The 9th edition of Google for India event, which took place on Thursday, was an exciting day for the countless individuals who depend on Google's services for their daily needs. The event was packed with new updates, ranging from the announcements of the local production of the Pixels to a novel generative AI experience on Search. In this article, we will highlight the top announcements from the event. Manufacturing Pixel smartphones in India The Google Pixels have always been manufactured in China and you can tell that from the Made in China label that sits at the bottom of the back panel. However, the company is planning to change that in an attempt to make the device more accessible to users. The company says it’s starting with the Pixel 8 series itself and these locally manufactured units will be rolled out in 2024. AI-powered enhancements and local collaborations on Search At the event, Google also announced that Search will soon be enriched with AI-powered overviews for over 100 vital government programs. These programs cover critical areas like employment, housing, healthcare, farming, women's welfare, etc. Google is also empowering small businesses to shine brighter in search results with a more visually appealing and easily filterable product feed. Crafting high-quality product catalogs is now also easy thanks to generative AI. Expanding access to formal credit through Google Pay Google Pay is gaining a new feature that allows users to swiftly locate and make payments for pre-approved credit lines from banks. This innovation is set to provide millions of Indians access to formal credit. Small businesses in India are also set to benefit, with access to formal credit that offers flexibility and convenience for their working capital needs. Leveraging cloud infrastructure for citizen-centric services To bridge the digital divide, Google Cloud is entering into a bunch of partnerships with key Indian organisations. The platform is teaming up with Axis My India to launch an inclusive and multilingual super-app called "a." This app's mission is to enhance access to government social welfare programs, day-to-day amenities, job opportunities, and healthcare benefits across India. By utilising Google Cloud's infrastructure, it aims to deliver these services to both urban and rural areas. Google also announced an extended partnership with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This partnership will facilitate Farmer Producer Organisations in selling their produce online, providing a more efficient and accessible marketplace. Additionally, a collaboration with the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will introduce real-time payment systems via UPI, simplifying overseas payments. Strengthening digital safety with DigiKavach Google's announcement of the DigiKavach initiative is about the collaboration with industry partners and experts to combat online financial fraud. DigiKavach aims to delve into the workings of scammers and develop countermeasures against emerging scams. In addition to these announcements, Google for India 2023 also shed light on other significant developments: - Google is connecting over 900 million people across its platforms and letting them chat with businesses right from the search results. You can also book metro tickets on Google Maps, thanks to a partnership with ONDC. This feature will be coming soon in the next few months. - Google and HP are teaming up to make affordable HP Chromebooks in India. These are low-cost laptops that run on Google's Chrome OS. - Google said that more than 350 million Indians are using digital payments in India, and they have processed a whopping Rs 167 lakh crores in value in the last 12 months. - Google Pay has blocked Rs 12,000 crores worth of scams in India and removed 3,500 predatory lending apps. Google Play Protect is now stronger than ever and scans your apps for malicious code in real-time. - Google is also working with the Government of India and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to deliver various services to the citizens faster and easier.
