Snapchat may have started as a platform for ephemeral messaging, but today, it’s at the forefront of augmented reality innovation. In India, where Gen Z’s 377 million-strong population thrives on visual expression, Snap’s AR ecosystem is flourishing—from interactive shopping experiences to immersive cultural storytelling. But beyond playful Lenses and face filters, what’s next for AR in India? Can it truly transform how we learn, shop, and connect? Srivatsan Jayasankar, Head of AR and Partnerships for India at Snap Inc., breaks down the company’s vision, the hurdles in scaling AR wearables, and how Indian developers are turning AR into a thriving industry.
PD: What's the most impactful way Snap's early AR bets have set the stage for the explosion of AR we're seeing in India today? Where are the truly exciting, unexpected areas of growth?
Srivatsan Jayasankar: Let me take a step back and walk you through how our founders thought of Snap and then our AR journey. So, Snapchat was built during the dawn of social media when people were starting to feel pressured to post just the perfect stuff. Social media was becoming a popularity contest with users chasing likes, comments and followers. Snapchat was designed to offer people an alternative. Ephemerality, privacy, and connecting with real friends were early Snapchat tenets.
Snapchat also opens into the camera and offers a fast, fun way to communicate visually with friends and family, to share the moment, in the moment.
The other thing the camera does is to make everyone a creator; every time you open the platform, it facilitates ease of creation.
At Snap, we believe great technology enhances our lives and provides new ways to deepen and expand relationships with friends, family, and the world around us. Augmented reality can transform how we see ourselves and our world. It gives us an opportunity to be creative and express ourselves in completely new ways.
Like ephemeral messaging, Stories, and vertical video, Snap pioneered augmented reality and scaled it to millions of daily active users.
AR has massive potential to change the way people view and interact with the real world. While our AR technology began as a playful tool for self-expression, it’s now transforming the way people experience the world and how businesses grow — including how we learn, shop, and even experience shared live events.
In India, this early investment has fueled massive adoption - India's Gen Z, 377 million strong, is now the nation's largest generation and is one-fifth of the global Gen Z population. What's particularly interesting is their communication style. Our research indicates a clear preference for visual expression. We've found that four out of five Gen Z individuals in India use images, GIFs, and other immersive visuals to communicate and connect with their peers."
In India, where over 85% of Snapchatters in India use Lenses for festivals and connecting with loved ones, the creative energy is undeniable.
Snap's AR ecosystem is booming with over 375,000 creators worldwide building nearly 4 million AR Lenses, resulting in over three trillion views with an average of 6 billion AR interactions daily. India’s AR developer community is remarkable with gthe rowth of the creator network coming from not only capital cities but also other towns including Goraya, Prayagraj, Cochin, Ambala, to name a few.
Snap is also deeply invested in expanding AR adoption across India, including Tier 2 and 3 cities. Localised initiatives, like Lens Studio training meet-ups in cities like Surat, Coimbatore, Rajkot, Trichy, Trivandrum, and Gwalior to name a few, are empowering aspiring creators to build their first Lenses and start their AR journeys. Snap has hosted 120+ meetups in 2024, reaching over 6000+ AR Developers.
PD: What's the biggest hurdle Snap faces in making wearable AR glasses a mainstream reality, and how are you tackling that? What will the 'killer app' be that convinces people they need AR glasses on their face?
Srivatsan Jayasankar: For the past decade we have said that one of our key long-term strategic priorities is leading in augmented reality, as we believe it represents the future of computing.
Today, the bulk of AR activity takes place on a smartphone, which is constrained by a small screen and doesn’t allow for direct interaction with one’s hands, or each other.
Despite that, our AR offerings are driving major impact today, and we lead in three areas: the mass-use scale of our AR with over 300 million people engaging with augmented reality on Snapchat every day.
We believe that the form factor through which consumers use AR will evolve into something already regularly worn by billions of people—glasses. Many large companies today are building a variety of goggle-inspired wearables, largely placing you in a separate, virtual world. However, we offer a differentiated and more focused vision: where people prefer to use computing through “see-through,” AR glasses that augment the real world we love and share with our friends.
This version of Spectacles illustrates our strong progress on this journey, showcasing unmatched technical leadership across both software, through Snap OS, our new AR operating system and hardware. Our progress in creating a self-sustaining ecosystem of AR developers of over 375K AR creators has now built 4M+ experiences through Lens Studio, our AR authoring tool.
So our long-term strategy is to invest in both the software and the hardware for wearable AR, so that we can lead and be well-positioned for the platform shift from mobile phones to wearables.
PD: "Anybody Can Develop" sounds great, but what are the real-world barriers facing aspiring AR developers in India – think internet access, skill gaps, etc.? What's Snap doing beyond workshops and tutorials to actively solve these problems and create a level playing field?
Srivatsan Jayasankar: India’s AR developer community is remarkable with the growth of the creator network coming from not only capital cities but also other towns including Goraya, Prayagraj, Cochin, and Ambala, to name a few.
Snap team is also working with educational institutions to nurture young talent with vital creative digital skills and this year has partnered with K.J. Somaiya- Mumbai, Pearl Academy Bangalore, Mumbai & Delhi, Loyola College- Chennai These partnerships provide a unique opportunity to build the creative digital skills that are vital for advancing mixed reality and driving innovation in the evolving XR landscape.
PD: AR try-ons are cool, but are they really changing the game for shoppers? Can you name an Indian brand(s) that's using Snap's AR shopping tools in a way that's genuinely innovative and driving significant results, and what specific metrics prove that?
Srivatsan Jayasankar: AR enables brands to engage more deeply with consumers with immersive ‘shop anywhere’ experiences including AR Try-ons. They make the experience about YOU - not just about the product, from this looks good to this looks good on me. And the data backs this up - 4/5 of brands using AR report it drives sales, helps acquire new customers, and boosts key performance metrics.
Today, there are many ways for Snapchatters to engage across the app, use Shoppable and try on Lenses from brands and creators and learn more about brands and retailers on their Public Profile. We’ve built a proven track record in sponsored AR, delivering both dynamic, attention-grabbing moments and sustained, high-ROI everyday engagement for brands - with a pace of AR innovation that’s unmatched.
In India, we have had many brands leveraging AR on a regular basis to connect with Gen Z. Take Ajio and Myntra, or Coca-Cola – they're all leveraging AR to create more interactive and memorable shopping experiences. And we've seen some innovative campaigns like Britannia Treat Croissant's "Croissant Pronunciation Challenge" which drove engagement and brand awareness by gamifying the experience. The JioCinema partnership for the IPL season brought live score updates and larger-than-life team characters directly into the Snapchat experience, connecting fans in a unique and relevant way. Hindustan Unilever and Mindshare used Snapchat AR to bring Lakmé's Rouge Bloom Collection to life, letting users virtually try on makeup.
PD: How is Snap actually helping Indian creators turn their AR skills into sustainable businesses? Can you share a specific success story of an Indian Lens Creator who's genuinely thriving thanks to Snap's platform and support, and how is Snap helping them connect with relevant brands for collaborations?
Srivatsan Jayasankar: Snap isn’t just helping creators develop AR skills - we’re turning AR development into a career path as well.
A great success story is that of Persica Picardo, co-founder of XRFX Studio. She started using Lens Studio in 2018 and today runs a studio, employs people from across India, and recently hit a $100,000 revenue milestone.
SLNs like Krunal Dhediya and Vivek Thakur have worked with music labels and TV shows to build interactive lenses.
This demonstrates how AR is transforming brand engagement and digital experiences.