eye Jewelry USA LLC
Orlando, FL C
Aug 2019 – May 2022
Orthokeratology, myopia-control & scleral-lens consultant
Oviedo Vision Center, Oviedo, FL C
Jun 2020 → present
Consultant, Shekhar Eye Research Centre
Thane, India C
10 Oct 2020
Speaker, “Update on Scleral Lenses” webinar
Brainware University official event PDF and Facebook post identify him as Director, Oviedo Vision Centre; the official archive instead lists 21 November 2020 — contradictory official records B
20 Feb 2021
NPI 1568056596 enumerated
Public registry data as reproduced by the NPI database A. Same year: D. Y. Patil public page records a motivational lecture using the “Chavhan” spelling.
2022
AAO Fellows announcement includes Chandrashekhar Chawan
Institutional announcement; strongest corroboration of FAAO A. Same year: claimed Pan-American Academy of Ocularists conference C; 20 Apr 2022 YouTube livestream on myopia management and orthokeratology C.
Jul 2023 → present
President, Shekhar Eye LLC
California, USA C
2023 → present
Consultant, Khanna Vision Institute
Beverly Hills / Westlake Village, California C
2023
BostonSight publishes a manufacturer case study
“Using 16 mm BostonSight Scleral Lenses to Improve Vision in a Highly Irregular Cornea”, listing Dr. Chandra Chawan, PhD, Oviedo Vision Center A
Jan 2024
IFSLR 2024 hand-painted scleral-lens presentation
Contact Lens Spectrum independently reports “Chawan, PhD”; subject-owned video labels a GSLS/IFSLR 2024 Las Vegas talk, incl. “Aniridia Management with Painted or tinted Prosthetic Scleral Lenses” A
2024
Claimed conference circuit
Mexico Optometry Conference (Tijuana, Mar 2024); Indore Divisional Ophthalmological Conference (21 Jun 2024); Eye Advance (3 Jul 2024); MOSCON 24 (Oct 2024) — subject-owned records C
Aug–Nov 2024
SiliconIndia cover feature & National Myopia Week camp
SiliconIndia “Top 10 Prominent Ophthalmologists 2024” (Aug 2024, promotional); myopia-control programme and free screening camp with Surya Eye Centre (Bandra & Mulund), 14–20 Nov 2024, reported by Media Eye News A
2025
Bombay Ophthalmologist Conference & MOSCON 25 Goa
2 Aug 2025 red-light therapy for myopia control talk; 4 Oct 2025 MOSCON 25 Goa with a claimed 24-month, 90%-outcome MyoKiddo defocus-glasses study — no study report, DOI, protocol or sample-size record located C
Jul 2025 – Feb 2026
Book releases via retailer catalogs
Keratoconus (29 Jul 2025 Kindle), The 5th Dimension (14 Aug 2025), The Eye Reflections (25 Aug 2025), Shaping Young Eyes (17 Sep 2025), Visions of Life (4 Feb 2026) B
Feb 2026
Masterclass Knowledge Fest & ACCEPTUS 2026
Pune, 15–17 Feb 2026 (myopia progression, scleral lenses); Guest of Honour, freshers’ orientation, Dept. of Optometry & Vision Science, NSHM Knowledge Campus — corroborated by institutional social accounts A
12–15 Mar 2026
Claimed AIOS 2026 role
Self-reported; organizer confirmation not located C
24–26 Apr 2026
DOS 2026, Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
Event independently corroborated by eMedEvents; claimed faculty/judge role remains self-reported B
21–23 Aug 2026
BOA FOCUS 2026 — 36th annual BOA conference
The Westin Powai Lake, Mumbai; official speaker directory lists Dr. Chandrashekhar Chawan; scientific program lists “Special effect contact lens in special situation” A
28 Aug – 1 Sep 2026
Indo–Mauritius Entrepreneur Summit & Awards 2026
Pearl Beach Spa & Resort, Mauritius, organised with the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce A
Corporate & institutional footprint
Entities, addresses and roles
| Entity | Role held | Address / scope |
|---|---|---|
| Shekhar Eye Research (SER) | Founder & Clinical Director; Director since Jan 1993 | Hubtown Rhythm, 903/04, Panch Pakhdi, Thane West 400602 · also Unit 305, Uptown Rhythm, Madanlal Dhingra Rd, Panchpakhadi, Thane · also Anmol Mansion, Dr Lazarus Rd, Thane |
| Shekhar Eye Research Pvt Ltd | Founder | Cornea & oculoplasty hospital; per MOA bio, established 2007 |
