REALITY Actions for India's businesses and policymakers to leverage immersive technologies responsibly - Accenture
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REALITY VIRTUAL IS THE NEW Actions for India’s businesses and policymakers to leverage immersive technologies responsibly
India’s spend on extended reality (XR) technologies is experiencing
significant growth. The impact of these technologies—augmented
reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR)—is being felt across
myriad industries, notably healthcare, hospitality, education and retail. No
doubt, XR could usher in improved safety for workers, enhanced customer
experience and advanced learning. However, it could also exacerbate
cyberattacks and privacy breaches since such immersive technologies
leverage sensitive data that could be misused. For XR to flourish
responsibly in India, policymakers, entrepreneurs and behavioral experts,
among others, must form ecosystems that provide a secure infrastructure
and strong incentives to encourage innovation and wider adoption.
Extended Reality’s Potential
Gets Real
Globally, XR is poised to be a US$160 billion penetration—a key driving factor—which is
industry by 2023.1 In India, the XR spending expected to double during the same timeframe
will exceed US$6.5 billion by 2022 from under (Figure 1).2,3
US$2 billion in 2020 due to growing smartphone
7,000
6,523
6,000
5,000
CAGR
4,000
85.2%
XR Market Size 3,520
(in US$ million)
3,000
2,000 1,920
1,033
1,000
554
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Figure 1: XR takes off in India
While this growth is fueled by burgeoning springing up in the past couple of years alone.4
demand, the supply side factors are keeping Not surprisingly, most of the startups are based
pace. Currently, there are more than 170 AR in metros and serve large corporations across
and VR startups in India, with some 60 percent industries (Figure 2).
2Oil & Gas
Hindustan Petroleum, an oil & gas
giant, has set up an XR facility at its
Petroleum House Learning Centre.6
It provides an interactive and Real Estate
simulated environment to practice
XR is helping enhance
field situations in functions
Infrastructure such as Refinery and Depot. It’s
customer experience at
Lodha Group, an established
helping address the challenges of
Larsen & Toubro, a leading real estate player in India.7
traditional training methods that
infrastructure player in India, Most real estate companies are
are fraught with difficulty, risks and
uses XR to educate its laborers unable to deliver projects on
come at a huge expense.
on how to operate safely at time and fail to communicate
construction sites.5 The result? the actual progress to the
L&T’s laborers’ fatality rate buyers. Lodha’s XR content will
has dropped to zero, safety help customers view the actual
awareness has increased by progress made on
90%, and training costs have the project.
declined by 60% (versus
on-site trainings that are
expensive, time-consuming
and not as effective).
Retail Education
Online furniture player Urban India’s top education app
Ladder has pioneered the Byju’s recently acquired an
use of AR with its mobile app Hospitality educational gaming startup
Living Spaces.8 The app helps called Osmo.10 Osmo has
customers to virtually place OYO Hotels, the popular hotel
chain in India, is experimenting developed a gaming-based
the selected furniture in their learning approach for children
rooms to check if it meets their with XR for enriched customer
experience.9 It aims to help guests aged 4–11 years. Its AR device
requirements. The app is helping mounts on an iPad and enables
the company make furniture experience staying in a room even
before booking it. To bring these children to interact with their
selection easy and minimize the environment without touching
chances of returns. technologies to life, OYO runs a
proprietary property management the screen.
software called OYO OS at its
partner hotels.
Figure 2: How Indian companies are putting AR/VR to use
These XR use cases are just the tip of the captured as data for new uses—or misused in the
opportunity iceberg. As business leaders wrong hands. And the costs—physical, mental
continue to evangelize XR in India, the and social—of fixing mistakes or compensating
opportunities will grow in frequency and size. for misuses could be steep. Clearly, XR must
be built and deployed in a responsible, secure
However, XR also presents new, under-explored environment. That XR is at a nascent stage
risks. The blurring of physical and virtual in India is a silver lining as stakeholders can
boundaries poses urgent questions around evaluate the potential risks upfront and develop
reality, trust and mental health. Our intimate public policies or design technological solutions
feelings, behaviors and judgments may be to prevent, or at least mitigate, those risks.
3Greater Engagement
Comes with New Risks
Let’s take a look at four key risks that XR presents:
Allows Access to Sensitive Data
XR adds more complexity to the data-driven world of business.
While data related to personal identity and digital credentials have been
on companies’ radar, XR opens up new frontiers of sensitive data centered
on feelings, behavior and reactions that can be captured and monetized.
But such data has high potential of being misused by motivated players.
The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 (also known as PDP) is a step in
the right direction to protect such data as it not only covers personally
identifiable data, but also sensitive data such as health records, biometrics,
as wells as religious and political beliefs.11
Facilitates Fake Experiences
In today’s world, digitally disseminated news, whether fake or real, spreads
like wildfire and influences opinions and decisions. According to a survey,
one out of two Indians said they had received fake news in the 30 days
leading up to an election.12 Such fake experiences could result in political,
economic and social risks, apart from creating burdens for stakeholders.
