Musician A.R. Rahman’s launch of the ARR Immersive App on Apple Vision Pro signals a shift in India’s immersive-media landscape, with industry experts saying the technology is moving beyond experimentation to become a legitimate storytelling medium.
“We're beginning to see meaningful experimentation across entertainment, advertising and cultural storytelling. While India is still at an early stage compared to some global markets, what's exciting is that we're building experiences rooted in our own stories rather than simply replicating international trends,” said Amita Madhvani, producer and co-owner of Equinox Films and Ram Madhvani Films.
Equinox Virtual is exploring immersive storytelling through artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR), beginning with projects inspired by Indian mythology—an adaptation of the Bhagavad Gita—and cultural narratives, she added. “Immersive storytelling opens up new commercial possibilities, and at the same time, it enables creators to engage audiences who may never experience a story through traditional cinema or television,” Madhvani added.
Brands such as IKEA India, Myntra and Tanishq have also used augmented reality (AR) to create interactive shopping experiences, while Star Sports has experimented with 360-degree viewing and fan engagement. Such immersive technologies can deepen audience engagement, strengthen fan communities and help brands position themselves as early adopters of a new medium.
However, monetization is still limited because VR headsets remain expensive and producing immersive content requires significant investment. Moreover, multiple legal challenges persist.
Pratish Mepani, founder and creative director, Starting Monday Design and Branding Co., said experimentation is happening across the country in music, gaming, film promotion, events, branded experiences, cultural storytelling and virtual concerts. Most of it is still in the early stages, but that is true of every emerging medium.
“Today, the revenue opportunity is still relatively niche because the hardware ecosystem is also relatively small. Devices like Apple Vision Pro are still expensive and not yet mass-market," he said.
However, he added, the larger opportunity lies in audience engagement. Traditional entertainment asked people to watch. Immersive entertainment invites people to participate, completely changing the relationship.
A tool in repertoire
Many see these more as new creative and experiential frontiers than a substantial standalone revenue stream in India.
Chaaya Baradhwaaj, founder-managing director at BC Web Wise, said revenue opportunities can come through branded commissions, sponsorships, premium ticketed installations, gaming, licensing, virtual merchandise, location-based entertainment and immersive extensions of films or concerts.
For a creator with a strong global following, an immersive experience can also deepen fandom and create a premium layer around existing intellectual property. But the addressable audience for headset-dependent content remains small, she added.
“It would therefore be premature for most Indian creators to build a business model that relies primarily on consumers paying directly for VR content. The more realistic opportunity is to use immersive technology as one layer within a larger entertainment or brand ecosystem,” Baradhwaaj said.
A film could offer an immersive scene at a premiere or fan event. A musician could create a spatial concert experience for select audiences. A showroom could allow people to experience a product or environment that cannot physically be displayed. In these situations, the technology enhances an existing commercial proposition rather than being expected to create a market on its own, she explained.
Archisman Misra, founder and chief executive of StudioBackdrops, agreed that what immersive work pays for, right now, is access. It gets a studio in the room with a brand that wants to look forward-thinking. Those are worth having. They are just not the same thing as income, he said.
Legal limitations
That said, there are multiple challenges. According to Ankit Rajgarhia, partner, Bahuguna Law Associates, these experiences are far more complex than traditional films or music. Creators need to obtain licences not only for music and performances but also for software, 3D assets, audio and other digital content.
Further, there is the question of the chain of rights. Ankit Sahni, partner, Ajay Sahni & Associates, said legally, a conventional agreement permitting a film, recording or performance may not necessarily confer the right to create an interactive adaptation, 360-degree recording, spatial-audio version, avatar or digital double. Further, personality rights will become particularly significant. Creating a photorealistic avatar, a synthetic voice, or continuing a virtual performance by an actor or musician raises questions concerning consent, duration, permitted contexts, alteration, and posthumous use.
“Content moderation, age-gating tools, and appropriate disclaimers may be necessary depending on the nature of the content delivered through the platform. Immersive experiences can result in the collection of significant amounts of user data, which necessitates compliance with applicable data protection laws," said Aarushi Jain, partner (head - media, education and gaming), Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas.
"Also, any harm that may be caused to a consumer on account of such engagement, for example, the physical or psychological impact of an experience, could raise challenges vis-à-vis accountability and liability,” she added.