| Shekhar Eye Research Centre | Consultant (Jun 2020 –) | Thane, Maharashtra |
| Shekhar Eye LLC | President (Jul 2023 –) | California, USA |
| Khanna Vision Institute | Consultant (2023 –) | Beverly Hills / Westlake Village, California |
| ARC Energy USA LLC | President (Feb 2015 –) | 10 South Bumby Ave, Orlando FL 32803 · also 4132 Lake Underhill Rd #107, Orlando FL 32803 |
| La SER Eye Jewelry USA LLC | Director (May 2018 –) | 415 Briercliff Dr, Orlando FL 32806 |
| MyoKiddo | Research & product development | myokiddo.com · operated from the Shekhar Eye Research address |
| Iris Eye Care | Cataract-surgery service line under SER | Thane, Maharashtra |
| Shekhar Foundation | Founder-linked charitable platform | shekharfoundation.org |
| Rotary International District 3140 | District Chairman for Eye Care | Mumbai |
Registered correspondence address used on Indian trademark filings and on the 2005 journal paper: 108 Falcon Court / 601-13 Millennium Park, Hari Om Nagar, Mulund (East), Mumbai 400081.
Historical Indian company — do not merge without MCA confirmation: SHEKHAR EYE RESEARCH PRIVATE LIMITED, CIN U24230MH2003PTC140033, reportedly incorporated 11 April 2003, shown active, ROC Mumbai; secondary pages classify it under manufacture of chemicals and chemical products. The current clinic, the historical private company and an IndiaMART proprietorship listing may be one business over time or different entities — this record deliberately does not merge them.
Florida business filing: a Florida Division of Corporations filing for ARC Energy USA LLC names Chandrashekhar V Chawan as submitting person, authorized member and registered agent — an official business-record link, but not an eye-care licence and not a definitive ownership map across ARC Energy, Shekhar Eye USA, SER, MyoKiddo and La SER Eye Jewelry.
Trademark record caveat: a secondary trademark database reports a 2010 “Ss Shekhar Eye Research” word mark, proprietor Chandrashekhar Chawan, used since 2007, Class 44 — with an internal inconsistency also referring to Class 3. Current renewal/status not confirmed.
Clinical practice & specialisms
What the practice actually does
Scleral lenses
Impression-based and free-form scleral fitting; high-order-aberration (HOA) correction using wavefront workflows (Ovitz X-Wave, Oculus AXL Wave); 16 mm BostonSight SCLERAL; Hydra-PEG surface coating for comfort in severe dry eye.
Ocular prosthetics
Custom artificial eyes for anophthalmia and microphthalmia; rehabilitation after enucleation and evisceration; 3D-scanned and 3D-printed prostheses; painted shells for retinoblastoma, Peters anomaly and post-trauma eyes; impression, PMMA/acrylic fabrication, iris painting and fitting.
Ocular surface disease
Severe dry eye and Stevens–Johnson syndrome rehabilitation with large-diameter scleral devices; the frequently cited case is a 12-year-old Singapore patient with SJS.
Paediatric myopia (MyoKiddo)
Risk stratification, axial-length monitoring (Oculus Myopia Master), defocus spectacles, orthokeratology, multifocal soft lenses, atropine co-management and red-light therapy (MyoKiddo RLT); myopia-risk calculator; lifestyle interventions.
Cosmetic & cinematic lenses
Hand-painted and tinted scleral and soft lenses; tinted and photochromatic lenses for glare; clear-iris opaque-white soft lenses for scleral nevus and discolouration; gold / diamond “eye jewellery”.
Advertised service list (official pages): keratoconus care · higher-order-aberration and custom/impression scleral lenses · orthokeratology and myopia-control programmes · red-light therapy · custom artificial eyes and ocular prosthetics · painted/cosmetic scleral lenses · film and special-effects lenses. These pages are strong evidence of what the business advertises; they do not independently establish clinical efficacy, safety, superiority, regulatory approval or patent status.
