From Holograms to Spatial Signage

 

From Holograms to Spatial Signage : MA = DA x 4,000,000 Revisited

==================================================

Hi Friends ,

On 17 July 2018 , I wrote a blog titled :

MA = DA x 4,000,000 ?

For those who came in late , MA is Shri Mukesh Ambani and DA is Shri Dhirubhai Ambani .

In 1990 , when I left L&T after 30+ years , Shri Dhirubhai did not try to hold me back . Instead he said , " Do some dhandha ( business ) of your own " , and offered me machinery , raw material and pick-up of finished goods , so that I would need practically no working capital .

DA made one professional self-employed .

My argument was that MA would repeat his father's model , but multiplied by 4 million kirana stores , by inviting them into the Reliance Eco System , where Reliance takes care of :

• SALES
• SUPPLY ( on consignment )
• INVENTORY
• DELIVERY
• FINANCE
• MARKETING

Today , I want to talk only about the last item , MARKETING .

======================================

What I wrote in 2018

Under MARKETING , I had suggested that Reliance should help each kirana store with offline enhancements such as better shelf layouts , augmented reality in trial rooms , robots to answer customer queries , biometric check-out , RFID tags , window rotation , music and , eventually ,

holographic displays

At that time , many friends must have thought , " Holograms in a kirana shop ? The old man is dreaming ! "

======================================

What I read today ( 12 Nov 2026 )

Samsung Transforms Retail Stores With 3D Spatial Signage , Micro LED Displays And Smart Digital Experiences Outlook Luxe , 12 Nov 2026

The article describes three things that Samsung is now offering to retailers :

1. Spatial Signage

• A display that shows products in 3D depth , without any special glasses
• A luxury watch appears to " float " off the screen , showing its craftsmanship
• Aimed at jewellery , watches , fashion , beauty and lifestyle stores

2. Micro LED / LED Signage

• Large digital " canvases " for flagship stores and product launches
• Visuals that change along with each new collection or campaign

3. VXT : a cloud-based signage platform

• Create content , deploy it and manage screens remotely , from one place
• Synchronise a campaign across 100+ displays
• Real-time monitoring , warning alerts and central energy management
• Launch a collection nationwide , but tailor the promotion to each location

The article sums it up as retailers moving from " displaying products " to " building brand experiences " .

Well , the hologram has arrived . Only , it is called " Spatial Signage " !

======================================

Now multiply by 4,000,000

Samsung is selling this to luxury boutiques , and talks of synchronising a campaign across 100+ screens .

Now imagine the same idea , but run on the scale that I had envisaged for Reliance :

Samsung ( luxury boutique )	Reliance Eco System ( kirana )
A watch floats off a 3D screen	A new biscuit , shampoo or phone floats above the kirana counter
VXT cloud syncs 100+ displays	A Jio cloud syncs 4 million shop screens
Promotion tailored to each boutique location	Promotion tailored to each pin code , language and festival
Brand pays for the screen	FMCG brand pays Reliance for the screen time ; kirana owner gets a share
Real-time monitoring of screens	Same server that already tracks the shop's stock , sales and re-order levels

That last row is the important one .

In my 2018 blog , Reliance's central server already knows what every shop is selling , what is running low and what is expiring . If that same server also controls a screen in the shop , then :

• Slow-moving stock can be promoted before it expires
• A manufacturer can launch a product in 4 million shops on the same morning
• The kirana owner does not design anything . Like the goods on consignment , the content simply arrives

This is DA's model once again : the small entrepreneur supplies the premises and the effort , and Reliance supplies everything else , including the " brand experience " .

======================================

Can a kirana afford a 3D screen ?

Not today . These are premium products , meant for luxury showrooms .

But let us remember :

• In 2018 , nobody imagined that a kirana would take UPI payments on a QR code . Today , it is the normal thing .
• Screens become cheaper every year , and Reliance knows how to make devices at Jio prices .
• And under the consignment logic , the shop owner need not buy the screen at all . The screen can be placed there by Reliance , and paid for by the brands that advertise on it .

So the question is not " whether " , but " when " and " who " .

======================================

My suggestion to Reliance Retail

1. Start with ordinary LED screens in the busiest JioMart partner kiranas , controlled from a central cloud platform
2. Link each screen to the shop's inventory data , so that what is shown is what is in stock
3. Sell this screen time to FMCG and electronics brands as retail media , and share the income with the kirana owner
4. As prices fall , upgrade the busiest shops to 3D spatial displays , so that even a small shop in a Tier-3 town can give a " luxury " experience

In 2024 , I wrote that the Reliance Retail business plan is unfolding as envisaged , when JioMart started quick deliveries from its own stores .

Delivery came first . I have no doubt that the " holographic " shop will follow .

With regards ,

Hemen Parekh

www.HemenParekh.ai / www.IndiaAGI.ai / www.My-Teacher.in

12 Nov 2026