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New Delhi, May 13: Despite its sales falling globally, leading eyecare maker Bausch&Lomb (B&L) has been able to maintain a high growth of 18-19 per cent in India, according to its Managing Director.

Its global sales declined to 2.29 billion dollars last year from 2.35 billion dollars in 2005 followed by the recall of a lens cleaner blammed for an outbreak of severe fungal eye infections.

About the negative publicity gained by ReNu with MoistureLoc (a lens cleaner) which had adversely affected sales throughout the world, B&L Managing Director (India) JP Singh told sources I that, ''As a responsible corporate house we moved the product out of the market as soon as we received complaints about it and it has in no way affected sales in the country.'' B&L's current annual turnover is 2.2 billion dollars of which India contributes for 14-15 million dollars.

''We are able to maintain a steady growth of 18-19 per cent in the country,'' Mr Singh said.

The company's annual profit also fell 22 per cent in 2006.

UNI