India will influence Meta’s global XR roadmap, says Prince Gupta

CHENNAI: Prince Gupta, the American head of product management in Meta, is keen to understand India’s “exact expectations for the global South” and factor them into future device design, localisation and accessibility. At the IIT-Madras’s International XR Symposium, this excited techie gushes about Meta’s Project Aria Gen 2, the evolving global XR market, the role of AI in immersive experiences, and India’s potential to become a global test-bed for next-generation XR technologies. Excerpts follow…

How is India influencing Meta’s global XR roadmap, especially around affordability, localisation, and mobile-first immersive experiences?

India is a massive opportunity, and we’re still learning about its unique challenges and expectations. That’s precisely why we’re here at the symposium, where several Indian researchers and practitioners are sharing their insights. Understanding what India and the larger global South truly need will help us shape future devices. We hope to deepen our efforts and contribute more robustly to India’s XR ecosystem.

Could you explain Meta’s Project Aria Gen 2 glasses and the vision behind them?

Project Aria is a transformative tool that can significantly accelerate research. As Andrew Ng said, “AI is the new electricity.” For AI to truly serve humanity, it must incorporate human perspective. Project Aria is built on that principle. We have developed two versions – Aria Gen 1 and Aria Gen 2 (the latter launched earlier this year). Gen 2 is a lightweight, sensor-rich device weighing just 70 grams, making it practical for extended use. All sensors are synchronised to a common clock, which is crucial for accuracy. The Aria Research Kit provides powerful capabilities, and we emphasise responsible use. The device includes privacy switches, and features such as EgoBlur for face blurring. Through the Aria Partner Program, we collaborate with research institutions globally. Our open-science datasets support projects such as spatial audio navigation for the visually impaired, robot learning from human demonstrations, and driver-intent prediction with IIT-Hyderabad. Aria remains a dedicated research device, operational since 2020.

Global XR adoption has been slower than expected. After the cooling of metaverse hype, how has Meta recalibrated its XR vision? What is the realistic adoption curve over the next 3–5 years?

The XR industry is in an evolving but promising phase. There is now a wider spectrum of devices and experiences available in the market. As our products mature, we expect adoption to accelerate steadily. The market will evolve at its own pace, but the direction is unmistakably forward.

How will AI reshape XR experiences on Quest and smart glasses globally, and in markets like India?

AI will redefine user interfaces and enhance the underlying capabilities that power XR experiences. Whether in advanced markets or emerging ones like India, the adoption of AI-driven XR will be widespread because the technology fundamentally improves immersion, intuition, and usability.

Given India’s vast creator and small-business ecosystem, are there XR or AR features being designed specifically for Indian creators, retailers, or educators?

We already see significant adoption among Indian creators. Many are actively using devices like Meta Quest and Meta’s smart glasses to build creative, interactive experiences. The Indian ecosystem is engaging deeply with these tools, and we see that momentum growing.

With major global players, Apple, Samsung, and several Chinese OEMs, entering XR, how does Meta differentiate its global XR strategy? What role do price-sensitive markets like India play?

I cannot comment on other companies. Meta has always focused on building technologies for billions of people. That approach shapes our product roadmap and ensures that accessibility and scale remain central to our strategy. India, being a price-sensitive and high-volume market, naturally plays a significant role in that thinking.

How crucial is network infrastructure, from low-latency 5G to edge computing, for scaling XR experiences here compared to the US and Europe?

It’s difficult to quantify without deeper data. I do not have specific information on the comparative impact of network readiness across regions. However, infrastructure will certainly influence how quickly XR scales in any geography.

Immersive environments introduce challenges related to safety, harassment, and misinformation. What global integrity standards is Meta applying to XR? How will they be adapted for India’s diverse linguistic and social landscape?

We’re at the very early stages of addressing integrity challenges in immersive spaces. There is a long way to go, and our work is only beginning. As the technology evolves, we will continue to build safeguards that account for regional diversity, including India’s linguistic and cultural complexities.

Do you foresee XR-driven commerce, virtual try-ons, AR store-fronts, 3D ads, becoming a major revenue driver in India? How different will monetisation be from mature markets?

XR will undoubtedly become integral to digital commerce. While it’s too early to comment on specific monetisation strategies, XR-enabled commerce will certainly play a pivotal role as adoption grows.

Is Meta exploring research or enterprise partnerships in India for workforce development or education?

 Absolutely. Several XR use-cases in healthcare, education, and training are already being deployed globally, and we see growing interest in India. We’re exploring opportunities to collaborate with institutions and partners here.

What does Meta see as the tipping point that will take XR mainstream worldwide? Can India become an early adopter or test-bed for that breakthrough?