For example, YouTube recently had to commit US$25 million to get rid of
fake news on its website.13 Wider adoption of immersive technologies
could exacerbate the issue of people falling for fake experiences and
acting upon them.
Heightens Vulnerability to Cyberattacks
In 2018, India fell prey to an average of 1,852 cyberattacks per minute.14
The average cost per breached record in India is US$64, a substantial
loss, according to the Data Security Council of India.15 With XR promising
to enable many critical use cases such as remote surgery and field
monitoring, the risks of sensitive data hacks and extortion are not limited
to business loss alone—they could potentially cost lives!
Exacerbates Cyberbullying
According to a survey conducted by Symantec in India, nearly
80 percent of the respondents said they faced some form of
cyberbullying. Of them, roughly 63 percent faced online abuses and
insults, while 59 percent were subjected to false rumors and gossips
that hurt their image.16 Moreover, 37 percent of parents in India—higher
than in any other country in the world—believe their children have been
cyberbullied.17 Given that children’s use of technology is on the rise,
an immersive environment with virtual characters could provide fertile
grounds for heightened cyberbullying, damaging their mental health and
well-being.
4Actions for Businesses
and Policymakers
While the risks posed by extensive use of XR will manifest themselves as we go further along,
companies and policymakers need to address those risks as timely and optimally as they possibly
can. Responsibility and ethics must be baked into the way XR solutions are built and designed, and
not after they are deployed. Here are three ways in which businesses and policymakers can manage
those risks:
01 Bring in the Experts 02 Accelerate Wider Adoption
An immersive environment is complex; with the Right Infrastructure
it involves emotions, impulses and behavioral For responsible XR to thrive, policymakers in
reactions, which need careful assessment by India must enable a conducive infrastructure
experts if companies are to design responsible comprising elements such as high-speed
XR solutions.18 While business leaders chalk connectivity, content, device and apps. High-
out a market vision for XR, they must consider speed connectivity—critical for applications
other factors such as mental health, social and such as remote surgeries where even a few
behavioral risks, and regulatory policies that seconds’ lag could have severe ramifications
could come into play in virtual settings. for human life—calls for a robust telecom/
An ecosystem based on alliances and broadband infrastructure. Businesses need such
partnerships with diverse experts, from infrastructure to create cost-effective devices
neuroscientists and psychologists to lawmakers and apps that are affordable for the masses.
and entrepreneurs, could provide the ideal Some regions have basic infrastructure necessary
structure for designing and deploying to leverage XR successfully. InGage Inc. develops
responsible XR solutions. specific XR content for the Tamil Nadu’s police
department to help train employees more
Business leaders could also become members effectively for crime scene investigations.20
of XR associations and consortiums to discuss
best practices with industry peers. One such
03 Incentivize Innovation
association is IAMAI (Internet and Mobile
Association of India), which recently formed Policymakers could become catalysts in the
an expert committee to focus on developing development of XR through effective and
and promoting an AR/VR ecosystem in India. targeted measures. In a developing country
The committee aims to work with the Indian like India, they could offer policy support
government, industry and startups to foster for incubation centers that nurture socially
innovation in this space.19 responsible companies, which offer skill-
building, health, education, employment
opportunities, and more. The Kerala government-
backed incubator—Kerala Startup Mission
(KSUM)—has set up an XR Center of Excellence
in partnership with cross-platform gaming
company Unity. KSUM provides funding to
several XR startups along with free access to the
commercial licenses of Unity, a 3D development
platform that offers developers the tools to
create interactive 2D, 3D, VR and
AR experiences.21
5Securing the Virtual Future
Immersive technologies must be developed responsibly to ensure
wider adoption and acceptance. That calls for business leaders,
policymakers and other stakeholders in India to be aligned on a shared
vision and execute it to provide a secure, nurturing environment
for such technologies to grow and thrive. In such an ecosystem,
businesses could focus on customer experience or product value, while
policymakers could make data security a priority. An organized effort by
all parties would benefit customers and help scale these technologies
more rapidly, paving the way for their successful rollout in the country.
