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Widely available at local opticians, the glasses already a hit in the international market have also penetrated the Indian fashion market.
"Kids want colourful and funky frames. They are brand- conscious and demand the best. Parents want a branded frame at an affordable price," says Dinesh Kumar, store manager of Himalaya Opticals here.
Children`s entertainment channel Nickelodeon India is the new entry after Disney to launch an eyewear range of optical and sunglasses based on popular toon characters.
Glasses with toon characters such as "Dora the Explorer," "Ninja Hattori" and "SpongeBob SquarePants" are available in over 30 styles, various colours and sizes for children between the age of 4 to 14 years, says Sandeep Dahiya, Senior Vice President ? Consumer Products, Viacom18 Media Pvt Ltd.
The most popular SpongeBob SquarePants and Ninja Hattori are designed for children between 4-14 years while Dora The Explorer, a curious 7-year-old girl in search of adventures, is featured on the brightly coloured optical frames for 4-7 year old pre-school girls.
The frames are priced at Rs 600 onwards.
Dahiya says, "We have started with these three most popular toons but in sometime we will launch more characters.
Children really adore these toons."
The glasses in metal and acetate materials are hypoallergenic, with special protective coating and graphic character details on the temples.
"Though they are metallic frames, they are not heavy or sharp-edged. They have been designed after months of research and the material is perfect for kids and teenagers," says Dahiya.
Pointing that glasses were a need based product, he said they are bought on the recommendation of the doctor rather than on brand choices.
"We are building strong partnership with opticians and also planning school-contact programme, since it is parents, teachers and doctors who need to be aware about it," says Dahiya.
Shinju Mahajan, faculty at NIFT, whose son was prescribed glasses when he was 6-years-old says, "We were not aware of any such cartoon-based frames. Our doctor recommended us to buy branded glasses of Disney for my son. They are light, sturdy and affordable."
