The Google Maps app is being updated in India to enhance the user experience

Google Tuesday, as it closes out the year and prepares for the next, unveiled a number of new features and enhancements for its mapping service in India.

Lens in Maps is one of the newest additions to the list; it will debut in 15 Indian cities by January, first for Android users. Launched in October in the United States and a few other countries, the feature combines augmented reality and artificial intelligence to provide users information about restaurants and cafés when they point their smartphone camera down the street. The information displayed includes ratings, reviews, and photos.

In order to make travel easier for users, Google has also introduced its Live View walking navigation in India. This feature overlays distance markers, arrows, and directions on the Maps screen. According to Google, the service will be rolled out across more than 3,000 cities and towns nationwide and originally available on Android.

Speaking at the occasion, Miriam Karthika, vice president for Google Maps Experience, stated, “India is a massive, massive country with so many diverse needs.” “We have to operate on a very large scale for India.”

Google announced Address Descriptors, which use a combination of machine learning signals to offer up to five most relevant landmarks and area names around pinned addresses and display landmark reference when a user shares their location. These features match the visual and immersive viewing experiences offered by Lens in Maps and Live View walking navigation. Introduced earlier this year for developers on the Google Maps Platform, this feature is a first for India and will be accessible in more than 75 Indian cities.

Additionally, Google has introduced its fuel-efficient routing to India; consumers will be able to access it in January. To help users in lowering fuel consumption and limiting carbon emissions, the feature will be compatible with both two-wheelers and four-wheelers across the nation. Next year, customers in Indonesia will also have access to the service, in addition to those in India.

Up until September of this year, Google claimed that fuel-efficient routing had prevented more than 2.4 million metric tons of CO2 emissions worldwide since its original debut in October 2021. According to the business, the function identify the route that minimizes fuel and emissions by using artificial intelligence (AI) to comprehend real-time traffic data, road elevation, and vehicle engine type.

In addition to introducing the worldwide capabilities in India, Google collaborated with Namma Yatri, a mobility app, and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in India to offer users immediate access to metro timetables and reservations via Google Maps. By the middle of next year, Kochi Metro will be the first metro to offer the experience, and additional metros will follow as they join the open e-commerce network.

Additionally, Google has added Mumbai and Kolkata local trains to its Where Is My Train app, which is used by over 80 million people each month to plan their interstate train trips. Additional cities will be included eventually.

Up till now, Google has mapped 300 million structures and millions of kilometers of highways around the nation. Over 50 million searches are made on Maps every day, 2.5 billion instructions are sent out on a daily basis, and over 60 million distinct individuals contribute to Maps across the nation. Furthermore, Google claimed to have added 30 million locations and companies to the nation’s Maps, facilitating 900 million direct contacts between retailers and customers.

Google debuted Street View in India in July of last year, six years after the technology was banned due to security concerns in that nation. The business collaborated with regional companies Tech Mahindra and Genesys. According to Google, there are currently over 50 million individuals in the nation using Street View.