Unity tripling India workforce to continue VR-AR push

Game engine specialist Unity plans to triple its employee headcount in India during 2017 as it looks to collaborate with local tech firms to build out its virtual and augmented reality operations. 

As reported by the Economic Times, the company wants to capitalize on the growing demand for AR and VR design tools in the manufacturing and automobile industries -- an indication of how the nascent technologies are expanding beyond the video game sector.

According to Quentin Staes-Polet, Unity's director for South Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, it's a move that makes perfect sense as 70 percent of the world's VR work is done on Unity engines.

"People in automobile and manufacturing have raised a demand for interactive and immersive platforms for their customers and internal work," continued Staes-Polet. 

"This high-fidelity visualization cannot be achieved with 3D design tools. Therefore, we are consorting with IT integration firms that are building up augmented and virtual reality practises."

Unity also intends to cash in on the region's growing games scene, which has expanded exponentially in recent years thanks to an influx of Chinese smartphones and other affordable hardware, by linking up with some of India's top education institutions.

For instance, the engine maker recently linked up with the S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research to open a Centre of Excellence to give students access to its video game platforms.