In an exclusive conversation with Rajeev Ranjan, Editor of Digital Terminal, Suraj Aiar, Founder & CEO of QWR, shares insights into the company’s journey in immersive technology, its breakthrough AI-powered wearable devices, and the ambitious roadmap for transforming headworn computing in India.
Rajeev: What are the core features and capabilities of the Humbl AI glasses?
Suraj: With Humbl AI glasses our aim was to make AI a seamless part of our everyday life. Each pair of glasses comes with a contextual, point-of-view camera and an on-device AI engine allowing the user to capture moments exactly as they experience them. A simple “Hey Humbl” activates its voice-first controls and provides a handsfree engagement. Presence of an open-ear audio with built-in microphones and speakers dsnt isolate the wearer from the outer world. Powered by the Qualcomm AR1 chipset, the glasses deliver low-latency, real-time responses for a smooth user experience.
In terms of capabilities, it goes far beyond being a simple voice assistance. From offering real-time translations, summarising conversations on the go, playing music, providing navigation prompts, setting reminders and capturing photos or videos instantly. It also supports multimodal AI applications in multiple Indian dialects, making them not only personal but versatile as well.
Rajeev: What use cases are you targeting across sectors like education, defence, healthcare etc?
Suraj: At QWR, we have always strived to build solutions for the most crucial sectors of our economy, where immersive technology has the potential to redefine possibilities. For example, in education, we offer purpose-built modules that make learning more interesting while assisting students in comprehending concepts from the K-12 curriculum, instead of just memorizing it.
Similarly, our scalable, high-fidelity simulators in Defence supports realistic mission training and operational preparedness without any risk or loss involved. We are also enabling high accuracy in healthcare through our advanced virtual environments that replicate real-world settings. Ranging from precision medical training and surgical planning to rehabilitation therapy.
Lastly, large scale VR solutions are being deployed in industries for design, manufacturing, remote collaboration, maintenance and hands-on training that upskills blue-collar workers in safety and operational excellence.
Rajeev: What growth metrics or milestones demonstrate QWR’s success so far?
Suraj: QWR has emerged as a Top 10 global player by revenue, in a sector where even billion-dollar giants struggle for profitability. We lead the government education XR segment with 74.2% share and have shipped 20,000+ devices across public and private sectors, securing a 7.9% share of India’s $29M XR market, second only to Meta’s grey-market imports with 2.5X YoY growth in FY’25 and 3X projected for FY’26.
We are projecting to close FY26 at ₹45 crore in revenue, all while remaining bootstrapped, scalable and profitable. It's rare in an industry where over 300 Indian XR startups have raised $180 million yet still operate at a loss. Our expertise lies in coupling market leadership with sustainable economics and as we enter the AI smart glasses and XR developer ecosystem space, we’re positioning for global expansion.
Rajeev: How has QWR achieved profitability in a sector dominated by high burn rates and capital-intensive models?
Suraj: QWR’s focus has always been to fill the genuine industry gaps rather than chasing hype. Our solutions are built for mission-critical applications in skilling, defence and healthcare areas where off-the-shelf XR simply doesn’t deliver. Our model delivers a full ecosystem of hardware, software and services built locally under SPECS and PMP to reduce costs and backed by BIS certification for reliability. Every sale goes through partners who handle deployment, training and warranty, ensuring long-term contracts instead of one-off sales.
Products like the VRone Pro—a 6DoF, enterprise-grade headset priced at ₹34,999 are tailored for India’s 300 million-strong workforce training market. It’s this vertical focus, cost discipline, and ecosystem-first approach that have allowed us to scale profitably where others burn capital.
Rajeev: What is your vision for QWR in the next 3–5 years?
Suraj: The next leap in computing won’t fit in your pocket, instead you’ll wear it on your head. Over the next five years, we intend to make headworn computing as indispensable as the smartphone. Our vision is to build India’s first complete XR ecosystem: world-class, locally manufactured hardware supported by a thriving app and developer economy.
We’ll scale enterprise adoption across education, defence, healthcare and industry, while launching consumer AI wearables that redefine how people capture, learn and connect. Ultimately, we want India to stand shoulder to shoulder with Apple, Meta, and Samsung in shaping the global future of personal computing—proving that the next trillion-dollar hardware story can originate here.
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