According to the official Google Blog post, Google Maps has now officially introduced five new features curated specially for Indian users.
The company has used AI to identify and locate landmarks, making it easier to navigate. Google Maps will also start showing an option to choose fuel-efficient routes while driving.
Key Features
Google has also partnered with local apps such as Namma Yatri, Where’s My Train, and ONDC to digitize the schedule and tracking of public transport.
Google uses a combination of machine learning signals to display the best landmark, based on the reference of the location.
Google Maps will also directly integrate Google Lens into the app. Live View Walking Navigation will also be added to the Google Maps app.
Google has scanned over 300 million buildings across India. The company uses AI to scan and display the correct information when a user scans for a place using Lens or Live View Walking.
The company says that the app will calculate the best route without affecting the travel time significantly. Google says that electric and hybrid vehicles are more efficient in traffic, whereas fuel-powered cars perform better on highways. Considering that Google Maps handles navigation of over 2.5 billion kilometres in India, the fuel-efficient route option is expected to help millions of users.
Google has also partnered with the Where’s My Train app, where the latest update will now show the real-time running status of local trains in Mumbai and Kolkata.
Google has also announced a new partnership with Namma Yatri, a mobility app on the ONDC network. Users will be able to see metro schedules and bookings in the app, which will help to digitize public transport.
