As India embraces rapid digital transformation, Google is making a significant play for the country’s future. At the 10th Google for India 2024 event held in New Delhi, the tech giant announced a series of initiatives aimed at harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to solve India’s unique challenges. From expanding its Gemini Live AI platform to Hindi and eight regional languages to introducing AI-driven solutions in healthcare, payments, and sustainability, the event underscored Google’s growing commitment to India.
A central part of Google’s AI strategy is Gemini Live, its conversational AI tool. Launched earlier this year in English, the platform now supports Hindi, with eight more Indian languages — Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati, Malayalam, and Punjabi — to follow soon. This is a crucial move in a country where more than 70 percent of internet users prefer to engage in their native languages.
“Over 40 percent of Gemini’s Indian language users rely on voice input,” Google said at the event. Expanding support for local languages is critical to bringing millions of non-English-speaking Indians into the digital ecosystem. By enabling interaction in regional languages, Google aims to make AI more accessible and user-friendly for a broader audience.
But Google’s AI ambitions go beyond language. The company is integrating AI into everyday tools like Google Maps, introducing real-time updates for fog and flooding to help users navigate the country’s unpredictable weather. This feature allows users to report and receive alerts about road conditions, adding a layer of AI-driven intelligence to one of India’s most-used apps.
In healthcare, Google is stepping up its efforts to deploy AI models for cancer and tuberculosis screening. Working with local hospitals, the company aims to offer these screenings free for the next ten years. This move could be a game-changer for India’s public health system, which faces challenges of scale and accessibility.
Google Pay continues to be a cornerstone of Google’s operations in India, and new features unveiled at the event reflect its ambition to capture even more of the country’s digital payments market. As of 2024, Google Pay connects 35 million users, and Google has expanded its services to include loans up to Rs 5 lakh. Additionally, users can now apply for gold loans up to Rs 50 lakh, tapping into India’s strong tradition of using gold as a financial asset.
A particularly India-centric feature called UPI Circle has also been introduced. This allows users to request payments on someone else’s behalf — for instance, a child can send a payment request to a parent. Google clearly recognises the unique financial behaviours of Indian consumers and has tailored its offerings accordingly.
Google is also enhancing tools for small businesses by enabling merchants to add their WhatsApp contact details to their business profiles. This feature makes it easier for customers to message businesses directly, reflecting the increasing importance of WhatsApp in India’s digital economy.
With India’s digital economy expanding, there is an urgent need for AI-ready talent. To address this, Google launched the AI Skills House, a learning platform that aims to train 10 million Indians in AI-related skills. The platform, which will be available in seven Indian languages, offers digital badges to encourage learning and upskill the workforce for the country’s growing AI-driven economy.
In addition, Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, announced a $4 million fund to support education initiatives across India, particularly aimed at expanding digital education for underserved communities.
While AI took centre stage at the event, Google also focused on its environmental and data security efforts. The company revealed that it has added 186 MW of clean energy to India’s grid, part of its long-term plan to achieve 24/7 carbon-free energy in its operations. Google has also partnered with the Adani Group to set up a solar farm in Gujarat, furthering its commitment to clean energy in a country facing severe pollution challenges.
Addressing data privacy concerns, Google announced that from 2025, companies in India will be able to store Gemini 1.5 Flash data locally, giving them more control over their data while complying with Indian data regulations. This aligns with India’s increasing focus on data sovereignty and local data storage requirements.
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