In a significant milestone for India’s digital landscape, Google for India recently celebrated its 10th edition, highlighting a decade of collaborative innovation that has made technology more accessible to millions of users across the country. This year’s event emphasized making artificial intelligence (AI) tangible and beneficial across various sectors-from individuals to businesses and society as a whole.
A key highlight was the unveiling of the “AI Opportunity Agenda for India,” a whitepaper outlining the roadmap to support the government’s India AI mission. The agenda focuses on three critical areas: investing in innovation infrastructure, developing an AI-ready workforce, and fostering inclusive adoption and accessibility.
Roma Datta Chobey, Managing Director of Google India, stated, “With its digital prowess globally acknowledged, India is poised on the brink of lift-off when you combine its innate ingenuity with the multiplier potential of AI. We are excited to be part of this chapter of India’s digital journey with responsibility and optimism.”
To bring AI to the forefront, Google introduced several innovations during the event:
1. AI integration in consumer products: Google announced enhancements across its platforms, powered by its advanced AI model, Gemini. Notable features include AI Overviews in Google Search and Gemini Live, which now supports nine Indian languages for voice interactions, making it easier for users to engage with technology.
2. Enhanced Google Lens: The platform now allows users to search using video, revolutionizing how people access information visually. This feature will soon be available to select users in India.
3. Innovative business tools: New AI tools in the Google Merchant Center will assist merchants in showcasing their products creatively, including features for converting menu photos into online formats and enabling chat options for customer engagement.
4. Google Pay’s new offerings: Expanding its services, Google Pay is now offering gold-backed secured loans in collaboration with Muthoot Finance, providing accessible credit options across India.
5. Health initiatives: Google is collaborating with the National Health Authority to enhance the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, aiming to reduce integration times for health developers significantly. Additionally, ABHA ID cards will soon be accessible on Google Wallet, facilitating easy access to digital health information.
6. Google Cloud developments: The introduction of an open-source Gemini Agent Framework aims to empower Indian businesses by enabling seamless transactions and access to essential information across various sectors.
7.Focus on online safety: Google is piloting enhanced fraud protection measures within Google Play Protect to safeguard users from malicious applications and scams.
8. Sustainability initiatives: Google announced partnerships aimed at adding 186 MW of new clean energy capacity to India’s grid by 2026, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint.
9. AI Skills House: To equip 10 million Indians with AI literacy, Google launched a comprehensive program offering free AI courses in multiple languages, targeting students, job seekers, educators, and civil officials.
Google.org is also investing $4 million to promote AI literacy among underserved communities through partnerships with organizations like the Central Square Foundation, emphasizing the importance of responsible AI use in education.
Google.org will provide pro bono support through its Fellowship program through which Google.org Fellows will work full-time pro-bono with Rocket Learning, a non-profit working to transform Early Childhood Development (ECD) across India. This support will help build an AI-powered personalized coach ‘Saheli’ that will support millions of 3-6 year olds across the country in their learning journeys towards foundational literacy and numeracy skills. This effort builds on the $1.5 million grant that Google.org made previously to Rocket Learning as part of the AI for the Global Goals challenge in 2023.