'Bharatmeta', Indian metaverse platform, showcased at VivaTech Paris

India could soon be a leading player in the metaverse technology. In a first of its kind, India-based Kiya.ai, which is into Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technology-based solutions services, showcased its version of the metaverse called Bharatmeta at the ongoing

VivaTech event in Paris 2023. The Bharatmeta has been showcased at the India Pavilion. VivaTech is Europe's biggest annual technology and startup event.

Talking to ANI, Rajesh Mirjankar, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kiya.ai, said that while global platforms largely provide gaming and virtual goods on the metaverse, his company is focused on the commerce of physical and virtual goods, enabling real businesses to adopt metaverse technology.

The metaverse is a multi-dimensional digital space that uses virtual reality and augmented reality to allow people to have lifelike experiences online.

He added Bharatmeta provides relevant use cases for banking, commerce, culture, and collaboration on the metaverse while leveraging India's digital infrastructure for digital payments ( including CBDC), digital identity, open commerce etc.

Earlier Kiya.ai celebrated Azadi Kaa Amrit Mahotsav with Har Ghar Tiranga on the virtual real estate on Bharatmeta. The virtual experience in Bharatmeta allows visitors to observe the Indian flag hoisted on a virtual monument. "The idea behind Bharatmeta is that new technology should be inclusive rather than elitist, and hence it is designed to provide an immersive on multiple devices from XR headsets, laptops, mobile handsets, and kiosks so that the masses in both urban and rural areas are able to obtain the benefits of the Metaverse," Mirjankar said.

With its 12 global offices, Kiya.ai serves over 550 enterprises in 56 countries across South-East Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

Further, about the Indian start-up ecosystem, Mirjankar said that the start-up ecosystem in India is blessed with the visionary 'India stack' - which can lower the cost of taking the innovations to market and evolving different business models for the start-ups and its customers.

"These digital public goods when leveraged by global economies will provide new markets for Indian start-ups," he opined.