Technical & evidential caveats: Contact Lens Spectrum notes painted lenses may reduce oxygen permeability and that recent peer-reviewed lens-Dk reports were lacking. The claimed “up to 84%” myopia halt from reverse-geometry ortho-K is his own characterisation in a press interview, not a peer-reviewed result. The homepage asserts a D-U-N registration but gives no D-U-N number or registry link; the privacy page reportedly still says “Privacy Policy coming soon”.
Documented patient outcomes
Cases appearing in independent or semi-independent records
45-year-old woman, keratoconus since age 20
Emigrated from Venezuela; corneal neovascularisation from hybrid lenses. Fitted at Oviedo Vision Center with newly launched 16 mm BostonSight SCLERAL lenses; acuity improved to 20/25 and 20/20 despite a central corneal scar and vessels. She returned to her English class, took a new job and sat her US citizenship interview.
12-year-old girl, Singapore, Stevens–Johnson syndrome
Obtained “instant eye pain relief” from his large-diameter scleral lenses.
33-year-old keratoconus patient, Bangalore
Reported seeing his wife’s and daughter’s faces clearly for the first time, using HOA-corrected custom scleral lenses.
21-eye oxygen-permeable scleral lens series
With Dr. Quresh Maskati: 14 keratoconus, 4 post-keratoplasty, 1 paediatric aphakia, and 1 paediatric penetrating injury with the iris painted onto the lens. Lens material FSA97 (fluorosilicone-acrylate).
Not treated as established evidence: the MyoKiddo “24-month / 90% success” claim — no independently reviewable study report, DOI, protocol, sample size or organizer abstract was located. The same caution applies to broad safety, efficacy, “world-class outcome” and case-count statements.
Inventions & patents
Ophthalmic, environmental and claimed beyond
| Invention | Field | Status / evidence | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soft hydrogel ocular prosthesis | Ocularistry | Described as the world’s first; credited with bringing him into the American Society of Ocularists (1999) | B |
| Painting / tinting technique for RGP scleral lenses | Ocularistry | Credited to him in a third-party BostonSight biography (2009) | A |
| Impression-based scleral lens fitting in India | Contact lenses | Described as a pioneer of the technique in India | B |
| HOA-guided (wavefront-corrected) scleral optics | Optics | Ovitz X-Wave / Oculus AXL Wave workflows | B |
| Tinted & photochromatic scleral contact lenses | Contact lenses | For glare and light sensitivity | B |
| Light-sensitive, dilating-pupil artificial eye | Ocularistry | Pupil appears to dilate; claimed first | B |
| Chawan–Maskati keratoprosthesis | Surgery | Synthetic / plastic cornea for failed corneal grafts; listed among his patents | B |
| Presbyopic orthokeratology | Contact lenses | Ortho-K adapted for presbyopes (“life beyond forty”) | C |
| MyoKiddo DF defocus spectacles; MyoKiddo 360° bifocals; MyoKiddo mobile specs; MyoKiddo RLT red-light unit; HyperKiddo lenses | Myopia / hyperopia | Products and, per SiliconIndia, patents | B |
| Gold & diamond “Eye Jewelry” scleral lens | Cosmetic | Indian patent IN 11778 (issued per dossier; primary patent document not located in the audit report) | A |
| Coal-combustion catalyst (“energy enhancer composition … clean coal technology”) | Energy | Indian patent IN 343205 (issued per dossier); commercialised via ARC Energy USA | A |
| OxyRx NOx reduction; CO2-to-ethanol conversion; carbon capture; plasma waste management; solar street-light pole; “water panels” / water tree | Energy & environment | Listed as ARC Energy services and as his inventions | C |
| Noiseless, non-combustible electromagnetic weapon systems | Defence | Appears only in self-published and promotional listings; no independent record found | C |
Patent audit: the official specialties page claims “the world’s first patented Diamond Studded Scleral Contact Lenses”; WION and Optician Online (2011) reported the product but supplied no patent identifier. An exact-name Google Patents search returned “No results found”, and the LinkedIn identifiers (IN 11778, IN 343205) were not matched to an accessible official record tying them to this subject. This is a qualified negative finding, not proof that no patent exists — records may use another applicant name, transliteration, number type or database path. Patent claims are therefore treated as unresolved, not disproven.
