Google Officially Announces Some New Features Powered By AI And Local Partners For Google Maps In India; Will Be Rolled Out Soon

At the beginning of this month, it was reported that Google is introducing Speedometer and Speed Limit features in Google Maps for iOS and CarPlay globally. These features were already available for Android users. After that, the company has today announced some new exciting features for Google Maps in India. As per the official announcement these features will be rolled out soon in the country.

The company claims that these new features will make the navigation and exploration journeys for Indian users more efficient and sustainable. Let’s dive in to know about these features in detail.

Six New Features Introduced For Google Maps in India

Using AI to help four-wheeler drivers navigate narrow roads

It becomes quite challenging for four-wheeler drivers to navigate through narrow or congested roads in an unfamiliar area. To solve this issue, Google has developed an AI model specifically for Indian roads that incorporates multiple signals- satellite imagery, street view, and other information like road types, the distance between buildings, paved sections, etc, to estimate road widths at scale.

The company has also fine-tuned its existing AI algorithms to help drivers to avoid narrow roads. In case the narrow road is unavoidable, for this situation Google has added clear callouts in Maps Directions and Navigation screens to alert the drivers when the narrow route arrives.

This feature will be rolled out this week in 8 cities (Android users); Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Indore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, and Guwahati. This feature will be rolled out to iOS and more cities soon.

Navigate Flyovers With Confidence

Determining whether to take a flyover or not can sometimes be tricky, especially when you are in an unfamiliar city. Hence Google introduced a new feature on Google Maps where the flyovers will be called out along with the recommended route. Well, this indeed will help a lot of users in preparing when to take a flyover and reach their desired destination without any hustle.

Starting this week, the flyover callout feature will be seen in 40 cities across India for both four-wheeler and two-wheeler active navigation on Android apps and Android Auto. This feature will be rolled out to iOS and CarPlay soon.

Google will also be soon rolling out the Narrow road and flyover features to developers through Google Mapd platform routes API.

Supporting EV Journeys with Local partners

Helpful information regarding EV charging stations will be provided on both Google Maps and Google Search in India. To achieve this, Google is collaborating with leading EV charging providers in India- ElectricPe, Ather, Kazam, and Satiq to add authoritative information for over 8000 charging stations.

This marks the first time that Google is launching EV charging stations for two-wheelers on Google Maps and India is the first country to get this feature. Now users can easily find information including plug types and real-time availability. You can even filter by your specific charger type and check if the station is open.

Metro Ticket Bookings powered by ONDC and Namma Yatri

Last year, Google announced its collaboration with ONDC and Namma Yatri to streamline public transport experience on Google Maps. This metro booking experience in Google Maps is now going live in Kochi and Chennai powered by ONDC and Namma Yatri.

When a user searches for public transport directions in these two cities, they will start seeing a new booking option for the metro leg of their trip. With a simple tap, you will be guided through the booking and payment process, eliminating the need to wait in line at the station. This feature will be expanded to more cities in the future.

Easily report incidents to help your community

Google has now simplified how you can report road incidents. Whether there’s ongoing construction or a traffic mishap on your route, you can now report it with just a few taps. You can even confirm others’ reports with a single tap. This update is available in India on Google Maps across all platforms- Android, iOS, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay.

Curated Lists of favorite spots from your community and local experts

Creating, sharing, and collaborating on lists of your favorite places has now become easier. While Google has also collaborated with local experts like NDTV Food and MagicPin. They’ve curated lists for ten major cities and tourist spots: Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Pune, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and Jaipur offering insider tips and recommendations for the best places to eat, drink and explore.

Now when users search for these places, they can find lists like ‘Best Ocean view cafes in Goa’ or ‘Top Breakfast spots in Mumbai’ or ‘Best shops to get Sandesh in Kolkata.’