{"id":125940,"date":"2025-03-27T15:16:10","date_gmt":"2025-03-27T15:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/?p=125940"},"modified":"2025-03-27T15:16:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-27T15:16:10","slug":"mahakumbh-signaled-indias-readiness-for-the-metaverse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/?p=125940","title":{"rendered":"MahaKumbh signaled India\u2019s readiness for the metaverse"},"content":{"rendered":"

Source: Cointelegraph.com NewsOpinion by: Shubham Kukrety, co-founder and CEO at QuoteIt\u00a0
\nStrange sights were seen as India recently concluded MahaKumbh, a Hindu congregation that occurs once every 144 years.
\nEvery day, a man took dips at Sangam \u2014 the triple confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati \u2014 with several passport-sized photographs offering \u201cDigital Snan,\u201d symbolizing digital nectar baths. A nine-acre camp offered people a glimpse of the Hindu religion since the beginning of time. Several families received a 360-degree live virtual MahaKumbh tour with a VR box and packaged pure Sangam water at their homes.
\nThese are some of the sights that were seen for the first time in MahaKumbh\u2019s known history. But all of it brings us to a fascinating question: Does the fusion of tech and tradition help us peek into India\u2019s future of the metaverse? Indeed.
\nAdopting technology religiously
\nIndia\u2019s approach to technology has always been unique. The country has previously leapfrogged many traditional technology adoption cycles. For example, it moved directly to mobile-first digital experiences without many households ever seeing a landline. As immersive technologies gain traction, the country shows signs of its distinctive adoption pattern.
\nOver the past few years, digitization of religious experiences has surged in India. The VR Devotee app, launched in 2016, streamed rituals and festivals from over 150 temples, allowing devotees to participate virtually. During COVID-19, the platform saw a remarkable 40% jump in user engagement.
\nThe Indian government, recognizing this potential, launched \u201cTemple 360\u201d in 2022 \u2014 a web portal providing virtual darshan (viewing of deities) from significant pilgrimage sites. When the famous Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra was held without public attendance for the first time in 2020, millions watched live. The same holds for nearly all pilgrimages in India.
\nWhat\u2019s particularly striking about MahaKumbh?
\nImmersive technologies were embraced at one of Hinduism\u2019s most sacred gatherings, which saw over 663 million people make pilgrimages. If deep spiritual traditions can incorporate digital experiences, it signals a profound cultural readiness for adoption.
\nFrom skepticism to frontier tech
\nUnder the Digital India initiative, AR\/VR is explicitly identified as an emerging technology alongside AI, blockchain and 5G networks. And this isn\u2019t mere lip service.
\nThe government has backed its words with concrete actions, establishing Centers of Excellence like VARCoE at the Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar and launching initiatives such as IMAGE to incubate extended reality (XR) startups. In 2022, the MeitY Startup Hub partnered with Meta to launch the XR Startup Program, extending grants worth 20 lakh Indian rupees (~$23,000) to 16 startups.
\nRecent: Indian town adopts Avalanche blockchain for tamper-proof land records
\nThe Uttar Pradesh government recently launched a 3D VR experience center in Ayodhya. Multiple Hindu religious places, including Kashi Vishwanath Dham and Maa Vaishno Devi Bhawan, have already extended such immersive experiences.
\nThis deliberate strategy can prove to be a catalyst in India\u2019s XR adoption, tapping the nation\u2019s rich cultural heritage.
\nCorporate giants embrace the immersive future
\nPerhaps the most telling sign of India\u2019s metaverse readiness comes from its corporate landscape. Reliance leads the charge, headed by Asia\u2019s richest person, Mukesh Ambani. In a landmark development, Jio Platforms recently partnered with Polygon Labs to integrate Web3 and blockchain capabilities into its existing digital ecosystem.
\nThe partnership is no small feat. It potentially brings Web3 functionality to Jio\u2019s vast user base of over 482 million customers. Jio had previously demonstrated its commitment to immersive technologies by unveiling \u201cJio Glass,\u201d an affordable mixed-reality device designed for the Indian market. Reliance\u2019s acquisition of Tesseract in 2019 and recent discussions with Meta underscore its long-term bet on immersive futures.
\nThe country\u2019s largest telecom provider is strategically investing in metaverse-enabling technologies. This speaks volumes about the future of digital experiences in the country.
\nThis year, after announcing its partnership with Polygon, Jio also launched its mystery JioCoin, a significant development for the Indian Web3 community. Meanwhile, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation also issued non-fungible (NFT) train tickets on the Polygon blockchain to passengers traveling to the MahaKumbh festival.
\nThese initiatives tapped Polygon specifically for its faster throughput and low gas fees \u2014 practical considerations that signal maturity in blockchain implementation in India.
\nDiffering perspectives and the elusive mainstream moment
\nNot everyone is convinced that digitizing sacred experiences represents progress. The \u201cDigital Snan\u201d service for 1,100 rupees in Sangam triggered a significant backlash on social media. Critics viewed such services as commercializing spirituality and reducing sacred rituals to transactional experiences.
\nFurthermore, it\u2019s been over eight years since Pok\u00e9mon Go took the world by storm, demonstrating AR\u2019s potential to create cultural phenomena that transcend demographic boundaries. The world hasn\u2019t seen anything of that magnitude ever since.
\nThis absence of a defining moment also raises questions about whether immersive technologies will achieve the ubiquity that smartphones have at present. Mall VR arcades attract curious teens for one-off experiences, but habitual usage patterns haven\u2019t materialized outside specific professional contexts.
\nGreen shoots of adoption?
\nWhat distinguishes India\u2019s potential metaverse from Western models is its grounding in cultural contexts with profound meaning for millions. While Silicon Valley envisions virtual offices and digital asset speculation, India\u2019s early applications focus on democratizing experiences of profound cultural significance.
\nThis culturally rooted approach could ultimately prove more sustainable. By addressing genuine human needs \u2014 connection to heritage, participation in community rituals, access to experiences otherwise impossible due to distance or disability \u2014 India\u2019s metaverse initiatives may find the elusive \u201cwhy\u201d that has hampered mainstream adoption elsewhere.
\nOpinion by: Shubham Kukrety, co-founder and CEO at QuoteIt.
\nThis article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal or investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed here are the author\u2019s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.Read More<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Source: Cointelegraph.com NewsOpinion by: Shubham Kukrety, co-founder and CEO at QuoteIt\u00a0 Strange sights were seen as India recently concluded MahaKumbh, a Hindu congregation that occurs once every 144 years. Every… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125940"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=125940"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/125940\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=125940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=125940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/cryptospotters.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=125940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}