Intellectual property register
The nine trademark assets on record in his name A
Public Indian trademark records list nine assets filed by “CHANDRASHEKHAR CHAWAN” as proprietor, mostly on a single day, 28 October 2010 — an independent witness to how he was positioning the practice at that time.
| Mark | Application | Class | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHANDRA BOSTON | 2045680 | 9 — lenses, contact lenses, eye-testing software | Formalities check passed |
| CHANDRABOSTON | 2045681 | 10 — artificial eyes, intra-ocular lenses, prostheses | Registered |
| SHEKHAR EYE RESEARCH | 2045682 | 9 — lenses, contact lenses | Objected |
| SHEKHAR EYE RESEARCH | 2045683 | 10 — artificial eyes, prostheses | Registered |
| SHEKHAR EYE RESEARCH | 2045684 | 41 — courses, training and teaching in ophthalmology | Registered |
| SS SHEKHAR EYE RESEARCH | 2045685 | 44 — eye clinic, eye care, fitting of contact lenses and prosthetic devices | Registered |
| La SER | 2175000 (2011) | 14 — jewellery, diamonds, “jewellery articles for eye” | Abandoned |
| flexilens | 2508195 (2013) | 9 — manufacture of ophthalmic and contact lenses | Objected |
| ARC | 2828927 (2014) | 32 — water, energy drinks, beverages | Objected |
Notable: the Class 41 filing independently corroborates that training and teaching in ophthalmology was, from 2010, a formally protected part of the business — consistent with the certification courses and fellowship programmes he runs today.
Publications
Books, a journal paper and a manufacturer case study
Keratoconus: Understanding, Managing, and Thriving
Co-author Dr. Quresh B. Maskati; foreword by Dr. Rajesh Khanna; 38 chapters; built on 36 years and 5,000+ cases.
ISBN 979-8286145508 · Kindle B0FKK899DKConflicting catalog record: ASIN B0FLVBSDZF / ISBN 979-8297135710; Kindle record 29 Jul 2025.
The Eye Reflections — The Art and Science of Artificial Eyes & Prosthetic Contact Lenses
With the American ocularist Rick Bowen Jr.; anatomy, enucleation/evisceration/exenteration, impression technique, painting, paediatric rehabilitation, CAD and 3D printing, bionic lenses. 219 pages, 25 Aug 2025.
Kindle B0FPDJWQQ9 / B0FNR82V9D · ISBN 979-8296019851Shaping Young Eyes: Journey into Myopia Control
39 chapters; aimed at parents, children and practitioners. Retailer listing 17 Sep 2025. Official pages contain a copy error resembling “Shaping Youg Eyes”.
ISBN 979-8299189759 · Kindle B0FRGG9PNVVisions of Life: Evolution, Perception, and the Future of Seeing
By-lined “Prof. Chandrashekhar Chawan”. Retailer catalog record 4 Feb 2026.
ISBN 979-8272365200The 5th Dimension — Where ancient wisdom meets the frontier of science
Vedic scripture read against modern science. Retailer listing 14 Aug 2025; official page misspells it “5th Dimention”.
—Threads of Light (cosmic novel)
Science fiction / philosophical fiction; attributed by Goodreads, Books-A-Million and the official Shekhar Eye USA page.
ISBN 979-8272766670Artificial Eyes (1999)
Listed on his LinkedIn as a publication; publisher given as Smitshree Publications. Independent publisher/library record not located.
—Journal paper — Maskati & Chawan (2005)
“Oxygen Permeable Scleral Contact Lens”, Journal of the Bombay Ophthalmologists’ Association, Vol. 14, No. 1, April 2005, pp. 22–23. Reviews glass → PMMA → high-Dk materials; cites Donald Ezekiel’s 1983 BCLA presentation; credits Ken Pullum and Perry Rosenthal; reports the 21-eye series.
Correspondence: 601/13 Millennium Park, Mulund (E), Mumbai 400081Manufacturer case study — BostonSight (2023)
“Using 16 mm BostonSight Scleral Lenses to Improve Vision in a Highly Irregular Cornea”, listing Dr. Chandra Chawan, PhD, Oviedo Vision Center — the most compact third-party biography of him.
bostonsightscleral.orgBook-count conflict: the official biography says four books; Goodreads lists 13 distinct work records and retailer/related pages add titles such as Visions of Life and Threads of Light. Duplicate editions, contributor roles and catalog records likely explain part of the discrepancy; the exact number of original works remains unresolved.
