Google has introduced a variety of new features and updates for its mapping service in India as it nears the end of the year and prepares for the new year.
One of the most recent additions is Lens in Maps, which will be launching in 15 cities across India in January, starting with Android. The feature utilizes artificial intelligence and augmented reality to provide information such as opening hours, ratings, reviews, and photos when users point the camera of their smartphone at a restaurant or café.
Google has also brought its Live View walking navigation to India. It offers arrows, directions and distance markers overlayed on the Maps screen to help users easily navigate to their destination.
In addition to these features, Google has announced Address Descriptors that use machine learning signals to offer up to five relevant landmarks and area names around pinned addresses and display landmark reference when a user shares their location. This India-first capability will be available across more than 75 Indian cities.
Image Credits: Google
Google will also be bringing its fuel-efficient routing feature to India in January, which will be available for four-wheelers and two-wheelers to help users reduce fuel consumption and limit carbon emissions.
Google has also partnered with India’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and mobility app Namma Yatri to provide metro schedules and bookings to users directly through Google Maps. Additionally, Google has expanded its Where Is My Train app to cover Mumbai and Kolkata local trains, with plans to add more cities over time.
Google has mapped millions of kilometers of roads and 300 million buildings across the country. There are more than 50 million daily searches on Maps, 2.5 billion kilometers of directions every day, and more than 60 million unique users contributing to Maps in the country. The company has also added 30 million businesses and places on the Maps in the country, enabling 900 million direct merchant-to-consumer connections.
In July last year, Google introduced Street View in India after the feature was banned in the country over security concerns. Today, more than 50 million users are viewing Street View in the country, Google said.