Shareholder with 1% stake slams top management of lens firm video goes viral

A video from a virtual shareholders’ meeting of GKB Ophthalmics Ltd., an Indian plastic lens manufacturing company, has gained attention online. During the meeting, shareholder Abhishek Kalra, who owns a one percent stake in the company, expressed frustration over the management’s handling of stock performance and was limited to a one-minute speaking slot.

Kalra criticized the company’s managing director, Krishna Gopal Gupta, for investing resources in unprofitable overseas ventures while neglecting shareholder value. He claimed that GKB Ophthalmics has underperformed compared to its peers, which achieve EBITDA margins of 25–26%.

Furthermore, he raised concerns about alleged nepotism within the company’s operations, suggesting that business funds were being used to support family-connected enterprises. When interrupted by management, Kalra reiterated the negative reputation of the company, stating that even potential employees are reluctant to associate with it.

GKB Ophthalmics Ltd. was established in 1981 by Krishna Gopal Gupta and is part of a family business initiated by Brijendra Kumar Gupta. The company has seen a significant decline in stock performance, with a 32.27% drop in the past year, an 18.38% decrease year-to-date, and a 12.86% decline over two years. However, there has been a 10.51% increase in the stock over the past three months.

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