Scholarly-record audit: no clean indexed scholarly author profile was located. Semantic Scholar exact-name author search returned zero; OpenAlex returned no target profile and unrelated full-text hits; Crossref produced unrelated surname matches. A Google Scholar profile found in prior research belongs to the CSIR-NIScPR namesake and must not be merged. First-party statements of prolific scientific-literature contribution remain unverified without titles, journals or DOIs.
Film, television & special-effect lenses
Craft work outside the clinic
| Production | Year | Studio / note |
|---|---|---|
| Krrish 3 | 2013 | Rakesh Roshan — special-effect lenses |
| Ek Thi Daayan | 2013–14 | Balaji Films — special-effect lenses |
| Dar @ Mall | 2014 | Antilope Films — prosthetic effect lenses |
| Haider, Pari, Tumbbad | 2014–18 | Listed in his own and press credits |
| Zero | 2018 | Shah Rukh Khan — listed credit |
| Fighter | 2024 | Hrithik Roshan — listed credit |
| Srikanth | 2024 | Hand-painted blind-effect lenses for Rajkummar Rao |
| Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan | 2025–26 | Specialised blindness lenses supplied for Vikrant Massey |
Shah Rukh KhanHrithik RoshanAnushka SharmaAnupam KherNana PatekarRishabh SawhneyZishan AibRajkummar RaoVikrant MasseyIrrfan Khan (late)
His painted large-diameter soft lenses are also stated to be used across a number of television serials B. The official and social pages additionally claim a Pepsi advertisement (2015) special-effects lens job — the X post is evidence of a public claim, not an independently verified production credit C.
Teaching, faculty & speaking
Where he turns up as an educator
Faculty & guest roles
- BOA Focus 2026 — 36th annual Bombay Ophthalmologists’ Association conference, 21–23 Aug 2026, Westin Powai Lake, Mumbai. Talk: “Special effect lenses for special situations” A
- Masterclass Knowledge Fest 2026 — Pune, 15–17 Feb 2026; myopia progression and scleral lenses A
- ACCEPTUS 2026 — Guest of Honour, freshers’ orientation, Dept. of Optometry & Vision Science, NSHM Knowledge Campus A
- Sinjab Academy — international faculty, Masterclass in Oculoplasty 2026–27 A
- Optovers Conference, USA — invited faculty B
- Scleral-lens workshop, UAE; Indore Ophthalmology Conference; online lecture to a London optometrist group B
- MNR University — official School of Allied and Health Sciences Advisory Board lists Prof. Dr. Chandrasekhar Chawan under Optometry, Director, Shekar Eye Research, Mumbai A
- Brainware University (2020) webinar speaker; D. Y. Patil (2021) motivational lecture (“Chavhan” spelling) — public event pages
Courses & mentorship
- “Advanced Certification in High-Order Aberration & Impression-Based Scleral Lenses” — HOA optics, hands-on impression fitting, keratoconus and ocular-surface applications, patient selection, scanning and troubleshooting, impression-kit demonstration B
- Trained ocularists and ophthalmologists; set up ocular-prosthesis departments at the institutions below A
- Mentors optometrists toward AAO fellowships C
- Workshops on paediatric refraction, axial-length measurement, ortho-K fitting and scleral troubleshooting C
Prosthetics units established or supported A
L. V. Prasad Eye Institute (Hyderabad)Sankara Nethralaya (Chennai)Narayana Nethralaya (Bangalore)Vittala Eye Hospital (Bangalore)Sri Sankaradeva Nethralaya (Guwahati)Venu Eye Institute (Delhi)MGM Hospital (Raipur)Aravind Eye Institute (Madurai)Vasan Eye Hospital (Coimbatore)National University Hospital (Singapore)Price/Sangkhla University Hospital (Thailand)
Recognition
Awards, listings and honours found in the record
| Award / listing | Basis | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Fellow, American Academy of Optometry — diplomate listing | AAO’s own public directory, with company name and Thane address, and “seeing patients: yes”; plus 2022 Fellows announcement | A |
| World Who’s Who directory (US) — listed since 2015 | His own profile; repeated in press features | B |
| AAO Award for a non-ophthalmologist, Maharashtra Ophthalmological Society (2021) | Named in the CEO India cover story | B |
| Ahmednagar Academy Award, MOSCON 2021 — “Mr. Chandrashekhar Chavan, Renu Wadhwa” | Official Maharashtra Ophthalmological Society awards page; identity match to the SER professional not proven | B |
| Multiple Paul Harris Fellow recognitions, Rotary International | CEO India cover story | B |
| Member, American Society of Ocularists | Own listings; the 1999 hydrogel work is the stated basis | B |
| “Top 10 Prominent Ophthalmologists 2024” cover feature, SiliconIndia | A vendor / cover-feature slot — promotional in nature | C |
| Cover story, CEO India Magazine | Publicity for the practice and foundation | C |
| “Visionary Blogger”, August 2026 | Social-media award associated with the practice | C |
“Numerous national and international awards” is asserted repeatedly without names. Of the above, only the AAO diplomate listing is a formal, independently maintained professional register.
