Snapchat offers AR experiences to its 200 million users in India

SnapChat Co-founder and CEO, Evan Spiegel, stated during the company's APAC AR Day event that with over 200 million Snapchatters in India, it is exciting to see more creators, developers, and brands utilizing our community's passion for augmented reality (AR) experiences. In a fireside chat with Snap APAC President Ajit Mohan, Spiegel expressed his enthusiasm for witnessing the explosion of creativity that Snapchat has empowered in India, especially when the country is undergoing rapid change.

"I love the energy of the young and vibrant Indian developer community. We're excited to be building the future with such incredible local talent", Spiegel said. In India, 95 percent of Gen Z individuals express a keen interest in using AR for shopping, with 73 percent believing that AR experiences provide a more personal touch. Snapchat is geared up to bring the festive spirit alive for its 200 million Indian users with the launch of special Diwali-themed AR Lenses. 

The Snap CEO said that young people are creating India's future and AR will be a key part of that goal. "Giving people AR experiences to express themselves or to help people learn about the world, I think, is a huge opportunity whether that's partnering with brands to get more distribution or just building things for fun", he added.

Highlighting the hyper-growth of the AR creator community in India, Mohan said that Snapchatters worldwide can engage with immersive AR experiences that bring everyday moments to life. "Snapchat is deeply committed to empowering these creators, offering monetization avenues and providing innovative tools to support their creative aspirations. We are honoured to have had creators from all over India and across APAC attend Snap's AR Day to celebrate this ongoing innovation", he noted.

The event was attended by AR developers, creators, advertisers, brands, and content creators who participated in sessions led by expert speakers. With an average of 250 million people engaging with AR on Snapchat daily, Indian AR developers are building robust businesses on the platform. The Snap AR creator community in India saw a 60 percent growth in 2022 and is expected to continue to flourish with talented AR creators from all walks of life in 2024. In August of this year, Snap introduced the Lens Creator Rewards program, a new initiative that rewards AR creators, Lens developers, and teams for creating high-performing Lenses on Snapchat.