Have you ever considered visiting a place virtually first, getting an immersive real-time experience of the site and then visiting the place in-person whenever possible? The recent announcement by Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum in Pune to create an immersive experience of the metaverse is one such landmark event which could redefine the tourism industry and pivot its business model. Pune-based web 3.0 startup BharatVerse (Strarosa Futuristics Pvt Ltd) is attempting to mirror and mimic the real-world geographical entity ‘India’ in the metaverse. Founded by Rohit Srivastwa, a serial entrepreneur and a ‘Certified Metaverse Expert,’ BharatVerse envisions creating a ‘digital twin’ of places of special interest to enable people across the globe to experience it and promote in-person visits.
Experiencing Bharat
A ‘security evangelist’ who started a hackers’ conference and community named ‘ClubHack’ back in 2006, Srivastwa has had a bunch of startups in the past, with the last one being acquired by QuickHeal Technology Ltd in 2016. Srivastwa is also a recipient of the Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) award in the domain of ‘enterprise security’ and is a multifaceted professional with experience in cyber security, enterprise security, secure digital transformation, and cyber warfare.
Says Srivastwa, “With 20 years of experience and successful exits, focusing on the domain of information security, now I have pivoted into the domain of web3. We launched BharatVerse, a virtual world or MetaVerse specifically for Bharat, on August 15, 2022.
{{/usCountry}}Says Srivastwa, “With 20 years of experience and successful exits, focusing on the domain of information security, now I have pivoted into the domain of web3. We launched BharatVerse, a virtual world or MetaVerse specifically for Bharat, on August 15, 2022.
{{/usCountry}}Explaining the need for a ‘desi’ metaverse, Srivastwa said, “Bharat has a rich history and legacy that extends from the Indus Valley to the Silicon Valley. Every inch of its geography is filled with breathtaking experiences and stories. Every moment in its glorious history is rich with learning and knowledge. However, most people barely get to experience a tiny minuscule portion of it. Even the most avid traveller can only manage to catch only the briefest glimpse of this glorious vista in one lifetime. The wonders of this nation often remain mysterious and inaccessible for most Indians, let alone the rest of the world. We thought there should be an easier way to access all this history and geography.”
Virtual equivalence
BharatVerse is a metaverse built as a virtual equivalent of India, open for participation to anyone with an interest in showcasing the land of Bharat. “It is an obvious wordplay on the terms ‘Bharatvarsh’ and ‘metaverse.’ We hope and expect that a metaverse built around the nation of Bharat should be as rich in opportunity as its geographical equivalent, if not richer. The primary aim of constructing this metaverse is to develop a platform to showcase the expansive history, geography, and culture of India. This platform also intends to provide opportunities to promote the local arts and culture by integrating various products and services on top of the BharatVerse technology stack,” said Srivastwa.
“The premise of BharatVerse is relatively simple. The entire map of India will form the boundaries of the virtual BharatVerse. Within this virtual map of India, various geographical locations will be available as pre-defined grids for ‘occupation’ within the metaverse. These predefined grids will closely mimic the actual geography of India as much as possible. Within each predefined grid, tiles and plots will be made available. The project will initially focus on arts and culture, history, architecture, and food,” he added.
Collaboration, creation, contribution
Srivastwa wants to build BharatVerse collaboratively built virtual Bharat. He says, “We want every square metre of the real Bharat that can be showcased as it exists. It will be built on the three-pronged principles of collaboration, creativity, and contribution. The underlying mantra of the BharatVerse project is the same as the one that drives the notion of democracy, ‘of the people, for the people, and by the people.’ The immediate applications for BharatVerse are largely creative, specifically, virtual tourism and showcasing local arts and culture. A portion of any revenue earned on BharatVerse shall be circulated back into the local economy in real life through an innovative revenue-sharing mechanism.”
Who can participate
BharatVerse’s organisational structure will be a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) in future. “Initially we are having a 3-tiered structure to ensure smooth deployment and running of the BharatVerse. The core collective (group of people involved in the founding of this project and who will retain ultimate vetoing powers in all decisions), the stakeholders (group of people who are involved in the day-to-day operations of BharatVerse and execute any actions necessary for BharatVerse to operate smoothly) and the ‘Bhartizens’ (anybody who wishes to participate by acquiring any of the offerings in the BharatVerse ecosystem,” stated Srivastwa.
Virtual digital assets
BharatVerse is a project on blockchain and every asset acquired here will be a VDA (Virtual Digital Asset) as per the definition by the Government of India, explained Srivastwa. “Each tile/plot will show a record of its ownership on the BharatVerse website - just like it does on OpenSea or any other NFT marketplace. We are aware that the government is working on the laws around VDAs and all the laws that will be codified in this regard will also be applicable to the BharatVerse project as well,” he said.
Explaining the ecosystem and entities involved in BharatVerse, Srivastwa added, “The core idea of the BharatVerse is for it to mimic the structure of Bharat as closely as possible. We intend to maintain a one-to-one relationship with the physically equivalent geographies to build a solid platform from which further development can occur. Therefore, the shape and extent of the BharatVerse shall be identical to the existing map of India. Furthermore, just as Bharat is constituted into different geographical regions, we intend to create similar ‘boundaries’ within the BharatVerse. These boundaries will be correlated 1-to1 with their geographical equivalents using the globally accepted latitude and longitude i.e., GPS markers. The boundaries thus established will be used to designate parcels of ‘virtual’ land for purchase. Such parcels will be called ‘tiles’ and ‘plots’.”
Local economy payout
Srivastwa says, “One of the missions of the BharatVerse is to ensure that everyone interacting with the BharatVerse ecosystem can benefit from the transactions conducted within the ecosystem. We are currently designing a payout structure such that a portion of any proceeds from transactions in the BharatVerse shall be explicitly redirected to the corresponding real-world geographical entity. This will ensure that some part of the wealth generated in the BharatVerse will be shared with the local economy.”
“We are working with senior crypto, legal, and taxation experts to draft a payout structure and policy that will be fair towards all relevant stakeholders within and outside of the BharatVerse while ensuring that it complies fully with the laws of the nation,” he said.