

On an average, Indian consumers spend less than 2,000 rupees, or US $30, on a viewer. The AntVR headset, for example, retails for just 1,299 rupees on Amazon in India, which is less than US $20. Indian consumers buy virtual reality headsets mostly from online stores such as Amazon, Flipkart and Snapdeal. India has also recently become the world’s second largest smartphone market, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. The number of Internet users in India recently surpassed the United States, making India the second most connected country after China, according to noted venture capitalist Mary Meeker’s latest Internet Trends Report. “However, being one of the largest smartphone penetration country, India is poised to register substantial growth over the coming years.†€œCompared with top VR headsets markets globally such as the US, Euro and APAC, the Indian market is at a developing stage,” Mehrotra said.

When it first launched this past January, the first 10,000 bundles were sold in less than a second, and Lenovo recently announced that it has sold 100,000 AntVR viewers during the first four months of the year. India has also seen several key partnerships between smartphone and VR headset manufacturers recently.įor example, Lenovo is offering an AntVR headset bundled in with its mid-range K4 Note smartphone.

“Increasing demand for virtual reality technology among mobile users, introduction of entry-level VR headsets in the market and effective marketing from smartphone manufacturers have also boosted the India’s virtual reality market,” Anuj Mehrotra, senior research analyst at 6Wresearch-India Electronics Division told Hypergrid Business. “Increasing applications in segments such as healthcare, industrial, education, retail and marketing have also enhanced the demand.” Rising demand from gaming enthusiasts as well as recent handset launches from key smartphone players such as Samsung and Lenovo have also boosted the market, the report said. More than $3.4 million worth of virtual reality headsets were sold this year in India during the first quarter of the year, according to a report by market intelligence and advisory firm 6Wresearch.Īccording to their report, growth was driven by advancements in computer technology and internet connectivity coupled with increasing investments in virtual reality technology and growing application segments across the media and entertainment industry.
