An Indian tech giant that’s raised $20 billion from the likes of Google and Facebook is working on a mixed reality headset

An Indian tech giant that’s raised $20 billion from the likes of Google and Facebook is working on a mixed reality headset

A new entrant has emerged in the race to develop smart glasses that provide consumers with mixed and augmented reality experiences.

India's Jio, part of the Reliance Industries conglomerate, announced a new mixed reality headset at its annual general meeting on Wednesday called Jio Glass.

Kiran Thomas, president of Reliance Industries, said Jio Glass already works with over 25 applications. The black headset connects to the internet via a cable that must be plugged into the owner's smartphone, he said. It weighs 75 grams and has a camera in between the left and right lenses. It's unclear how much the device will cost or when it will go on sale.

The executive demoed Jio Glass being used to hold a work meeting in a virtual office with two colleagues. One of them appeared as an avatar while the other appeared in 2D form.

Thomas also showed how the technology could be used in an education setting.

"With Jio Glass, the traditional way of learning geography will now be history," he said, showing how students and teachers could make virtual visits to the Taj Mahal in India, the pyramids of Giza in Egypt, and the Colosseum in Rome.

Jio is entering a market that others have failed