Google Maps gets new updates in India to enhance user experience

Google has introduced new features and updates for its Google Maps in India including Lens in Maps, Live View walking navigation, Address Descriptors and more.

Lens in Maps will be launching in 15 cities across India by January, starting with Android. The feature, which was launched in the US and some global markets in October 2023, uses a mix of artificial intelligence and augmented reality to provide information such as opening hours, ratings, reviews and photos when people point the camera of their smartphone down the street to a restaurant or café.

The company has also launched its Live View walking navigation in India to offer arrows, directions and distance markers overlayed on the Maps screen, helping users navigate easily to their destination. The feature will be available initially on Android and will be rolled out to more than 3,000 cities and towns in the country.

In addition to this, it has announced Address Descriptors that use a combination of machine learning signals to offer up to five most relevant landmarks and area names around pinned addresses and display landmark references when a user shares their location. This capability will be available across more than 75 Indian cities.

It has also brought its fuel-efficient routing to India, which will be available to users starting in January. The feature will work across four-wheelers and two-wheelers in the country to help users reduce fuel consumption and limit carbon emissions. It will also be available to users in Indonesia next year.

Google has mentioned that fuel-efficient routing helped prevent more than 2.4 million metric tons of CO2e emissions globally, since its initial launch in October 2021. It uses AI to understand real-time traffic data, road elevation and vehicle engine type to identify the route that limits fuel and emissions.

The company has partnered with India’s Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and mobility app Namma Yatri to provide metro schedules and bookings to users directly through Google Maps. It will be available starting with Kochi metro by mid-next year and will follow other metros as they come on the open e-commerce network.

Google has also expanded its Where Is My Train app, garnering over 80 million users every month to navigate their intercity train journeys, to cover Mumbai and Kolkata local trains, with more cities to be added over time.