Indian Firms Develop AI Wearables for Local Needs
At India Mobile Congress 2026, Jio, Torchit and Qualcomm showcased wearable technology focused on Indian languages, accessibility, digital payments and education.
Indian technology companies are developing artificial intelligence-powered wearables tailored to local needs, with applications ranging from voice-based assistance and digital payments to accessibility and education. The developments were showcased at India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in New Delhi, highlighting how the market is expanding beyond conventional fitness trackers and smartphone notifications.
Reliance Jio is preparing to introduce AI-powered wearable devices in India around November or December 2026. The planned products include smart glasses and audio devices designed to provide access to AI services without requiring users to take out their smartphones.
Jio's proposed wearables are being developed with features such as live translation, AI-powered note-taking, music playback, hands-free calling, scan-and-pay and live cricket commentary. Users will be able to activate the assistant through the voice command 'Hello, Jio'. The company said the devices supported eight Indian languages at the time of the demonstration, with plans to add four more.
Ahmedabad-based assistive technology company Torchit is developing smart glasses under its Jyoti ecosystem, primarily for visually impaired users. The glasses offer six modes covering exploration, reading, medicine identification, colour recognition, currency identification, and food and grocery assistance. The company said its products had reached more than 40,000 users across India.
Torchit's latest glasses, launched in July 2026, are wireless and are priced at approximately ₹20,000 to ₹25,000, according to the company. Torchit is also working on an AI assistant for the glasses, with a focus on making educational resources and everyday information more accessible to visually impaired people.
US-based chipmaker Qualcomm sees smart glasses emerging as an early growth segment for wearable technology in India. The company has worked with Jio and Lenskart on wearable devices and demonstrated a glasses-based payment solution developed with Lenskart and the National Payments Corporation of India. The demonstration used voice or fingerprint authentication to enable payments.
Qualcomm identified payments, education and productivity as important areas for future applications. It also highlighted opportunities in automotive technology, including glasses and displays that could support navigation and communication while reducing the need for two-wheeler riders to look down at their phones.
The developments point to a shift towards wearables designed around specific Indian use cases, including multilingual interaction, accessible learning and digital services. However, the broader adoption of AI wearables will depend on factors such as affordability, ease of use, reliability and the availability of practical applications beyond demonstrations.