IIIT Hyderabad selected for XR startup programme

HYDERABAD: MeitY Start-up Hub (MSH) and Meta have selected IIIT Hyderabad Foundation (CIE) as the implementation partner from the southern zone for the XR (extended reality) start-up programme.

The MSH, an initiative of the Union ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), and Meta, said the initiative focuses on skilling and building technological capabilities for the metaverse and will help shape the ecosystem for emerging technologies, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).

The accelerator programme will support 40 early-stage start-ups working in XR technologies with a grant of Rs. 20 lakh each. They said a challenge will encourage early-stage innovators in sectors like education, learning and skills, healthcare, gaming and entertainment, agritech & climate action and tourism & sustainability.

Speaking on the occasion, Union minister of state for electronics & information technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “It is an important milestone in the area of Metaverse which is an important part of the emerging future of the internet.”