In this episode, Bob Cooney talks with Parinitaa Rajgarhia, the driving force behind Zero Latency in India. From stumbling across her first VR experience while on a family trip to launching the country’s first large-scale free-roam VR arena in Mumbai, Parinitaa shares her entrepreneurial journey, market insights, and lessons learned.

They discuss:

• How she evaluated the business opportunity for VR in India and set her pricing strategy
• The role of sampling in building trust and upselling customers to longer experiences
• Why premium VR works in developing markets and how to position it
• Marketing strategies that deliver results in a market with low initial awareness of VR
• The importance of personal engagement in sales and the cultural factors that influence booking behavior
• Overcoming gender biases as a woman leading a tech entertainment business in India

Whether you’re an operator, investor, or just fascinated by how immersive attractions succeed in emerging markets, this conversation offers a candid look at what it takes to launch and grow a premium VR brand.

🎧 Listen now to hear how Parinitaa has not only sustained but expanded Zero Latency’s presence, and why she believes the Indian market is just getting started.

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Parinitaa’s first encounter with VR and decision to bring it to India
• 02:07 – Launching Zero Latency Mumbai with young kids and no gaming background
• 03:15 – Pricing strategy and competitive analysis in an untested market
• 07:44 – Surpassing projections in the first month and lessons from the pandemic
• 11:19 – Who pays for premium VR in India and how the market has evolved
• 14:26 – Pricing for the Indian market vs. the West and introducing 15-minute “sampler” sessions
• 16:24 – How short experiences build trust and upsell to 45- and 60-minute sessions
• 20:20 – Marketing spend, customer acquisition, and the importance of education
• 26:21 – Expansion to Hyderabad and budgeting for launch marketing
• 29:12 – Why Instagram and WhatsApp drive 80% of bookings
• 33:19 – The cultural and operational reasons 60% of bookings happen over the phone
• 49:01 – Breaking gender barriers as a woman leading a VR business in India
• 50:55 – The motivation to challenge stereotypes and build a lasting brand