Google for India 2018: Key Highlights Include Modified AI For Regional Languages, Rebranded Google Tez And Project Navlekha

Google has announced many new projects for India today at an event called ‘Google for India’ held at New Delhi. Aimed to bring India to its optimal point in the digital frontier, Google has brought new initiatives that can help masses bridge the language barrier. The event featured various speakers specialising in different sectors of the Google India branch, sharing their ideas and prospects for the country. Kerala Floods: Google Donates Rs 7 Crore For Flood Victims in the State.

Here are the key highlights to take from Google for India 2018 event.

The Google Pay App: Google’s Tez app introduced last year, has been rebranded as Google Pay. With the rebranded Google Play app, the company is aiming to streamline it globally. The app is infused with deeper integration that will help online and offline retailers access instant loans via the Bhim UPI to its Google Pay users.

Project Navlekha: With the aim to bring the internet to the next billion users in India, Google has designed Project Navlekha to cater to all the regional language publications and media. With this new initiative, it will help regional newspapers and magazines digitalise their content faster using lesser resources.  Google Removes 39 YouTube Channels After Suspecting Ties to Iran & Russia Influence Campaigns.

Rajan Anandan, VP, India and SEA Sales and Operations, Google, said during the event, “The majority of internet users in India today are Indian language users, and this number is expected to reach 500 million in the next two years. Smartphones are not useful unless they work in people’s primary language and provide access to great content in their native tongues. Right now, the amount of online content in Indian languages is only 1 percent of what's available in English.” Currently, the tech giant is working with over 100,000 offline regional publishers to create vernacular language websites on branded domains.

Tailored for India Google Assistant: To bring more Indians online and to provide them with more usable and understandable global products and news, Google has tailored its AI assistant to understand, interact and provide information in many regional languages as possible. The company also announced that the next update would feature Marathi and seven other languages. Adding to the feature, Google has also introduced an English training course for its users called ‘Hello English’, where the users  with multiple sessions that are designed to be interactive. New Google Pixel 3 XL Leaked Video Confirms Wireless Charging Feature.

Google Maps: Google Maps gets a new makeover and the GO version of the app comes with an added turn-by-turn navigation feature. To enhance its consumer experience, Google has partnered with RedBus that will help the user get better public transport information like upcoming stops and alerts on Maps application.

Google Station in Andhra Pradesh: Aimed to bring high-quality internet speed, Google is partnering with Andhra Pradesh State’s FiberNet Limited to bring Google Station to over 12 thousand villages, towns and cities across the state. Google General Manager of Next Billion Users and Payments, Caesar Sengupta said "We have partnered APSFNL. We expect to start rolling out services by the end of the year with cities like Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, to connect gram panchayats, primary health care centres and other public places."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 28, 2018 05:06 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).