6References
1. IDC, Commercial and Public Sector Investments 13. Ivan Mehta, The Next Web, It’s not just WhatsApp –
Will Drive Worldwide AR/VR Spending to $160 India’s fake news problem plagues several popular social
Billion in 2023, According to a New IDC Spending networks, December 2018, https://thenextweb.com/
Guide, June 4, 2019, https://www.idc.com/getdoc. in/2019/01/29/its-not-just-whatsapp-indias-fake-news-
jsp?containerId=prUS45123819 problem-plagues-several-popular-social-networks/
2. Nasscom, Growth of Immersive Media – 14. News18, 1,852 Cyber Attacks Hit India Each Minute Last
A Reality Check, 2019, https://www.nasscom.in/ Year; Mumbai, Delhi Most Affected, September 3, 2018,
knowledge-center/publications/growth-immersive- https://www.news18.com/news/tech/1852-cyber-attacks-
media-reality-check hit-india-each-minute-last-year-mumbai-delhi-most-
affected-2295963.html
3. Business Standard, Number Of Smartphone Users In
India Likely To Double To 859 Million By 2022, May 15. Yatti Soni, Inc42. India Second Most Affected Country
10, 2019, https://www.business-standard.com/article/ Due To Cyber Attacks: Report, May 3, 2019, https://inc42.
news-cm/number-of-smartphone-users-in-india-likely-to- com/buzz/cyber-attacks-india/
double-to-859-million-by-2022-119051000458_1.html
16. Incognito Forensic Foundation, How to Prevent Cyber
4. Amit Mozar, The Virtual Assist. Immersion VR fest 2019: Bullying – Anti-Cyber bullying Laws in India, https://ifflab.
Shaping India’s AR/VR Growth Story, March 3, 2019, org/how-to-prevent-cyber-bullying-anti-cyber-bullying-
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vr-conference/
17. The Wire, Indian Children Most Cyber-Bullied in the
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case-study/ indian-children-most-cyber-bullied-in-the-world-study
6. Hindustan Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation 18. Laurence Morvan, Armen Ovanessoff, Marc Carrel-
Limited Sustainability Report 2018-19, https://www. Billiard, Francis Hintermann, Accenture, A responsible
hindustanpetroleum.com/documents/pdf/HPCL_ future for immersive technologies, May 15, 2019,
Sustainability_Report_2018-19.pdf https://www.accenture.com/in-en/insights/technology/
responsible-immersive-technologies
7. Riya Pahuja, The Economic Times, Here’s how Lodha
Group delivers seamless customer experience, projects 19. Money Control, IAMAI forms AR/VR committee to
on time, August 27, 2019, https://cio.economictimes. promote the technologies in India, October 29, 2018,
indiatimes.com/news/strategy-and-management/ https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/technology/iamai-
heres-how-lodha-group-delivers-seamless-customer- forms-arvr-committee-to-promote-the-technologies-in-
experience-projects-on-time/70843126 india-3099341.html
8. Urban Ladder, https://www.urbanladder.com/living- 20. Ingage, Case Study: Tamil Nadu Police Training Academy,
spaces October 16, 2019, https://www.myingage.com/tamil-
nadu-police-project-case-study/
9. Nandita Mathur, Live Mint, AR, VR can help guests make
the right selection: OYO’s Anil Goel, November 25, 2019, 21. Aman Rawat, Inc42, Here’s Why Kerala Might Become
https://www.livemint.com/companies/start-ups/ar-vr- India’s Hub For AR/VR, November 16, 2019, https://inc42.
can-help-guests-make-the-right-selection-oyo-s-anil- com/buzz/heres-why-kerala-might-become-indias-hub-
goel-11574675729993.html for-ar-vr/
10. Bhavya Kaushal, Entrepreneur, Byju’s Acquires California-
based Educational Gaming Start-up, January 17, 2019,
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/326499
11. Nishith Desai Associates, Augmented, Virtual and Mixed
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nishithdesai.com/fileadmin/user_upload/pdfs/Research_
Papers/Augmented_Virtual_and_Mixed_Reality.pdf
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economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/lok-
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facebook-whatsapp/articleshow/68798051.cms
7AUTHORS REKHA M. MENON Chairman and Senior Managing Director Accenture in India rekha.m.menon@accenture.com PRADEEP ROY Principal Director Accenture Research p.roy@accenture.com SHRUTI SHALINI Research Manager Accenture Research shruti.shalini@accenture.com ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors would like to thank Gargi Chakrabarty, Gaurav Khetan and Armen Ovanessoff from Accenture Research for their contributions to this report. About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries – powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. With 505,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients improve their performance and create lasting value across their enterprises. Visit us at www.accenture.com About Accenture Research Accenture Research shapes trends and creates data-driven insights about the most pressing issues global organizations face. Combining the power of innovative research techniques with a deep understanding of our clients’ industries, our team of 300 researchers and analysts spans 20 countries and publishes hundreds of reports, articles and points of view every year. Our thought-provoking research — supported by proprietary data and partnerships with leading organizations such as MIT and Harvard Business School — guides our innovations and allows us to transform theories and fresh ideas into real-world solutions for our clients. For more information, visit www.accenture.com/research Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are registered trademarks of Accenture.
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