Google for India highlights: Assistant without Internet; AI lab; Jobs Spot and more

Google has also partnered with the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) to help the Skill India students find better employment.

At the 5th edition of Google for India event, the search giant announced a number of initiatives to make the internet more accessible, inclusive and empowering and drive the benefits of the digital economy to all Indians. 

The tech giant has partnered with the Indian telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to bring fast, secure and open Wi-fi network to three Indian villages in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Bihar.

Google has announced a new initiative to make important information accessible to the offline Indian population without any data or an internet connection. Supported by Google Assistant, the Vodafone-Idea Phone Line enables users to call a single toll-free number (000 800 9191000), at any time, and ask questions on any topic such as sports, weather updates, science and technology and get instant information.

Starting today, the service will be expanded to all English and Hindi-speaking Vodafone-Idea customers across India.

No internet, no Assistant? Not anymore. @mbronstein announces Phone Line, a feature available for all phones, where you can dial a number and talk to the Google Assistant 📞 #GoogleForIndia pic.twitter.com/NDBlC5aXCW

— Google India (@GoogleIndia) September 19, 2019

The Google Assistant will soon introduce an interpreter mode for real-time Hindi-English translation and other exciting features like booking a ride with ola and hands-free food ordering.

More Indian languages on Google apps

Furthermore, Google announced the support for Discover app to seven additional Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam and will further be expanded to three more languages - Oriya, Urdu, and Punjabi. The Discover app was launched back in 2017 and helps uncover fresh and interesting content about things that matter to the user.

Also, Google Lens, an image recognition technology that allows people to look up words, scan and translate text in real-time just by pointing their phone’s camera at things they are interested in, has added support for three more native languages Tamil, Telugu, and Marathi.

Bolo, a speech-based app that helps improve children's learning ability, has also added support for more Indian languages including Bangla, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. For expanding its content pool, Bolo is also partnering with publishers like Chotta Bheem and Katha Kids. 

Google Pay

Google also announced a number of new features on Google Pay, a simple and secure way to pay for things, big and small, online and offline including the "Tokenized cards", a secure way of paying for things using a digital token rather than using actual card number. The service will be rolled out on Google Pay in the next few weeks.

Other initiatives include:

• Spot Platform

Built using HTML & Javascript, the Spot Platform will enable merchants to create customized and branded commercial experiences, reach new customers. Users can discover a Spot online or at a physical location, and transact with the merchant easily and securely within the Google Pay app.

Image Credit: Twitter (@GoogleIndia)

• Google Pay for Business 

The Google Pay for Business app serves as an easy solution for small and medium-sized merchants to enable seamless digital payments without the hassle of time-consuming onboarding and verification process.  

• Jobs Spot

Using machine learning, the Jobs Spot on Google Pay helps job seekers find relevant entry-level jobs in fast-growing industries like retail, hospitality and on-demand businesses, prepare for interviews and engage directly with potential employers.

Google has also partnered with the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) to help the Skill India students find better employment.

Google Research India

With an aim to deliver world-class research and bring the benefits of AI to everyone, the search giant has introduced Google Research India lab. The Bangalore-based AI center will focus on:

• Advancing fundamental computer science and AI research in India
• Applying the research to tackle big problems and for social good
• Play a part in building the AI community in India

The AI lab will also collaborate closely with the Indian scientific research community and academic institutions to help train top talent and support collaborative programs, tools, and resources.