INDIA AND IMMERSIVE LEARNING
Building the ecosystem to foster immersive technologies and innovation in India
India’s talent pool of developers, creators, entrepreneurs and startups will play a critical role in shaping the future of the internet. India is on track to have the largest app developer base in the world by 2024. It is also home to one of the largest Meta Spark communities and one of the largest gaming communities.
Our initiatives and partnerships will foster the extended reality (XR) ecosystem in India, bringing forward innovative use cases on how these technologies can transform various sectors, from education and skilling to tourism and healthcare.
According to a study from Analysis Group, the metaverse has the potential to add an estimated $240 billion, or 4.6%, to India’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2031. Many developers and digital creators are already building for the metaverse using AR-based tools such as Meta Spark.
How the metaverse can transform education
Some governments are already getting a head start. In India, where the Government has made digital skills a core part of its “techade” strategy, Digital Citizenship and AR-VR Skills have been introduced to the curriculum for children in grades 6–8 across 25,000 schools. More than 300,000 teachers and a million students in India have also been introduced to training in cyber safety, cyber security, digital citizenship, and immersive technologies.
Building the foundation of XR technologies in India
Meta is focused on building an ecosystem in India to support learning in the metaverse. Over the next 3 years, our vision is to empower 10 million students and one million teachers across India in key areas of digital citizenship, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Digital citizenship driven by immersive technologies
As India’s extraordinary embrace of digital opens new pathways to information, knowledge and opportunity for millions of people, building a safer and inclusive internet becomes a priority. Enabling the citizens of the country to navigate the internet safely and empowering them to access the digital world in a secure manner is a priority of the Government of India.
The seeds of nurturing responsible digital citizens need to be sown at the school level. Digital citizenship and AR/VR have been introduced as a skills subject for grades 6-8 in over 25,000 schools in India. More than 350,000 teachers and 1.7 million students have been empowered in cyber safety, cyber security, digital citizenship, AR, VR and the metaverse through the curricula. Since 2022, Meta has enabled over 350,000 teachers and 1.7 million students in India on metaverse readiness skills, working to empower a generation to flourish safely in a Web 3.0-powered world.
Digital Nagrik Pledge: Launched on the Safer Internet Day, the pledge encourages people across India to become responsible digital nagrik (citizens). This initiative builds on our partnership with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to provide a digital citizenship course to 10 million students and one million teachers.
Meta Spark course and Creators of Metaverse
In partnership with All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), we launched the Meta Spark course on AR in the SWAYAM portal — the world's largest free online e-learning platform. We are empowering university students in technical education with AR skills through the Meta Spark curriculum, training over 100,000 learners and 50,000 educators across universities in India.
The Creators of Metaverse is a virtual workplace experience and micro-internship program to inspire the next generation of problem solvers, creators and solopreneurs to harness the power of AR and VR technology and develop innovative solutions to global challenges. The program aims to enable over 100,000 students and 50,000 educators on the usage of Meta Spark and make it the tool of choice for AR effects created by the next generation of AR creators.
Meet our creators
These pioneers are paving the way for the next generation of creators to follow. Their work spans a wide range of innovative and creative applications in AR and VR.
Gayathri Mohan
Gayathri Shri is an AR designer based in Chennai with 3 years of experience in creating AR effects using Meta Spark. She has made significant contributions to the field of AR and has been invited to various women's colleges to conduct workshops and empower women in AR.
Gayathri Shri is an AR designer based in Chennai with 3 years of experience in creating AR effects using Meta Spark. She has made significant contributions to the field of AR and has been invited to various women's colleges to conduct workshops and empower women in AR. Her work has been recognized in the industry and presented at Zee Tamil and Flipkart offices.
Gayathri has a passion for innovation, which is reflected in her unique and creative AR effects that have reached over one million impressions on Instagram. The industry also acknowledged her exceptional talent, and she was awarded honorable mentions at F8 Refresh 2021 for her innovative voice-controlled AR car.
Gayathri's extraordinary skills and passion have enabled her to make a significant contribution to the AR industry. She continues to inspire and empower women in AR, showcasing the endless possibilities of AR technology.
Watch Gaythri's work here.
Varun Raikar
Varun Raikar is a renowned AR designer who gained recognition on Instagram when his AR effect Clone Dance became a viral sensation on Stories and Reels.
Varun Raikar is a renowned AR designer who gained recognition on Instagram when his AR effect Clone Dance became a viral sensation on stories and reels. The effect became so popular that even the Canadian singer Weeknd used it. Varun is an active member of the AR community and has been mentoring budding developers, sharing his expertise to help others grow in the field.
Varun's contribution to the AR industry extends beyond mentoring. He has hosted Creator Days workshops and has a YouTube channel with over 4,000 followers, where he shares his knowledge and expertise in creating Meta Spark effects. His dedication to the field has made him a valuable resource for AR enthusiasts worldwide.
Varun's passion for AR and his unique creative talent have made him one of the most sought-after AR designers in the industry. He continues to innovate and create new AR effects that inspire and captivate audiences globally.
Naveen Upadhyay
Naveen Upadhyay is a talented AR designer from a small town in Rajasthan, India. He discovered his passion for AR after winning a hackathon with his project, and since then has made a name for himself in the industry.
Meta Spark developers
Meta Spark developers are at the forefront of driving the success of the platform. By leveraging their expertise in AR development and creating innovative experiences, these talented creators are helping to shape the future of AR.
Through our developer training programs, such as LeARn and School of AR, we have built a thriving community of Meta Spark developers who are passionate about exploring the endless possibilities of AR technology.