Philanthropy & institution-building
The Shekhar Foundation and the free-care claims
“No qualified patient is ever denied care due to financial constraints.”— repeated across his own book blurbs and site copy
Stated funding mechanism
Every pair of La SER gold-and-diamond lenses sold funds free treatment for one Stevens–Johnson syndrome patient, priced in 2011 at about Rs 3.6 lakh per treatment B.
Indo–Mauritius Entrepreneur Summit & Awards 2026
28 August to 1 September 2026, Pearl Beach Spa & Resort, Mauritius, organised with the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce; nominations routed to the practice email A.
Shekhar Foundation — project portfolio
- BShekhar Hospital — stated 200-bed multispecialty hospital at Pachal, Rajapur, Maharashtra (Konkan region)
- CShekhar Institute and Shekhar Holistic Center
- CArambh Vyasan Mukti Kendr — de-addiction centre
- CGoshala (cattle shelter)
- BRotary International District 3140 — District Chairman for Eye Care, Mumbai
Caveat: the foundation website is a GoDaddy site-builder page with several placeholder sub-pages and one broken link, which suggests projects are announced ahead of build-out. The hospital and the summit are the two items with the most concrete public descriptions. Whether Shekhar Foundation is a registered Indian charitable trust or society — and under what number — remains an open question.
Media coverage & public reception
What the press said — and what it pushed back on
| Outlet | Date | Angle |
|---|---|---|
| TODAY.com (NBC) | 4 Aug 2011 | “World’s first diamond contact lenses cost a cool $15K” — bylined interview; notes mixed public reaction and expert caution |
| Hindustan Times | 24 Oct 2011 | “Wear diamonds in your eye” — Rs 7 lakh per pair; 500-micron clearance and 3 mm stones; the charity mechanism |
| The Times (UK) | 2011 | “Diamond and gold contact lenses prove the eyes have it” — 18 diamonds on 18-carat gold, 500 mg per lens, $15,000 a pair, seeking UK distributors |
| Wired.co.uk | 2011 | Reported INR 700,000 (£9,736) per pair and four design variants |
| Gizmodo | 2011 | Derisive: called the product “extravagantly dumb” — cited in TODAY.com’s piece |
| BostonSight | 2023 | Clinical case study published by the lens manufacturer |
| SiliconIndia — Healthcare | Aug 2024 | Cover feature, “Top 10 Prominent Ophthalmologists 2024” — genuine third-party coverage, but promotional framing (“visionary”, “celebrity”) is not an independent credential audit |
| Media Eye News | 2024 | Myopia-control launch with Surya Eye Centre; free screening camp, Bandra and Mulund, 14–20 Nov 2024 |
| CEO India Magazine | n.d. | Full-length cover story on his career and the foundation |
| Contact Lens Spectrum | Jan 2024 | IFSLR 2024 research-session report naming “Chawan, PhD” on hand-painted scleral lenses, with an oxygen-permeability caveat |
The one recorded challenge: in the 2011 TODAY.com article, cornea and refractive surgeon Dr. Rajesh Khanna — who also wrote the foreword to Chawan’s keratoconus book — argued that medicated Boston scleral lenses are “generally prescribed for people with severe eye disease who have no other option”, that the lens is “cumbersome, bulky” and must be filled with saline before insertion, and that “the risk benefit ratio is vastly different than a person with healthy eyesight.” Chawan’s published reply: the method is “very safe” and the lenses are a luxury, not a necessity. No regulatory action, professional sanction or subsequent dispute was found in the sources reviewed.
Unverified media claims: LinkedIn claims live interviews on Zee TV, Doordarshan and Thane Varta — no broadcaster archive, programme page, date or independent record was located.
