Reimagining Travel and Faith: India’s XR Startups Lead a New Era in Heritage and Tourism

India's Extended Reality (XR) startups are transforming the way heritage, tourism, and spiritual experiences are accessed and enjoyed. As of mid-2025, a new generation of startups is merging XR, AR, and VR to empower virtual tourism, cultural storytelling, and spiritual discovery, making these experiences accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.

Trailblazers in XR Tourism & Heritage

• Augtraveler: Augtraveler is a next-gen travel platform that uses immersive, GPS-triggered storytelling and XR technologies to enhance experiences across cultural heritage, spiritual tourism, and nature exploration. It offers both on-site and virtual journeys in multiple languages, emphasizing sustainability and place-based learning.

  The platform’s Culture Haat initiative involves local communities—artists, artisans, chefs, and guides—to create circular economies and safeguard living traditions. Through a gamified, school-focused outreach, Augtraveler also inspires young people to become future cultural stewards with SDG-aligned learning trails.

  Augtraveler supports key Sustainable Development Goals

  Recognized with awards and international coverage, Augtraveler is pioneering responsible travel for a more sustainable and connected future.

• Who VR™ (Bangalore): Raises the bar for heritage preservation, fusing VR/AR with 3D scanning to create deep-dive interactive models and bring India’s majestic sites to global audiences.

• LumeXR: Winner at the WAVES 2025 XR Creator Hackathon, LumeXR’s blended-reality digital travel guide is redefining virtual exploration of Indian locales with 3D mapping and cultural narratives.

• Metacity World: At the intersection of the metaverse and real world, Metacity World’s 3D cityscapes blend tourism, real estate, and live events in persistent, interactive digital cities.

Innovators in Spiritual & Devotional XR

• Durlabh Darshan: Recognized as a spiritual-tech pioneer, it delivers high-fidelity XR darshan and remote ritual participation for a connected global diaspora.

• VAMA & AppsForBharat: Enable digital temple visits, virtual “kathas,” and e-puja, empowering millions to experience devotion and celebration, regardless of distance.

• Bharat VR by Trikonantara Innovation Technology Pvt. Ltd.:

  Standing at the forefront, Bharat VR meticulously reconstructs ancient temples in Unreal Engine using advanced 3D modeling, photogrammetry, and historical storytelling. Bharat VR -“Beyond Heritage Augmented Realities in Ancient Temples” unlocks emotional, culturally sensitive virtual temple journeys—especially for lesser-known or fading sites—serving students, researchers, and heritage enthusiasts worldwide.

  
  

State Initiatives and the Growing Ecosystem

• Madhya Pradesh’s AVGC-XR Policy 2025:

  An ambitious state initiative integrates AR/VR across its heritage and wildlife circuits, targeting $240 million in investment and 20,000+ jobs, accelerating the startup surge in immersive tourism.

• Meta & MeitY XR Startup Program:

  Supported by major grants and mentoring, this program empowers 40+ emerging XR startups to advance innovation in education, healthcare, tourism, and devotion.

  
  

Transformative Trends

• The demand for VR pilgrimages, immersive temple tourism, and virtual darshan has surged, driven by post-pandemic accessibility needs and new technologies.

• Major travel platforms like MakeMyTrip and Ixigo now offer virtual tours and live streaming of pilgrimage events, broadening spiritual and cultural reach.

• Startups like Augtraveler are recognized for SDG-aligned tourism innovation, leveraging AR/VR not only for global travelers, but also for experiential learning and heritage preservation in schools.