The Sankara Family was recognized for its yeomen service both here in the USA and in India for 2008. The two arms of the Sankara family work together towards their goal of Vision 20/20 by the Year 2020. The India arm, Sankara Eye Care Institutions, ably lead by Dr. R. V. Ramani and a great staff, has been providing award-winning service to the poor and managing the hospitals in India. Sankara Eye Foundation, USA, the US arm, shines due to the dedication of its volunteers and supporters and with this dedication has earned its donors’ trust.

SECI started the year by winning the coveted Hospital Management Award in September 2008. In the category of community service Sankara Eye Care Institutions - India were declared winner for the “Diabetic Retinopathy Project for Rural India” project, which aims to prevent avoidable blindness due to Diabetic Retinopathy and create awareness among the rural population about this health problem.

On February 27, 2009, Sankara Eye Foundation, USA received the coveted          4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent evaluator of charities. Charity Navigator stated that receiving four out of a possible four stars indicates that the organization excels, as compared to other charities in America, in successfully managing the finances of the organization in an efficient and effective manner. This rise in an organization’s rating is an exceptional feat, especially given the economic challenges many charities

On March 30, 2009, SECI, India received one of the highest honors an NGO can receive in India, the NGO of the year award. Sankara Eye Care Institutions, India was recognized for its contribution to community eye care with the India NGO Award, 2008. The India NGO Awards seek to promote good standards and practices in resource mobilization, accountability, and transparency ; recognizes and celebrates excellence in the non-profit sector. The aim is also to create examples and inspiration for other non-profits and promote cross-regional learning and to thus promote the overall credibility of the non-profit sector for long-term sustainability. The awardees were evaluated on the effective and sustainable mobilization of resources from the local community and demonstration of efficient management of resources, good governance practices, transparency and accountability. Finally, the impact of the services provided to the community was evaluated.

Tanker Foundation Love for Service Award: Tanker Foundation is a Chennai based Foundation involved in providing free renal dialysis for kidney patients. Every year they identify an individual and award him / her with Tanker Foundation “Renny Abraham Love for Service Award.” This year it was awarded to Dr. R. V. Ramani, Founder, and Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Care Institutions. The Governor of Tamilnadu and one of the Union Ministers were present on the occasion to give away the Award.

This is a time for everyone in the Sankara family, including all the volunteers and donors, to take pride in these achievements and celebrate the performance and the recognition of the dedicated work of our doctors and staff in India. These awards are just small milestones in our path towards eradicating curable blindness in India-, which is the real big award that motivates all of us to progress. Together, we can make it happen!!