MetLife Launching Virtual Reality Service In India

MetLife announced Monday (Dec. 19) that PNB MetLife, its joint venture partnership in India, launched conVRse, an on-demand virtual reality (VR) customer service platform that it claims is first of a kind.

In a press release, MetLife said the conVRse technology, which was developed with LumenLab, MetLife’s Singapore-based innovation center and PNB MetLife, is aimed at providing consumers with differentiated, immersive and personalized experiences through VR headsets. While wearing a VR headset, customers enter a 3-D-simulated environment where they interact with a life insurance expert in the form of an avatar named Khushi.

“Our ongoing investment in technology underscores our philosophy to support continuous innovation and customer centricity. We are delighted to bring this groundbreaking technology to our customers and revolutionize the concept of customer service for the twenty-first century,” said Tarun Chugh, managing director and CEO at PNB MetLife, at a launch event. “The next phase of innovation for the life insurance industry is dawning, and we are proud to be leading from the front. I would like to thank the IRDAI for their support and guidance on bringing this innovative solution to our customers in India.”

Meanwhile Zia Zaman, LumenLab CEO and chief innovation officer at MetLife Asia, said what is attractive about VR is that it lets customers be the “protagonist in their own financial journey.”

According to MetLife, conVRse marks the first time VR technology has been adopted by the insurance industry in India. Through an on-demand VR environment, customers are able to connect directly with Khushi, a customer service expert, and receive personalized service using virtual aids to address any questions or policy servicing requirements they have. The launch event marks the first phase of the rollout plan for the VR technology in India. During this phase, conVRse will be made available at 15 branches in 10 cities across India. These cities include Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Jammu, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Pune. In the second phase, PNB MetLife aims to equip the insurance sales team with VR devices so that its customers can use VR headsets to raise their general insurance awareness and better understand MetLife’s products. They are also exploring conVRse zones at bank partner ATMs, noted the release.