Meta in Talks to License VR Software to India’s Jio

An article from

A deal with India’s leading mobile service provider could be a key step in building a metaverse foundation in the region.

This could be a significant step for Meta’s broader metaverse ambitions.

According to a new report from The Information, Meta’s currently in talks to license its Horizon VR software to Indian tech giant Jio, which could open the door for Meta to bring its VR experiences to the Indian market.

As per The Information:

“The talks, which may not lead to a deal, center on Meta providing its Horizon software to power a VR device Jio would develop, two of the people said. Meta has been trying to get more companies to use Horizon OS, which it wants to establish as the dominant platform for VR, AR and mixed reality devices, technologies collectively known as XR.”

Jio is the leading Indian mobile service provider, with over 470 million users in the region. And as India’s technological infrastructure continues to evolve, that provides connection to a huge audience of people who are increasingly adopting social media platforms as a key medium for staying connected.

Indeed, India is now Facebook’s largest user market, and Instagram’s too. And as such, the country is set to play a major role in the future of Mark Zuckerberg’s expanding business empire.

Which, ideally, will also include his evolving metaverse vision.

Zuckerberg’s tempered his hype on the metaverse in favor of generative AI development, but interactive VR worlds remain a key focus for the company, and a major ambition for Zuck, as the next tech frontier.

And AI will play a significant role in that, too.

This week, Zuckerberg told an audience at South Park Commons that AI will essentially facilitate democratized VR creation, enabling anybody to create their own custom VR experience by simply speaking it into existence.

That would be a significant integration indeed, and if Zuck and Co. can ensure that they hold all the cards in VR development, it could become the foundational building block for the next stage of digital engagement.

Building in India is also key to that effort, and as such, this could be a major partnership that further solidifies Meta’s future.