Ram Madhvani on Blending VR, AI and Bharat

Virtual Reality in India has long been seen as a futuristic gaming gimmick flashy, expensive, and niche. But that’s changing. Host Anirban Chowdhury and ETs Rajesh Naidu talk to national award winning film maker Ram Madhvani (Neerja, Aarya) who is reimagining VR as a cultural and spiritual experience. His latest project? A five-minute immersive film on the Bhagavad Gita not for streaming, but to be experienced through VR headsets in temples, forts, and museums across India. With plans to roll out 100 such films by 2028 and place headsets in cultural hubs, Madhvani wants to democratize VR not through Silicon Valley, but through Bharat. Priced at just ₹100, these bite-sized experiences could bring in pilgrims, students, and families, not just gamers and techies. As India’s spiritual tourism surges and the government pushes cultural pride, could this be the unlikely tipping point for VR adoption in the country? We dive into the vision, the tech, the economics and the big bet on storytelling as India’s gateway to the metaverse.

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