New Delhi/Hyderabad, October 9, 2026: Dr. Santosh G. Honavar, Honorary Secretary of the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), has been ranked as the top Indian researcher in ophthalmology for career-long impact in the 2026 Stanford–Elsevier Top 2% Scientists List, marking his fifth consecutive year at the top.
Dr. Honavar, an ocular oncologist based in Hyderabad and Director of Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery and Ocular Oncology at Centre for Sight Eye Hospital, also leads the list of Indian ophthalmology researchers for career-long impact. The Stanford–Elsevier list, compiled by a panel of experts from Stanford University and Elsevier, recognises researchers worldwide whose published work has achieved significant scholarly impact, with both lifetime and annual rankings for 2026.
Indian ophthalmologists in global rankings
The 2026 Stanford list features 64 Indian ophthalmologists among the world’s top 2% of researchers based on the impact of their work in 2024. Of these, 29 are included for career-long impact. The top 10 Indian researchers in ophthalmology for 2026 are Dr. Santosh G. Honavar, Dr. Mohd Javed Ali, Dr. Kaliki Swathi, Dr. Namrata Sharma, Dr. Virender S. Sangwan, Dr. Vinod Kumar, Dr. GVS Murthy, Dr. Rohit Shetty, Dr. Savitri Sharma, and Dr. Rajeev Raman.
For career-long impact, the top 10 Indian ophthalmologists are Dr. Santosh G. Honavar, Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao, Dr. Virender S. Sangwan, Dr. Philip Aloysius Thomas, Dr. Savitri Sharma, Dr. Muthiah K. Srinivasan, Dr. Mohd Javed Ali, Dr. D. Balasubramanian, Dr. GVS Murthy, and Dr. Amod Gupta. These researchers represent institutions such as LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad; Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, AIIMS, New Delhi; Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai; Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai; Narayana Nethralaya, Bengaluru; Centre for Sight, Hyderabad; and PGIMER, Chandigarh.
Profile of Dr. Santosh G. Honavar
Dr. Honavar is a former Associate Director of LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, and former Editor of the Indian Journal of Ophthalmology. He is the only ophthalmologist from the Indian subcontinent to have received the Honorary Fellowship, the highest honour from the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in the UK. His career includes over 18,500 citations and an H-index of 73, as well as the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award from the Government of India.
AIOS and support for Indian research
AIOS, established in 1930, is one of the world’s largest professional organisations of ophthalmologists, with over 28,000 members. The society promotes the advancement of ophthalmology, eye research, medical education, and public eye health. Dr. Jeewan S. Titiyal, President of AIOS, congratulated the Indian researchers featured in the Stanford list and highlighted the society’s Vision 2030 strategy, which aims to nurture research potential among Indian ophthalmologists through its journals and scientific initiatives.
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