Bangalore International Airport makes its terminals available on metaverse

Bangalore International Airport Ltd. (BIAL), which is the operator of Kempegowda International Airport, has announced the first phase launch of the 'BLR Metaport'. With this launch, BLR Airport's Terminal-2 or T2 becomes "the first terminals in the world that can be experienced on the metaverse", BIAL said in a statement.  

Metaverse can be defined as the convergence of technologies including AR, VR and blockchain. It consists a network of 3D virtual world that people can access through different devices and where they can move through digital environments. 

Built in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud division of tech major Amazon and Indian blockchain platform, Polygon, the BLR Metaport is an outcome of the Joint Innovation Centre (JIC) first announced in April 2022 by BIAL, AWS, and Intel.  

The JIC focuses on driving the development and adoption of digital solutions in aviation. For BIAL, the mission of the JIC is to leverage emerging technologies to build new business models and passenger experiences and be at the forefront of technology innovation in India’s commercial aviation. 

Developed in line with this mission, the BLR Metaport is one of the first airport metaverse experience, designed to deliver an enhanced digital experience for travellers. A 3D interface will offer customers new ways to interact with the airport, such as checking into flights, navigating terminals, shopping, and social aspects like connecting with other travellers. BLR Metaport brings the virtual and physical worlds together to provide consistent engagement, and aims to excite travellers with new, unique, and immersive experiences.  

BIAL’s Chief Strategy and Development Officer Satyaki Raghunath said, “This is our first foray into the world of Web3 and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and we aim to delight travellers with a unique, immersive, and virtual experience. We believe that it is important to connect with a new generation of our global audience through the metaverse." 

“We also have several initiatives planned around the BLR Metaport, which promise to increase ways in which we can engage with our global audience and enhance business impact over the next few years,” he added. 

BLR Metaport is built on the fundamentals of decentralisation, where control and decision-making are transferred from a centralised entity to a distributed network. It uses the Polygon Blockchain, which will act as a medium of digital economy in the future for users to trade digital assets seamlessly and securely, according to a company statement. It also added that these digital assets could be digital artwork at the BLR Metaport, certificates that are given for completing various industry-related training courses, collectibles, utility and commemorative NFTs. In the future, BLR Metaport will enable users to shop from their favourite brands sitting in any part of the world. 

The potential economic impact of metaverse in India by 2035 is slated to be in the range of $79 billion to $148 billion per year, or 1.3-2.4% of the overall gross domestic product (GDP), management consulting company, Deloitte has said in an analysis published in August 2022. According to the report, the impact of metaverse on Asia’s GDP might range between $0.8 trillion and $1.4 trillion annually by 2035. Moreover, experts believe, metaverse is set to drastically transform a number of industries, with more and more companies showing interest in leveraging the metaverse.