Google Maps makes it easier for Indian users to understand unfamiliar addresses

Google Maps will automatically find up to five of the most relevant landmarks and area names around a pinned address

Searching for addresses in India can be a frustrating experience. The unstructured, unstandardised nature of them often leaves people relying on landmarks and familiar places to pinpoint unfamiliar locations.

Google now wants to bring this user behaviour to its digital mapping product Google Maps with the help of artificial intelligence (AI).

The company has on December 19 announced a new India-first feature, Address descriptors, that aims to help users better understand unfamiliar addresses through landmarks and places of interest on Google Maps, similar to how they communicate addresses in real life.

Through this feature, Google Maps will automatically find up to five of the most relevant landmarks and area names around a pinned address, using a combination of machine learning signals, and display the landmark reference when people share their location, the company said. The feature is expected to be rolled out to users across India early next year.

A screenshot of the Address descriptors feature on Google Maps

Google said that it has been investing in adding more places and businesses to the map, especially those that Indian users often search for in the past few years. This includes places of worship, medical facilities, government services and landmarks that people typically use to communicate their addresses such as behind a school or next to the local post office.

The feature was first introduced to developers in India as an experimental feature on Google Maps Platform in June 2023, with a coverage of 25 prominent cities including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, and Hyderabad. This coverage is now being expanded to over 75 cities across the country.

Google Lens and Live View walking navigation

Google is also bringing its visual search tool Lens to Maps to help users easily understand their surroundings.

This will enable users to point their camera while walking down a street to see nearby restaurants and cafes, along with useful information like opening hours, ratings, reviews and photos. The feature will be launching in 15 cities across India in January 2024, starting with Android devices.

A screenshot of Lens in Maps feature

This feature builds on the Street View feature that Google introduced in July 2022, in partnership with 3D mapping content and geospatial solutions firm Genesys International and IT services firm Tech Mahindra.

Google is also introducing Live View walking navigation to the country, through which users will see arrow marks, directions, and distance markers overlaid on the Maps screen, helping them quickly figure out which way to head. The phone will also vibrate when it’s time to make a turn or the user has reached their destination. Live View walking navigation will be available in over 3,000 cities and towns in India, starting with Android.

A screenshot of Google Live View Walking Navigation

The company said both the immersive experiences - Lens in Maps and Live View walking navigation - are being created by combining Street View imagery along with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) technologies.

“AI has accelerated our ability to build solutions that can scale to the diversity and complexity of a country like India. As we look to the future of Google Maps, we’re committed to building a map that helps people go from knowing about a place to truly experiencing it" said Miriam Karthika Daniel, VP - Google Maps Experiences.

Partnership with ONDC and Namma Yatri

Apart from these features, Google also announced partnerships with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and mobility app Namma Yatri to enable a more digitised public transport experience to all users. This includes bringing metro schedules and bookings on Google Maps.

As part of this partnership, Google will launch Kochi metro on Google Maps powered by Namma Yatri by mid-2024, followed by other metros as they join the ONDC network, the company said.

"With this collaboration, we aim to not only enhance user convenience but also provide a platform for the growth of mobility startups nationwide. Together, our pilot initiative with Kochi Metro and Namma Yatri sets the stage for a more efficient and discoverable transportation landscape" said T Koshy, MD and CEO of ONDC.

In addition, Google will also be extending its fuel-efficient routing feature to India by January 2024, for people using four-wheelers as well as two-wheelers. India and Indonesia will be the first countries in which the company is rolling out this feature for two-wheelers.

Google claims that this feature is estimated to have helped prevent more than 2.4 million metric tons of CO2e emissions globally - the equivalent of taking approximately 500,000 fuel-based cars off the road for a year - from its launch in October 2021 through September 2023.

"We apply AI to understand real-time traffic data, road elevation, and even your vehicle's engine type, to identify the route that minimizes fuel and emissions. For example, hybrid and electric vehicles perform better in stop-and-go traffic, while diesel engines use less fuel at higher speeds. This helps save fuel and encourage sustainable route choices, without significantly impacting travel time" the company said.

Google is also adding Mumbai and Kolkata local trains to the Where Is My Train app, enabling users access to dynamic information such as train location, real-time status, and platform changes among others.