Apple’s Moment Today, India’s Moment Tomorrow?

While critics question the potential of VR, this upcoming development could mark a major turning point for the industry, like the paradigm shift seen 14 years ago in computing interfaces. VR has the potential to catalyze incredible progress in a variety of sectors, including gaming, education, skills training and enterprise collaboration.

While VR is not a new technology, the recent surge in its popularity is evident. For the past two years, Oculus has been the number one app on the US App Store during Christmas, indicating its appeal as a sought-after gift. Furthermore, VR as a platform has achieved critical mass of early adoption, with over 19 million Oculus devices sold and the promise of many more users to come. This tipping point signals an enthusiastic shift for developers to build on this emerging platform.

From the point-and-click interface of the original Mac, the click wheel on the iPod, the touchscreen on the iPhone and the digital crown on the Apple Watch, Apple’s entry into a new category is often accompanied by a step change in human-computer interaction. in the category that helped popularize it. This time around there’s also a lot of speculation that Apple may choose to abandon the controllers that VR headsets have so far relied on, opening up a wider range of possibilities for mixed reality.

However, there are still barriers to widespread VR adoption. Many users experience motion sickness when using a headset, and issues such as bandwidth limitations, chromatic aberration and display quality continue to challenge the content consumption experience. Mass adoption of VR will require changes across the spectrum, from camera resolution and storage requirements for content creation to processing power, compression algorithms, bandwidth capabilities and even display technologies. These challenges present an opportunity for innovation and growth, especially for India.

With every major paradigm shift in computing platforms, India has moved rapidly up the value chain. When Windows 95 was introduced, many people will remember that there were virtually no Indian made applications to open when one clicked on the Start button. However, the advent of the Internet led to the rise of portals such as Rediff and Sify, demonstrating India’s ability to adapt and create relevant content.

Similarly, with the rise of smartphones, a large number of Indian apps and games have captured the imagination of home users. Now, with the paradigm shift in VR, perhaps the time has come for India to establish itself as a global player by building popular consumer applications for the world – from India.

This time many factors are in favor of India. The country boasts of a mature entrepreneurship and venture capital ecosystem, which has grown significantly since the launch of the iPhone in 2009. Additionally, India has a thriving $1.3 billion animation industry, and its outsourcing sector has created a strong talent pool in 3D design and animation. , Over the years, Indian professionals have honed their expertise in creating visually stunning and immersive experiences for global clients.

This existing talent base gives India a competitive advantage in the VR space. With the required skills and experience, Indian professionals can contribute to the creation of high quality VR content that meets international standards and demands.

In conclusion, VR is set to revolutionize the industries, and India has a unique opportunity to make a mark in this fast-evolving space. By leveraging its mature entrepreneurial ecosystem, booming animation industry and talented professionals in 3D design and development, India can position itself as a global leader in the creation of immersive VR experiences. The time has come for India to embrace this paradigm shift and realize the full potential of its technology potential. It’s time to be on the front end of the value chain.

Joseph Sebastian is Associate Vice President at Bloom Ventures.

Updated: June 05, 2023, 11:24 AM IST