Google has played an important role while empowering Indians during the COVID-19 pandemic, having supported more than two billion searches on issues around prevention and safety precautions, said Google India Chief Executive Sanjay Gupta in his first Google For India address since assuming charge in November last year.
Gupta while addressing more than 9,000 viewers on Google India’ s YouTube channel on July 13 said Google search has also supported the spread of information on more than 11,000 food and night shelters spread across more than 700 locations in the country. “This has assisted people who needed support during the lockdown ensuing from COVID-19.”
Stressing on the role played by the Mountain View headquartered technology giant in the digital transformation of India, Gupta said that the country has more than 500 million active internet users with more than 450 million of them using a smartphone. Keeping this giant population and potential user base in mind, there are multiple products that Google is working on spread across weather prediction to education and even healthcare.
“Google Pay facilitated the transfer of more than Rs 120 crore through its platform to help the government during the pandemic,” he said, adding that digital payments have facilitated consumers to buy products online even during the lockdown. “With Google, small businesses have also managed to go online quickly and continue their business when physical distancing kept consumers away from stores.”
