Indian manufacturers ready to foray into VR

Virtual reality, the goggles-like device that fully block your view of the "real" world and allow you to see only the "virtual" world projected through a screen, is flourishing steadily and Indian markets are set to join the trending business with low-cost VR devices.  However, with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive already there in the market, low-cost VR devices will have to come up with improvised versions to set their foot in.

Karbonn, a telecommunications company in India, has made an initial investment into the VR field with two low-cost VR glasses-equipped smartphones last week. While the Karbonn Quattro L52 smartphone VR device is priced at Rs 8,490, Karbonn Mach Six will come at a price of Rs 7,490 - giving Samsung Gear VR device that currently costs Rs 8,200 tough competition. Both the Karbonn devices currently have two games - "Lamper VR First Flight" and "Deep Space VR" - and come with pre-embedded apps with which users can create their own VR videos.

#Karbonn Titanium Mach Six pre-loaded with VR curated & bundled with virtual reality headset https://t.co/9VnTz71arD pic.twitter.com/R2rQkeleGW

— Smartprix.com (@Smartprix) April 11, 2016

Karbonn Mobiles executive director Shashin Devsare said, "Karbonn's VR glasses available with Karbonn Quattro L52 and Mach Six are an effort to address this challenge by bringing VR technology to consumers across the economic spectrum at disruptive price points in the under Rs 10,000 bracket."

According to a recent report, the global VR market is anticipated to touch an estimated $120 billion by 2020. With the ever-expanding smartphone market, VR technology offers huge growth potential in India; however, affordability will be the key to encouraging mass adoption of the VR experience.

Vishal Tripathi, research director at global market consultancy firm, Gartner said, "With low-cost VR devices, at least people will know what VR is. They will be able to experience the immersive VR because Indian devices will prove more cost-effective."

"The low-cost VR devices can easily reach the large youth population. Had these affordable devices not been launched, the Indian masses would not have started experiencing VR. However, if the Indian players later start using a better VR technology then they will be able to create a real 'rift.' In India, VR adoption is in an initial stage and the country has a huge geographical and economical divide. Not everyone is looking to buy a Rs.20, 000 VR devices," Tripathi said.

While Oculus Rift and HTC Vive come with a standing-on-the-edge-experience, Indian VR makers seem ready to create a niche space when VR becomes real in India. "We are optimistic about the consumer response and are confident that Karbonn's range of VR smartphones will be a key factor in bringing the benefits of VR technology to the masses," Devsare added.