Young Systems Leader: Rutul Shah

Rutul Shah is a Manager – Training and Quality at Mission for Vision, where she leads Mission Saksham, a national initiative focused on strengthening the eyecare workforce in India by training Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOPs). Working with over 14 partner institutes across the country, she supports the training of more than 1,600 students, the majority of whom are women from marginalised communities, helping create pathways to sustainable livelihoods in eyecare.

An optometrist by training, Rutul began her career working in community eye health programmes and outreach initiatives, including eye screening camps for children with disabilities. She now works closely with training institutes and hospitals to strengthen competency-based education, improve programme systems, and ensure that students are well prepared to support quality eye care delivery.

She is also a strong advocate for inclusive and gender-responsive programme design. Through her engagement with students and partner institutes, she promotes women’s participation in the eyecare workforce and encourages supportive learning environments that enable young professionals to pursue education, employment, and long-term careers in eye health.