Categories AppsTechnology News

Google Maps to Get Various India-Specific Features Going Forward

Published by
Arpit Sharma

Google is working on bringing new India-specific features to Google Maps. Google is making this move to address unique challenges and opportunities in the sub-continent, a senior company official said. Since the start of 2018, Google has been rolling out new features to Maps now and then, and going forward, users in India will see more India-specific features on the platform. “Google Maps is not just about navigating from point A to B. We have been building for India, addressing the unique challenges and opportunities, with the sole aim of making Google maps more comprehensive, accurate and reliable,” Google Maps for India, Program Manager, Anal Ghosh said to PTI.

google-maps-india-specific-features

Ghosh talked about innovating features for India specifically. The two-wheeler mode in Google Maps comes to India first as 70% of all the vehicles registered in the country are two-wheelers, he added.

“Two-wheeler mode in maps shows trip routes that use shortcuts not accessible to cars, buses and trucks. It also provides customised traffic and arrival time estimations,” he said.

Google Maps’ transit feature provides details on trains, bus and metro routes. It shows schedules for roughly 12,000 Indian railways trains, apart from updated public transport information for bus and metro routes.

“We are working closely with the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. We have been working with them to add public toilets (on Google Maps) across different cities in the country,” Ghosh said.

The company has added public toilets on Google Maps in partnership with the government, the company said in a statement. “We have launched real-time buses in two cities- Kolkata and Surat. We are working to see how we can extend it to other cities as well,” he added.

Not only for Google Maps, the search giant is adding various India-specific features to some of its platforms. For example, Google added Hindi language support to its Assistant, so that users can interact with the voice assistant in a regional language.

Arpit Sharma

Arpit spends his day closely following the telecom and tech industry. A music connoisseur and a night owl, he also takes a deep interest in the Indian technology start-up scene and spends rest of his time spilling poetry and stories on paper.

Share
Published by
Arpit Sharma

Recent Posts

Telefonica and Qwilt Partner for Content Delivery Service

Telefonica, one of the world's leading telecommunications service providers, and Qwilt, a North American company,…

Why are Telecom Bodies Batting for 6 GHz Spectrum

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), as well as the GSMA, a global telecom…

OneWeb is Just a Step Away from Offering Commercial Services

OneWeb, a global satellite broadband service provider, is now just a step away from completing…

Airtel Launches New Rs 599 Family Postpaid Plan, and Here’s Why It’s Better Than Jio’s

Bharti Airtel, India's leading telecommunications service provider, has launched Rs 599 platinum postpaid plan, the…

Jio Hikes Its Entry Level Postpaid Plan to Rs 299 From Rs 199

Last week, Reliance Jio announced four new postpaid plans dubbed Jio Plus, starting at Rs…

BSNL 4G, What’s So Interesting About it

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is not exactly an underdog. It has played in the…

WorldLink Receives Investment to Expand Broadband Services in Nepal

WorldLink Communications, Nepal's largest private sector internet service provider, has secured a series B investment…

TRAI to Meet Telcos on March 27 to Discuss Implementation of UCC Detect Solutions

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has just announced that its Chairman, P.D. Vaghela,…

6 Intriguing Malayalam Thriller Movies Available on OTT

The Malayalam cinema industry has recently achieved its well-deserved fame by excelling in the content…