GPay: GPay UPI circle, more languages in Gemini: key takeaways from ‘Google for India’

The tenth edition of the ‘Google for India’ event marked 20 years of the company’s operations in India. The primary focus of the event was the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) across various sectors in the country, and how Google plans to capitalise on it.

Here are the main announcements:

Gemini expansion: Google announced that the Gemini AI model will be expanded to support more local languages, with Hindi already integrated. Currently, over 40% of Indian users interact with Gemini in local languages using voice input. Google plans to extend support to eight additional Indian languages soon.

Google AI Overview: Starting now, Google AI Overview, which was available in Hindi, will be now accessible in Bengali, Telugu and Marathi.

Google Maps: The tech giant is enhancing real-time updates on Google Maps, introducing reports and alerts for flooding and fog conditions. These improvements aim to offer users more timely and relevant information for better navigation in challenging weather.

Google Pay: Google Pay, which currently connects 35 million users in India, introduced a new feature called UPI circle. It will allow users to request payments on behalf of others. This feature will be particularly helpful for families where one member can handle payments for another. Google Pay has also expanded loan limits to Rs 5 lakh, with the option to apply for gold loans up to Rs 50 lakh.

Data storage and cybersecurity: Google has announced the expansion of its Gemini 1.5 Flash data localisation initiative, ensuring companies in India can store their data locally in compliance with the country’s data protection regulations. Moreover, with the rise in cyberattacks, Google plans to launch its Safety Engineering System by 2025, building upon its anti-fraud initiative, DigiKavach, which was introduced last year.AI-backed healthcare: The company has announced an AI-powered tuberculosis and cancer screening tool for Indian hospitals. The tool will be available for free for the next decade, contributing to the improvement of the Indian healthcare system.

Merchant tools: To cater to its merchants in India, Google will now allow them to add their WhatsApp contact information directly to their Google business pages. This feature, which allows customers to text businesses directly on WhatsApp, is a step up from the existing option of only adding a phone number for calls. This feature is being rolled out in India first.