FICCI’s XR Open Source Fellowship program gets Meta support

Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has pledged $1 million to support the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in its XR Open Source (XROS) fellowship program. The program, organized by FICCI, aims to assist 100 Indian developers involved in XR (extended reality) technologies by offering them fellowships that include financial support and mentorship. The National e-Governance Division, an initiative of India’s Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), will serve as the technical partner for the program.

The XROS program is designed to empower developers to contribute to open-source projects related to XR technology and establish a basis for India-specific, cost-effective, and language-specific solutions. It is part of Meta’s global XR Programs and Research Fund, which previously announced a $2 million fund for the XR Startup program in collaboration with the MeitY Startup Hub. XROS aims to provide developers with the necessary resources to create digital public goods, ultimately generating employment opportunities within the XR technology field. This program marks Meta’s second initiative in India to enhance the developer ecosystem surrounding immersive technologies and foster an open ecosystem for building the metaverse.

Meta’s support for open-source initiatives extends beyond XROS. Another notable initiative is No Language Left Behind (NLLB), an AI model capable of supporting 200 low-resource languages, including 25 Indian languages. Last year, Meta partnered with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to introduce immersive technologies to over 10 million students and 1 million educators within the next three years. This partnership highlights Meta’s commitment to India and its shared objective of promoting STEM education by ensuring students across the country have equal access to quality educational content, thus preparing them for the digitally-powered economy of the future.

Meta’s President of Global Affairs, Nick Clegg, emphasized the collaborative nature of building the metaverse, stating, “The metaverse won’t be built by one company alone. Through programs like XR Open Source, we will support Indian developers working on these exciting technologies. With their talent, insight, and effort, we hope to ensure the next generation of internet technologies are built in an open, collaborative, and accessible way.”