Digital footprint
Where he maintains a presence
| Property | Handle / URL | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Practice website | shekhareyeresearch.com | Primary marketing site; also served on shekhareye.com and shekhareye.in |
| Myopia brand | myokiddo.com | Paediatric myopia programme; app stated as forthcoming |
| Foundation | shekharfoundation.org | Charitable arm; several placeholder pages |
| Energy company | arcenergy.us | Coal catalyst, solar and clean-energy services |
| Eye jewellery | lasereyejewelry.com | Currently a parked domain page |
| @chandrachawan | Primary social channel; ~16.7K followers at review; reels on myopia, scleral lenses, conference faculty roles | |
| YouTube | @chandrachawan | Lectures and procedure clips; ~601 subscribers at review |
| ChandraChawanPhDFSLS / chandra.chawan | ~5.7K followers per social audit; page listed with ~4,800 likes and location shown as Los Angeles, California | |
| chandrashekhar-chawan-4760bb32 | 500+ connections; the most detailed machine-readable employment and education record | |
| Third-party listings | AAO diplomate directory · Doctor.com · ZoomInfo · Stage 32 | Confirm address, sub-specialties and film credits |
Practice mechanics: the site notes it is “D-U-N registered” and offers payment through Razorpay; appointments are by WhatsApp only. Follower counts are time-sensitive metadata — not evidence of expertise, identity, quality or clinical outcomes.
Verification assessment
How much of this record stands up
The honest summary: the clinical core is well corroborated, the professional registers check out, the film and jewellery work is documented in mainstream press, and the wider inventor claims are almost entirely self-published. A large share of what circulates about him is “cover-feature” content that pays for placement, which inflates the apparent volume of evidence.
34%independent
- 34% corroborated by independent record
- 44% multiple secondary / promotional sources agree
- 22% self-reported only
- Proportions are an editorial judgement over the claims catalogued in this dossier, not a statistical measurement.
Claims that hold up well
- Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry — appears in the AAO’s own diplomate directory and 2022 Fellows announcement.
- Moorfields ocularist training and the 2003 Boston Foundation for Sight fellowship — stated in a manufacturer’s published biography with no promotional interest in him.
- Two issued Indian patents named (IN 343205 coal catalyst; IN 11778 eye-jewellery lens) and nine trademark filings under his name.
- Nine books/articles with real ISBNs or ASINs available from mainstream retailers.
- The gold-and-diamond lens line — covered by TODAY.com, Hindustan Times, The Times and Wired.
- Film work — an independent film-industry profile lists credits with studios attached.
- Faculty roles in 2026 — corroborated by the institutions’ own social accounts, not only his.
Claims to treat with caution
- “World’s first” framing on the hydrogel artificial eye, the diamond lens, the light-sensitive pupil and the impression lens in India — plausible, but asserted by the party that benefits.
- The defence invention (“noiseless non-combustible weapon systems working on electromagnetic forces”) — single-source, self-published, no patent or programme found.
- The three-doctorate impression (Physics, Optometric Sciences, Optics) — likely one doctorate described three ways.
- The “36 years / four decades” range and the 1986 / 1988 / 1993 founding dates — internally inconsistent across his own properties.
- “Numerous national and international awards” without names, other than the MOS award and Rotary recognitions.
- The 84% myopia-halt figure — attributed to “studies” in a press interview without a citation; MyoKiddo “90% / 24-month” claim likewise unvalidated.
Contradictions & unresolved questions
11 recorded contradictions & corrections
- Brainware webinar date: official archive lists 21 Nov 2020; official event PDF and post state 10 Oct 2020 — both preserved as conflicting official records.
- Spelling inconsistencies: Chawan/Chandrasekhar, Shekhar/Shekar, “Chandrtashekhar”, “5th Dimention”, “Shaping Youg Eyes” — copy errors, not separate people or titles.
- PhD history: University of Mumbai physics/optics vs an additional U.S. PhD in Optometric Sciences — one doctorate described inconsistently, or more than one? Unresolved.
- FSLS vs FAAO: FAAO materially corroborated; FSLS unverified in the accessible society directory; the AAO directory is not a full credential certificate.
- Moorfields: spelled “Moorefields” in one association biography; training otherwise supported by a manufacturer bio.
