Meet India’s first virtual influencer

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Editor's note: At first glance, Kyra is almost a stereotypical social media influencer. Perfect skin, a pose of nonchalant confidence, hair just so and clothes effortlessly stylish. Her Instagram page is filled with the usual photos, from a sun-drenched shot against a Jaipur palace to yoga on a rooftop. Kyra doesn’t exist—at least not in the way we think of it. But it seems unbelievable that she couldn’t, a curiosity that keeps her 54,000 followers coming back for more on a daily basis.  She’s what is known in the business as a “hyper realistic” virtual influencer. A computer-generated model meant to be as close to real life as possible, paired with a social media team that works to present a real personality through their posts and interactions online. Basically, the idea is to generate a character that people can instantly fall in love with. They need to live and breathe just like we do, but still exist in a world of their own. Globally, the social media influencer market is massive and is expected to touch nearly $24.1 billion in 2025, according …