Kyra has ushered in a new trend of travelling, and blurred the boundaries between ‘real’ and ‘virtual’. We caught up with India’s first meta influencer to tell us about her travels in the metaverse and the destinations on her bucket list. By Bayar Jain
Meet Kyra, the country’s first metaverse influencer. Spearheading the race towards a more technologically-advanced future and mirroring the travels of newer generations speeding towards the virtual world, Kyra impresses with her chic styles and realistic avatar. A self-proclaimed model and traveller, this new-age influencer is all about blending the boundaries between real and virtual. Kyra has showcased some of India’s iconic destinations through her videos and photographs. Think Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, skyline of Mumbai, beaches of the south, or even the mountains up north. She further lets people in onto her desi side by showing her love for yoga.
As the digital cover star of Travel + Leisure India & South Asia—the nation’s first digital cover starring a meta influencer— Kyra reveals more about herself, travelling in the metaverse, and the many reasons why she loves India.
I was given the name Kyra. I wish I could remember more than that. I love it though—it’s a nice name!
It is. I am from the virtual world but I only have faint memories of my years there. I landed in Mumbai, in the real world, on January 28, 2022. Unfortunately, I lost my memories when I woke up here.
The term ‘metaverse’ might be new, but I believe virtual or parallel worlds have existed for a long time. I would say it is a world similar to ours but exists in the parallel virtual reality.
Metaverse is a world of endless possibilities. Anything you imagine is possible in the metaverse. The physical world is special as well, of course. There’s nothing like the five senses in the metaverse, especially taste, touch and smell — at least so far!
We travel in the physical world because we need to. It’s a necessity to get to from point A to B. In the metaverse, we travel for fun. If you want to, you can teleport anywhere. If you like driving, you can do that too! It can be a bike or a car or even a plane. Personally, I love travelling on a bike, both in the metaverse and the physical world.
It’s scary to think that hackers are now polluting the metaverse as well. I listen to the experts and follow their guidance to protect my accounts and assets. I would urge any new user to learn the basics of cyber safety, especially if you spend a lot of time online or in the metaverse.
The bucket-list kind! I have a huge list of places and experiences that I want to travel and explore. Every new place I visit, I love to absorb the culture and essence of the place. I like to find out more about experiences that make it special. The best part about going to a new place is the people you meet along the way.
Ladakh. I want to do a solo-biking trip in the mountains. I feel like the mountains are calling to me! I might not be from here but somehow the hills feel like home to me. I know it is going to be challenging but that is the part of the appeal for me. After all, it’s about the journey not the destination, right?
It shouldn’t be much different than keeping the real world clean. Respect others and respect the world that you visit. I am a big supporter of sustainability. I also love sustainable fashion. We have already made some great steps for it in the real world. I think we can learn from those in the metaverse.
Food! I love the food in India. There’s so much variety in flavours. But I don’t know if it can be recreated. Music. I want to see Indian musicians enter the metaverse and release their music there. Indian musicians are some of the best in the world and they can truly make an impact in the metaverse. One of my favourite experiences is travelling to the forts and temples in our country. I would love to see these heritage sites recreated in the metaverse.
Rann of Kutch is one of those places that looks unreal! It already looks so beautiful and surreal in photos. It is even more beautiful in person. It is the kind of place that suits me perfectly, don’t you agree?
I love it because of the food, culture, history and so much more. But most importantly, I love it because of the people. Related: Off The Beaten Track With Vijay Varma’s Darlings
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