India – Britannia Industries, in collaboration with WPP, has launched ‘Britannia A-Eye’—an AI-powered retail innovation built on Google Gemini and Vertex AI Multimodal Live—designed to transform the shopping experience for the visually impaired.
Britannia A-Eye turns a smartphone into an intelligent shopping assistant, allowing users to scan their surroundings using the device’s camera. The AI interprets the environment and provides voice-guided navigation through store aisles, which are customised for each retail layout.
The solution also identifies products and gives access to key details such as pricing, ingredients, nutritional information, and expiry dates. Currently, this feature is enabled for Britannia products, removing the need for external assistance and breaking down barriers to information.
As a first-of-its-kind initiative, Britannia A-Eye harnesses Google Cloud’s advanced multimodal AI capabilities to enable seamless navigation, real-time product recognition, and instant access to product data—empowering visually impaired consumers to shop with greater independence.
Siddharth Gupta, general manager for marketing at Britannia Industries, said, “At Britannia, we believe that technology has the power to break barriers and create a more inclusive world. Britannia A-Eye is a testament to how innovation can revolutionise inclusivity in retail. This initiative is not just about leveraging cutting-edge technology—it’s about fostering equity and independence for all consumers. We are proud to be at the forefront of this transformation and look forward to shaping the future of inclusive retail.”
Amar Jain, co-founder of Mission Accessibility, lawyer, and a key advocate for accessibility, also commented, “For the visually impaired, the ability to shop independently is not just about convenience—it’s about dignity. Britannia A-Eye is a powerful step towards ensuring that visually impaired individuals can experience shopping as it should be—autonomous, seamless, and barrier-free. It’s inspiring to see technology being used in such a transformative way, and I hope this paves the way for a more inclusive ecosystem across industries.”
The pilot was creatively conceptualised and executed by global media agency Mindshare and global creative agency VML, with support from Mithra Jyoti.
Amin Lakhani, CEO of Mindshare South Asia, said, “A-Eye, our collaboration with Britannia, exemplifies WPP’s commitment to leveraging technology for inclusive retail. By merging brand vision, agency expertise, and AI innovation, we are creating a smarter, more accessible shopping experience for the visually impaired. This initiative paves the way for industry-wide adoption, where AI-led content helps dissolve barriers, empowers every community, and strengthens the very fabric of our diverse society by fostering equity, accessibility, and inclusivity for all.”
Babita Barua, CEO at VML India, added, “At VML, we believe creativity and technology can come together to create something truly meaningful and drive real change. That’s how Britannia A-Eye was born – an AI-powered voice assistant designed to make shopping more independent and intuitive. This initiative isn’t just about accessibility. It’s about empowerment, choice, and self-reliance. We’re proud to partner with Britannia to take this step towards a more inclusive world – because true innovation leaves no one behind.”
Britannia Industries launched the pilot in collaboration with MORE Retail and Mithra Jyoti, leveraging Google Astra’s capabilities to enhance the retail experience for the visually impaired. The initiative was tested with 4,000 visually impaired individuals at the MORE Supermarket in TC Palya, Bengaluru, offering a hands-on experience of the technology in a live retail environment.
Vidhyashankar Jayaraman is the chief merchandising and marketing officer at More Retail Pvt. Ltd, commented, “Retail should be accessible to all, and Britannia A-Eye is a bold step towards making that vision a reality. This initiative ensures that visually impaired shoppers can navigate stores and make informed decisions independently. We are proud to be part of a movement that is setting new standards in inclusive retail.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Hulme, chief AI officer at WPP, stated, “Our partnership with Google is about pushing the boundaries of AI-driven innovation. With Britannia A-Eye, we’re not just creating technology—we’re redefining inclusivity in retail, proving that AI can be a force for good, transforming lives and empowering communities. While this initiative is still in its early days, it holds the promise of fundamentally changing the way retail is experienced, ensuring accessibility is not an afterthought but a standard for all.”
