Barriers for the adoption of augmented reality business model in the Indian handloom industry

The handloom industry, one of the old industries in India, is facing declining growth due to a lack of adoption of new technology, such as augmented reality, in business development. So, this research article presents a study that identifies and analyses the barriers for adoption of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in the Indian handloom industry. The study employs a mixed-methods approach involving a review of relevant literature, expert discussions, and a questionnaire survey among industry experts and academicians. Data for this study was collected from the handloom sector of Varanasi city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) technique has been used to determine the contextual driver-driven relationships among the identified barriers. The study reveals eleven barriers to AR technology adoption and implementation, including a lack of government support policies, skilled workers, legal contractual certainty, and funds. The driven barriers are the lack of IT infrastructure and internet access, lack of digital culture, fear of failure, and poor research and development in the industry. Further, the managerial insights of this study will undoubtedly help the policymakers/government bodies to take care of this particular sector.