Will Metaverse impact the media industry in India was the question asked recently in a LinkedIn poll and 68% of the participants answered yes. The metaverse is a virtual reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment. We are all now connected with our phones, laptops and tablets. According to experts, the metaverse will evolve more interactivity with our actions. Human profiles will be represented by Avatars, which will be an extension of something like the real world.
The LinkedIn survey included journalists and journalism students among the respondents. All of them were eager to commit to this declaration that Metaverse was going to change their world of work. But at what level was the next question. And a lot of them got confused at that time.
“Metaverse will take media beyond its traditional print, TV, mobile or web businesses. This will open up a new platform and create opportunities for monetizing digital assets – be it news, images, etc. and marketing campaigns,” said AC Ganesh. He has experience working with print and digital media and is now experimenting with artificial intelligence for communications.
“When the platform becomes more user-friendly, it will be a challenge for the media industry to be in the middle. The old days of access control will lead to door watching and door opening said Dr. Nithin Kalorth, Associate Professor, Times School of Media, Bennett University in Greater Noida.
There is a distinct difference of opinion among working journalists in India on the impact of the metaverse on the media industry. They think it will take time for India to adapt to this new technique. The old school folks won’t let things go fast and once again we will be left unattended!
It was the pandemic that made us realize the need for more immersive experiences – beyond traditional text-based communication platforms, like using remote conferencing and telepresence tools, like Zoom and others, soared. People’s urge to interact with other beings has increased during the frequent lockdowns.
We could change the way we tell stories using Metaverse. AR/VR and other immersive technologies, you can touch/feel and experience the news.
Our working journalists have started using Voice to Text technology which they have found very useful. Technology really helps them save time. Google Lens is a marvel for many of them. AI-based apps that help with video production are also in demand. Audio recording with multiple channels is being tested.
The media industry in India is vibrant and will surely experiment with new technologies as it is launched in the country. The development of an ideal multidimensional virtual world will be gradual.
Infosys recently announced its Metaverse Foundry. The company aims to create platforms that will allow companies in various industries to create their own personalized virtual environments. India’s largest software services company has started working on the development of the metaverse. TCS has also joined the bandwagon in creating metaverse experiences in verticals such as online shopping and workplace experiences, among others. Tech Mahindra launched TechMVerse, to promote metaverse-based commerce solutions.