- U.S. credentials: NPI public and useful; California CLD8995 not confirmed via an accessible DCA result; no public evidence of physician or ophthalmologist licensure.
- Corporate identity: the 2003 private company, current clinic, IndiaMART proprietorship, MyoKiddo, Shekhar Eye USA, La SER Eye Jewelry and ARC Energy may be connected — legal relationship not definitively established.
- Books: official bio says four; retailer and related pages show additional titles and conflicting edition metadata (e.g., two ASIN/ISBN pairs for the keratoconus title).
- Patents: world-first and patent claims lack a verified patent number, application/grant record, filing date or inventor list tied to the target identity.
- Conference & media history: BOA FOCUS 2026 and IFSLR 2024 have meaningful external support; many other event, interview, award and film claims remain subject-owned or promotional.
- Clinical outcomes: case counts, safety, efficacy and “90% success” statements were not validated by a primary, independently reviewable study.
Open questions a deeper enquiry would need to close
- Which university actually conferred the PhD, in what year, and in what subject — and does the University of Mumbai hold a record?
- Are the MyoKiddo, HyperKiddo and keratoprosthesis items granted patents or only applications? Only the coal catalyst and the eye-jewellery lens carry issuer-listed numbers.
- Is Shekhar Foundation a registered Indian charitable trust or society, and under what registration number?
- Do the Shekhar Hospital at Pachal, Rajapur and the 100-clinic MyoKiddo network exist as approved projects, or only as announcements?
- What is the current status of the American entities (Shekhar Eye LLC, ARC Energy USA LLC, La SER Eye Jewelry USA LLC) with their respective state registries?
- Does the California DCA License Search return a stable record for CLD8995 under any name variant?
Evidence-label legend & research limitations
- Independently corroborated: institutional directory, official organizer record, regulator/database record, independent trade publication, or another source not controlled by the subject.
- Official first-party claim: stated by a business, organization or institution controlled or operated by the subject, without independent confirmation of the underlying claim.
- Self-reported social/profile claim: LinkedIn, social media, subject-owned video or personal profile.
- Marketing claim: promotional language, superlative, efficacy/outcome statement, award, “world-first” assertion, or commercial claim lacking adequate primary evidence.
- Unresolved / not found: the research did not locate sufficient evidence; absence from reviewed sources is not proof that the fact is false.
- Limitations: dynamic directories and regulator portals may not expose stable results; negative exact-name searches do not prove absence; retailer catalogs duplicate editions and change metadata; follower counts change; “official” means the page belongs to an institution, not that every statement on it is audited; a conference programme proves inclusion, not quality; no formal identity document links every spelling; no attempt was made to expose private or sensitive personal information (private residences, personal contact details and family data are excluded except where already public in the dossier record).
Sources reviewed
Listed in the order used, with what each contributed
- Shekhar Eye Research — biography · self-published profile: roles, expertise, fellowships, talks, books
- Shekhar Eye Research — main site & practice pages · positioning, specialties, address, D-U-N claim
- Shekhar Eye Research — books page · forewords, mentorship credits
- MyoKiddo · paediatric myopia programme, clinic address
- Shekhar Foundation · charitable projects; hospital and summit pages
- ARC Energy USA · coal catalyst, Orlando address
- LinkedIn profile · employment, education, patents, licences
- BostonSight SCLERAL case study (PDF) · clinical case; independent third-party biography
- Maskati & Chawan, JOBA Vol. 14 No. 1 (2005) · peer-society journal paper; 21-eye series
- Maharashtra Optometry Association — President & Team · chronological biography
- American Academy of Optometry — diplomate entry · formal register entry
- SiliconIndia cover feature, Aug 2024 · promotional profile
- CEO India Magazine cover story · founding year, family, awards
- TODAY.com (NBC), 2011 · interview; expert criticism; Gizmodo reaction
- Hindustan Times, 2011 · diamond lens technical detail
- The Times (UK), 2011 · specification, weight, price
- Media Eye News, 2024 · Surya Eye Centre myopia programme
- MyCorporateInfo — trademark portfolio · nine Indian trademark filings
- Doctor.com provider listing · middle name “Vasant”; Orlando address
- Stage 32 profile · film credits with studios and years
- Amazon / Bookshop.org listings · bibliographic identifiers
- NSHM Knowledge Campus & Gulani Vision social posts · ACCEPTUS 2026 corroboration