Most people remember the moment the world first came into focus through a new pair of glasses. For 45 years, Optik Melawai has been behind countless moments like it, growing into one of Indonesia’s most trusted optical stores and its largest optical retail network.
The story began in 1981 with a small shop on Jalan Melawai in South Jakarta. Founder Budi Purnomo Hadisurjo made quality the priority, and his store led the way in bringing modern optical shops into malls, complete with air conditioning and the most advanced eye-testing equipment of its day. Second-generation leader Eddyanto Hadisurjo joined in 1989, and in 1997 the company introduced affordable lens and frame packages for the first time.
A visit to Optik Melawai now goes beyond choosing frames. Stores offer cataract screening and AI-powered retinal checks by Airdoc, a painless test that can help flag the risk of six eye conditions and eight chronic diseases, with no needles. Lenses are made in a laboratory certified and supervised by Rodenstock of Germany, so customers are in good hands.
That care reaches further than ever. Optik Melawai opened its 400th store in January 2025, and by the end of 2026 its network will span 155 cities across 35 provinces. To keep standards high across the network, it has built the largest training centre in Southeast Asia, where every staff member learns the craft.
The brand gives back too, from the Vision Run 2026 to 2,000 free pairs of glasses for Jakarta residents.
Few retailers stand the test of time so well. Forty-five years on, Optik Melawai has never lost sight of why it began. Its vision has always been the same: helping Indonesia see the world more clearly.
