Google Maps upgrades navigation in India with Gemini, safety alerts

Google is adding Gemini to Maps in India, along with road safety alerts and more route information.

The AI ​​integration, which launched in the US on Wednesday, brings hands-free AI support to Maps, as well as contextual suggestions while navigating and information about points of interest.

Miriam Daniel, vice president and head of Google Maps, said the rollout required significant localization.

“When we talk about localizing for India, it is not just about the language,” she said during a virtual briefing. “It also adapts to the way Indians use the product, how Indians will talk, how they will ask questions, how they will identify places, the geopolitical places, the street names, you know, everything is a little bit different in India.”

Gemini in Maps will be available to all Android and iOS users in India in the coming weeks, Google said. At launch, Gemini will support nine Indian languages.

Google is also adding a range of India-specific navigation and commuting updates. Drivers get it now visual and audio warnings when they pass through an accident-prone route. Google said it is working with local authorities on these alerts and the feature will be rolled out to Android users in Gurugram, Cyberabad region of Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Faridabad.

Google has come under scrutiny in India over the reliability of some navigation routes car drove off an unfinished bridge in Uttar Pradesh, killing three men late last year.

“Real world conditions can keep changing, and it’s very dynamic, and sometimes it changes in the blink of an eye. Maps can’t be accurate 100% of the time,” said Anal Ghosh, senior program manager for Google Maps, when asked about alerts for incomplete roads or unfinished bridges. “So we want to encourage users to make sure they keep their eyes on the road.”

Google said it is working with the country’s highway regulator, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to receive near-real-time data on road closures, diversions and repair work. The company said the partnership will also enable Maps to display roadside amenities such as public toilets, restaurants and fuel stations along national highways.

Other new features include proactive notifications of major disruptions or delays on routes, even when users are not navigating. These alerts are being rolled out to Android users for highways and major roads in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

The app also displays speed limits while navigating, based on data from local traffic authorities. This feature is being rolled out to Android and iOS users in nine cities: Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Hyderabad (including Cyberabad region), Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Noida.

Building on the flyover navigation feature launched last year, Maps now gets voice support for viaducts. This feature will be rolled out to Android and iOS users in the coming weeks.