Japanese engineer Masahiro Hara, known for inventing the ubiquitous 'QR code' nearly 30 years ago, announced on Friday that he is now working on a new version of the popular tracking system.

Unlike the present black and white QR code design, the new version will have more colours and may be rectangular in shape rather than current square pattern, said Mr Hara while talking to reporters on the Karnavati University campus in Uvarsad village of Gandhinagar district.

"I am in the process of inventing a new QR code. It will take some time though. Unlike the current version, the new code system will have colours and it may be rectangular rather than the present square shape," said Mr Hara, who was on his maiden trip to India.

The new QR (quick response) code will be designed in such a way that it will be able to store more information compared to the present design, he said.

Mr Hara was invited by the university to address students as part of a three-day event, "Ahmedabad Design Week 4.0", which began on Friday.

Masahiro Hara invented the QR code in 1994 to track car parts while he was working for a Japanese company. It was developed as an alternative to the barcode system.

According to experts, the QR code can hold hundred times more information than a barcode because of its design.

While the system was primarily invented to cater to manufacturing and retail industries, the QR code system has found many uses today, such as for making UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payments, using smart phones or to track COVID-19 vaccination beneficiaries.