Alphabet Inc subsidiary and world’s biggest search engine hosted Google for India event for the fourth year in a row. As always, Google used the platform to emphasize how innovation for India is inspiring innovation worldwide, and to showcase new India specific developments for its different products and services. Here’s everything that transpired at the Google For India 2018 event today in the national capital. (Google For India 2018 highlights हिंदी में पढ़े)
Top Google For India 2018 Highlights
-
Google Tez is now Google Pay
– Back in September 2017, Google launched its BHIM platform based UPI payment app called Tez in India. Now, the Google Tez has been renamed as Google Pay.
Tez rebranded as Google Pay.
22 million businesses use Tez every month!
Many governments are asking Google to make similar payment platforms for their countries.
#GoogleForIndia pic.twitter.com/4LC0sadzNT— Smartprix (@Smartprix) August 28, 2018
– As per Caesar Sengupta, vice president, Google, since the launch of Tez, monthly BHIM UPI transactions have grown 14 folds.
– As per Google, In India, there are 22 million active users of Tez every month with an annual transaction value of Rs 2 lakh crore.
– By Diwali, Google Pay will be available in over 150,000 retail locations in the country.
– Soon Google Pay will offer instant loan in partnership with four Indian banks —HDFC Bank Ltd, ICICI Bank Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd and Federal Bank Ltd. This will a pre-approved loan to customers “right within Google Pay in a matter of seconds,” says Caesar Sengupta.
Google Pay (Tez) will soon offer preapproved instant loans to eligible customers.
Will hit 15K offline retail stores by this Diwali.
New features for merchants and small businesses coming soon!
#GoogleForIndia pic.twitter.com/a4POLHfGKR— Smartprix.com (@Smartprix) August 28, 2018
ALSO READ: Nokia 6.1 Plus Review – Is It Better Than Mi A2?
-
Samsung joins the Android Go party With Galaxy J2 Core
– Google announced that Samsung is finally onboard on Android Go project and in fact launched its first ‘Android Go’s phone – the Galaxy J2 Core.
– As per Google, more than 400 Android Go based smartphones launched this year.
-
Maps Go Turn by turn navigation feature goes live
– With the latest Maps Go app update on Android Go, users will be able to get turn-by-turn navigation.
– Voice navigation is also coming to public transport with get-off alters at your designated station.
– Google has partnered with Redbus to provide information about public transport on more than 20,000 routes and 1,500 cities.
Woahh!! https://t.co/VgNytNohN7
— Rajan Anandan (@RajanAnandan) August 28, 2018
-
Bilingual News Feed; Google Go to support audio playback in Indic languages
– After English and Hindi, Google assistant now soon support Marathi. Google says in the coming months it will add seven more regional languages to Google Assistant.
#GoogleForIndia Google Assistant now available in marathi. Coming in 7 new Indic languages pic.twitter.com/uaH9OQY3dZ
— Smartprix.com (@Smartprix) August 28, 2018
– In its last update, Google introduced personalizing Google Feed, now it is taking it one step further. Users will start seeing content in there feed in both Hindi and English.
– Google’s search app for entry-level smartphones – Google GO gets a text-to-speech update. Now, Indian users will be able to ask their browser to read out loud the text from any website. It will support English, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, and Tamil languages.
– Google assistant actions will now work in Hindi as well. Creators will also be able to make their own actions in less than 15 minutes.
ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Review – Noteworthy Workhorse
Google’s Project Navlekha for Indian publishers
– Google’s Project Navlekha, will help publishers to digitize their content and take it online that too in less than 60 secs. Project Navlekha could benefit about 135,000 Indian publishers who still don’t have a website.
The Google for India 2018 was kick-started by Rajan Anandan, VP, Google India and Southeast Asia. He said:
focused on the role of technology in creating more locally relevant experiences for Indians. When it comes to Internet trends in India, Anandan noted that the big three themes that will define the future of India’s Internet will be “Voice, Video, and Vernacular.” He said, “Voice has been emerging as the preferred mode of use for new internet users. We’re seeing major growth of voice queries in India. Furthermore, online video now accounts for 75% of all mobile traffic. And as for vernacular, the majority of the Internet users today are Indian language users, a number expected to reach 500 million plus in the next two years. 95% of video consumption is in vernacular languages.”
