Snap Inc., the parent company of Snapchat, hosted its inaugural APAC AR Day in Mumbai on Monday, showcasing its development in Augmented Reality (AR) and highlighting the contributions of its AR creator and developer community. The event also shed light on Snap’s ongoing work in AR for both users and brands.
Evan Spiegel, Snap chief executive and co-founder, made a surprise appearance as he visits India after five years.
“I love the energy of the young and vibrant Indian developer community. With over 200 million Snapchatters in India, we’re witnessing more creators, developers, and brands tapping into our community’s passion for augmented reality experiences. We’re excited to be building the future with such incredible local talent,” said Spiegel during a conversation with Snap APAC President Ajit Mohan.
Spiegel highlighted the challenge of generating 3D assets for AR and emphasised the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to reduce the barrier to creating these assets. He expressed the immense opportunity in providing AR experiences for self-expression and learning about the world, whether through partnerships with brands for wider distribution or for creative enjoyment.
“One of the things that we found early on with AR was it’s very hard to generate 3D assets and takes a long period of time to build all those 3D assets. So how can we use AI to actually reduce the barrier of creation for those 3D assets,” Spiegel said.
The event featured sessions led by expert speakers, including Ty Ahmad-Taylor, Snap’s VP Product Growth, Resh Sidhu, Global Director Arcadia, Snap’s AR Creative Studio, Haran Ramachandran, Snap’s APAC Head of Creative Strategy, and Jeremy Voss, Snap’s Director of Product.
‘Snap AR getting traction in India’
Snap AR is expanding its footprint in India, with over 250 million people engaging with AR on Snapchat daily, the multimedia messaging platform said. The Snap AR creator community in India witnessed a 60% growth in 2022 and is expected to continue flourishing in 2024, attracting talented AR creators from diverse backgrounds, it added.
Snapchat plans to launch special Diwali-themed AR Lenses, adding a festive touch to the AR experience.
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