Reliance Jio to launch its own dedicated VR app in 2018

The new entrant in the telecom industry, Reliance Jio, has been disrupting the mobile world since it launched back in 2016. While it has ignited intense competition in the telecom space, it is working to create more stir in the mobile handset segment. In fact, the company has already managed to create some buzz with the launch of JioPhone.

However, it seems the Mukesh Ambani-led company is now planning to launch its own Virtual Reality (VR) app in 2018. And to achieve this, Reliance Jio is hoping to collaborate with experts at Birmingham City University in England.

Aiming to explore potential partnerships in the future, the Head and Creative Director of Jio Studios, Aditya Bhat and Ankit Sharma respectively, visited the university on Wednesday to learn more about how it is training the next generation of Virtual Reality (VR) professionals.

From what it looks like the Jio executives are keen on establishing a new partnership where they will be able to make the best use of the technology and which they could incorporate in their own platform as well. It could possibly be on a smartphone making it VR or AR ready device.
Apart from this, the Founder and Managing Director of philmCGI, Anand Bhanushali, also spent time with senior academics of the university as part of a visit organized by the UK's Department of International Trade.

Just to give you a backdrop, philmCGI is an animation studio based out of Mumbai with some 90 artists that provide computer-generated images and visual effects services in films and television for some of the biggest studios in Europe and Asia. Apparently, this studio is also expanding its offer in VR and Augmented Reality (AR).

The visit seems to be beneficial as Bhanushali has revealed, "Today we have discussed a number of opportunities for collaboration." In a positive tone, "Birmingham City University has state-of-the-art media facilities; it is no wonder so many Indian students want to come to the UK to study! Lots of innovative solutions can be developed when applying fresh minds to companies such as ourselves," he added.