Luxottica's Ashutosh Vaidya joins eyewear startup American Vision as CEO

Pune-based American Vision has hired former Luxottica executive as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), starting June 16, 2016. Vadiya is the former Director Sales for South Asia region at the Luxottica Group, world’s largest eyewear company.
Vadiya brings along over 20 years of experience working as sales and marketing head across retail sector. In the past, he has worked as Dy. Director Sales – South Asia , at Samsonite, VP Sales & Marketing at IFB Industries Ltd. (Home Appliances Division) and Head – Sales at Arvinds Mills.
With his exceptional business development skill and super strong network across South Asia region, Vaidya, is expected to architect American vision’s strategy to form a largest optical chain in South Asia with their unique business model.
“In his seven-year stint with Luxottica, the company has witnessed an over six-fold increase in business. He has tremendous network and strong domain knowledge in the optical industry across South Asia. With his appointment, we expect American Vision to become a global hyperlocal start-up in optical industry, ” Director American Vision, Ajay Kashikar told Indiaretailing Bureau.
American Vision is a year old hyperlocal eyewear startup which works on a unique concept of ‘one pin code, one optician’ (there are over 25,000 pincodes in India). The startup ties up with one individual opticians per pincode, and brands their outlets as exclusive American Vision stores.
The startup brings all these outlets under one umbrella and provides an online platform where stand-alone opticians and consumers can reap the benefits of both online and offline models.
Read: Pune’s American Vision follows a unique strategy of ‘one pincode, one optician’
The company boosts to be the largest optical chain in Maharashtra and has recently received an angle funding from Satish Jamdar, former MD, Blue Star. Jamdar has also joined the American vision team as mentor.
“After 43 power packed years in five well- known organizations, Satish is all set to start his second innings as an angel investor and mentor. We are glad that he has selected us for his his second innings,” added Kashikar, without disclosing the amount they have raised in angel round.