Lenskart says Drysh remains pilot as remote testing expands

Lenskart Solutions Limited said Drysh remained an AI-assisted eye-test pilot in Q2 FY27, while its established remote-optometry service expanded to 934 India stores and India eye tests rose 44% year on year to 70 lakh. Management did not disclose a tenfold optometrist-productivity target, Drysh test volumes, accuracy data or a rollout date on its November 4, 2026 call.

What did Lenskart say about Drysh AI?

Lenskart said Drysh is an AI-assisted eye test in pilot, rather than a deployed service with reported operating results. Management placed Drysh alongside remote optometry in its effort to “engineer the eye test”, which it described as the hardest problem in eyewear. The call did not disclose the number of Drysh pilot locations, the number of patients tested, diagnostic accuracy, staffing requirements or commercial availability.

Lenskart did not state that Drysh could make optometrists ten times more productive than its remote-optometry model. Its quantified comments instead concerned remote optometry, which was live in 934 India stores in Q2 FY27, compared with 303 stores a year earlier. Management specifically said this operational remote service was powering volume-led growth, whereas Drysh was described only as a pilot.

The distinction is material because India handled 70 lakh eye tests during the quarter, or about 78,000 tests a day according to management. Lenskart’s global eye-test volume was 80 lakh, up 40% year on year, while India’s volume grew faster at 44%. The company did not attribute a specified portion of the India increase to Drysh.

How far has Lenskart expanded remote optometry?

Lenskart expanded remote optometry to 934 India stores in Q2 FY27 from 303 in the prior-year quarter, an increase of 631 stores. That rollout occurred as the India store network reached 2,868 stores on September 30, 2026, following 143 net new India stores during the quarter. Remote optometry was therefore operating in roughly one-third of the India network based on the company’s reported store counts.

Lenskart’s eye-test growth outpaced its 26.5% increase in India eyewear units to 86 lakh in Q2 FY27. That comparison does not establish that every additional eye test translated into a sale, and management did not report a testing-to-purchase conversion rate. It does show that testing activity grew faster than India unit volume during a quarter in which remote optometry reached 934 locations.

The broader network also expanded internationally. Lenskart added 165 net new stores globally during Q2 FY27, taking the total to 3,624 stores. In India, 94 of the 143 net new stores were in Tier 2+ towns and the company entered 61 new cities, demonstrating that remote testing is being scaled during a wider physical expansion rather than as a standalone technology project.

Why does Lenskart need more eye-test capacity?

Lenskart said its ambition to make 100 million pairs of eyewear a year would require 80 million eye tests, making testing capacity central to its operating plan. Management argued that such scale could not be achieved solely by hiring more people or spending more, and presented remote optometry and the Drysh pilot as engineering responses to that constraint.

Management also said 94 crore Indians will require glasses by 2030 and that India needs at least 10,000 Lenskart stores. The 2,868 India stores reported at September 30 represent less than three-tenths of that stated aspiration. Lenskart did not provide a target date for reaching 10,000-plus stores or explain how many of those sites might ultimately use remote optometry or Drysh.

The test-capacity objective accompanies continued store-level growth. India same-store sales growth was 20.8% in Q2 FY27, compared with 14.8% a year earlier, while same-pin-code sales growth was 27.1%. Management said same-pin-code growth ran 6 percentage points ahead of same-store sales growth and took this as evidence that densification was adding demand rather than dividing it among nearby stores.

How does eye-testing technology fit Lenskart's operating model?

Lenskart said its eye-test machines operate on its own software and the records generated through testing help train its technology. The company also said its stores run on its own point-of-sale system, factories use NEX software, replenishment uses Argus and site selection uses GeoIQ. Management described artificial intelligence as part of the operating model rather than a separate project, but disclosed no Q2 FY27 revenue or cost saving attributable specifically to AI.

The technology initiative sits within a centralised production system. Lenskart said nearly every India pair is made centrally at Bhiwadi or Manesar, and that Bhiwadi operates at 75% automation. Fitting, quality control and packaging remain largely manual, according to management, which identified those activities as further automation opportunities.

Management said its Hyderabad facility is designed for 50 million pairs a year under one roof, with benefits expected around 12 months after commissioning. The call did not disclose a commissioning date. Lenskart linked the proposed facility to automation, robotics and making common pairs in bulk using demand data, rather than specifically to Drysh or remote-optometry deployment.

What financial performance accompanied the rollout?

Lenskart reported Q2 FY27 revenue of Rs 2,845 crore, up 32.5% year on year, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, or EBITDA, rose 46.6% to Rs 624 crore. Profit after tax more than doubled to Rs 232 crore. Management said figures were presented on a pro forma basis for like-for-like comparisons unless otherwise stated.

India revenue grew 35.3% to Rs 1,668 crore, ahead of international revenue growth of 29.5% to Rs 1,201 crore. India EBITDA before Indian Accounting Standard 116, the lease-accounting standard, rose 61.5% to Rs 267 crore and its margin increased to 16.0% from 13.4%. International EBITDA before Indian Accounting Standard 116 increased 87% to Rs 127 crore, and its margin rose to 10.6% from 7.3%.

Management reiterated its view that a 25% long-term EBITDA before Indian Accounting Standard 116 margin is possible, but did not set a timeframe. It cited ownership of brands, manufacturing, lenses, retail, research and operations as contributors to that objective. Management said profitability was running ahead of its expectations and that it intended to use that room for marketing, expansion in Bharat and international scaling while unit economics develop.

Conclusion

Lenskart’s reported evidence supports a large expansion of remote optometry, with the service growing from 303 to 934 India stores as eye-test volume rose 44% to 70 lakh in Q2 FY27. Drysh is at an earlier stage: management identified it as an AI-assisted pilot but supplied no productivity result, commercial timeline, accuracy measure or quantified comparison with remote optometry.

The next disclosures to watch are Drysh pilot data, a wider launch decision and any indication of its effect on testing capacity. Management has also outlined an annual ambition of 100 million pairs requiring 80 million eye tests, a 10,000-plus India store aspiration and a Hyderabad facility designed for 50 million pairs a year, but it gave no dates for the Drysh rollout, store target or 25% margin goal.