Augmented Reality (AR) and 3D technology are being widely used in manufacturing and retail segments of various industries, with automotive and e-commerce being two of them. How these technologies are shaping the new world?
Software companies are working in two formats. Some of them work as product providers, while some of them as service providers. Adloid is one such company that works as a SaaS (Software as a Service) firm. The company has recently joined hands with Tata Motors for the launch of the all-new 2021 Tata Safari with the help of Augmented Reality or AR.
Tata Motors is also one of the first automakers in India that are offering a virtual real-life experience to the customers using AR and interactive 3D technology.
Adloid is claimed to be meeting the needs of enterprise customers across multiple sectors such as automotive, lifestyle, and home decor. AR is something that is being widely used in various sectors, especially in the pandemic situation and retail is one of them.
Autofintechs spoke to Shorya Mahajan, Co-Founder and COO of Adloid to learn about the details and implementation of the technology and the company’s expansion plans.
Edited excerpts below.
Q. Joining hands with Tata Motors was a big step. If you can tell our readers what actually this partnership will spawn out, from the consumer perspective.
Tata Motors has chosen our AR platform for launching Tata Safari. Their objective for this launch was to let the prospective customers experience the product from their homes where they don’t need to visit the dealerships. This launch happened before the vehicle was available at the dealerships, this gave the customers the opportunity to get a closer look at the vehicle in advance.
Augmented Reality is here not to replace the brick and mortar experience but to enhance the online research experience of the customers.
Lakhs of customers have already augmented Safari and enjoyed the AR experience. This AR-led experience has given a great boost to the sales of Safari, getting rave reviews from prospective customers. Post the launch of Tata Safari, Tata Motors will be using the AR platform at different touchpoints to enhance the customer experience.
Q. Indian consumers still prefer going to mortar-and-brick showrooms when it is about a big-ticket purchase like a car. Can augmented reality really replace the see-touch-feel experience for the consumers?
Even though customers prefer visiting brick-and-mortar stores, we now know that 90% of customers research cars online before visiting a showroom or dealership. Augmented Reality is here not to replace the brick and mortar experience but to enhance the online research experience of the customers.
We believe using augmented reality the customer can get an understanding of the look and feel of their desired variant in the desired color. A lot of times, customer’s selected variant color combination is not present in the physical dealership due to inventory issues.
This gap can be easily met by augmented reality. We have noticed that a lot of customers are preferring to view cars in AR and then order online without visiting a physical dealership.
Q. Implementation in augmented reality in India is still in a nascent stage. What are the areas AR can be implemented to improve the service and experiences?
AR can revolutionize how customers buy products across multiple sectors. Adloid’s AR experience is no longer limited to cars but also includes jewellery, makeup, home decor, eyewear, and other fashion products.
AR will change the way customers interact with e-commerce sites.
We also believe that AR will change the way customers interact with e-commerce sites. Photos and videos will no longer be enough, Indian customers will start demanding personalized AR experiences from brands sooner rather than later. The ability to provide such personalized memorable experiences will determine which e-commerce player wins the growing online retail market.
As smartphone penetration and availability of internet access improves for customers, AR applications will become the one and only differentiating and customer retention factors for companies.
Q. Covid has shown the vulnerability of the conventional manufacturing sector. How can the manufacturing industry leverage AR’s benefits to become future-proof?
AR will not only transform the way retail happens but it will also permanently change the way the manufacturing industry works. This is especially true for large auto OEMs and other manufacturers. Designing the product with augmented reality will decrease the costs in the product design stage.
Augmented Reality will transform the way engineers and assembly line workers interact with the products across the different product lifecycle stages.
Setting up production facilities and subsequent training of the workforce will also be disrupted by Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality will transform the way engineers and assembly line workers interact with the products across the different product lifecycle stages.
Q. What are the areas you are currently, catering?
Adloid’s AR is a sector agnostic solution that can cater to the needs of automobiles, home decor, jewellery, make-up, eyewear, and other fashion players. We are constantly innovating and expanding our product suite. Adloid is also gradually gaining expertise in internal AR applications pertaining to employee experience in addition to customer experience.
Q. What is the expansion plan, in terms of product and services?
For us, expansion is all about the number of end-users who benefit from our platform. We have already powered close to 2 million Augmented Reality journeys, we want to reach the 10 million milestones sooner rather than later. We are looking to sell more across different sectors and geographies in the next couple of quarters all with the goal to reach the 10 million AR experience number.