After visiting IIT-M and observing the innovation happening here, I am confident that India will play a major role, not just in adopting XR, but also in building the technologies that power the next wave of immersive computing.Prince Gupta, the American head of product management in Meta, is keen to understand India’s “exact expectations for the global South” and factor them into future device design, localisation and accessibility. At the IIT-Madras’s International XR Symposium, this excited techie gushes about Meta’s Project Aria Gen 2, the evolving global XR market, the role of AI in immersive experiences, and India’s potential to become a global test-bed for next-generation XR technologies. Excerpts follow…

How is India influencing Meta’s global XR roadmap, especially around affordability, localisation, and mobile-first immersive experiences?

A: India is a massive opportunity, and we’re still learning about its unique challenges and expectations. That’s precisely why we’re here at the symposium, where several Indian researchers and practitioners are sharing their insights. Understanding what India and the larger global South truly need will help us shape future devices. We hope to deepen our efforts and contribute more robustly to India’s XR ecosystem.

Could you explain Meta’s Project Aria Gen 2 glasses and the vision behind them?

Project Aria is a transformative tool that can significantly accelerate research. As Andrew Ng said, “AI is the new electricity.” For AI to truly serve humanity, it must incorporate human perspective. Project Aria is built on that principle. We have developed two versions – Aria Gen 1 and Aria Gen 2 (the latter launched earlier this year). Gen 2 is a lightweight, sensor-rich device weighing just 70 grams, making it practical for extended use. All sensors are synchronised to a common clock, which is crucial for accuracy. The Aria Research Kit provides powerful capabilities, and we emphasise responsible use. The device includes privacy switches, and features such as EgoBlur for face blurring. Through the Aria Partner Program, we collaborate with research institutions globally. Our open-science datasets support projects such as spatial audio navigation for the visually impaired, robot learning from human demonstrations, and driver-intent prediction with IIT-Hyderabad. Aria remains a dedicated research device, operational since 2020.

Global XR adoption has been slower than expected. After the cooling of metaverse hype, how has Meta recalibrated its XR vision? What is the realistic adoption curve over the next 3–5 years?

The XR industry is in an evolving but promising phase. There is now a wider spectrum of devices and experiences available in the market. As our products mature, we expect adoption to accelerate steadily. The market will evolve at its own pace, but the direction is unmistakably forward.

 How will AI reshape XR experiences on Quest and smart glasses globally, and in markets like India?

A: AI will redefine user interfaces and enhance the underlying capabilities that power XR experiences. Whether in advanced markets or emerging ones like India, the adoption of AI-driven XR will be widespread because the technology fundamentally improves immersion, intuition, and usability.

Given India’s vast creator and small-business ecosystem, are there XR or AR features being designed specifically for Indian creators, retailers, or educators?

A: We already see significant adoption among Indian creators. Many are actively using devices like Meta Quest and Meta’s smart glasses to build creative, interactive experiences. The Indian ecosystem is engaging deeply with these tools, and we see that momentum growing.

With major global players, Apple, Samsung, and several Chinese OEMs, entering XR, how does Meta differentiate its global XR strategy? What role do price-sensitive markets like India play?

I cannot comment on other companies. Meta has always focused on building technologies for billions of people. That approach shapes our product roadmap and ensures that accessibility and scale remain central to our strategy. India, being a price-sensitive and high-volume market, naturally plays a significant role in that thinking.

How crucial is network infrastructure, from low-latency 5G to edge computing, for scaling XR experiences here compared to the US and Europe?

It’s difficult to quantify without deeper data. I do not have specific information on the comparative impact of network readiness across regions. However, infrastructure will certainly influence how quickly XR scales in any geography.

Immersive environments introduce challenges related to safety, harassment, and misinformation. What global integrity standards is Meta applying to XR? How will they be adapted for India’s diverse linguistic and social landscape?

We’re at the very early stages of addressing integrity challenges in immersive spaces. There is a long way to go, and our work is only beginning. As the technology evolves, we will continue to build safeguards that account for regional diversity, including India’s linguistic and cultural complexities.

Do you foresee XR-driven commerce, virtual try-ons, AR store-fronts, 3D ads, becoming a major revenue driver in India? How different will monetisation be from mature markets?

XR will undoubtedly become integral to digital commerce. While it’s too early to comment on specific monetisation strategies, XR-enabled commerce will certainly play a pivotal role as adoption grows.

Is Meta exploring research or enterprise partnerships in India for workforce development or education?

Absolutely. Several XR use-cases in healthcare, education, and training are already being deployed globally, and we see growing interest in India. We’re exploring opportunities to collaborate with institutions and partners here.

What does Meta see as the tipping point that will take XR mainstream worldwide? Can India become an early adopter or test-bed for that breakthrough?

After visiting IIT-M and observing the innovation happening here, I am confident that India will play a major role, not just in adopting XR, but also in building the technologies that power the next wave of immersive computing.