At the Google for India 2024 event held in Delhi, Google unveiled a series of new features customized for Indian users.
The Tech giant has introduced a number of enhancements across its various platforms to offer the best of artificial intelligence (AI), payment solutions, and safety improvements that would enhance user experience and abate security threats.
Google announced major updates to Google Pay, its popular Unified Payments Interface (UPI) application, extending support for personal and gold loans. This expansion includes partnerships with prominent financial entities such as Aditya Birla Capital Finance for personal loans and Muthoot Finance for gold loans.
Users now have the ability to secure personal loans up to Rs 5 lakh and gold loans up to Rs 50 lakh directly through the app. These initiatives are set to make financial services more accessible to users, integrating secure loan options seamlessly into everyday financial activities.
Additionally, the company has improved the search experience by facilitating direct communication between customers and businesses via WhatsApp from Google Search listings, a shift from the traditional method of placing calls through provided phone numbers. This feature aims to streamline interactions and enhance customer service experiences.
Google’s dedication to health and safety was prominently displayed through its new health-related features developed in collaboration with the health sector.
To complement diagnostic services, Google has built partnerships with healthcare providers like Apollo Hospitals. This will leverage Google’s deep learning models for support in tuberculosis and cancer screening in collaboration with the companies at no cost to the patients. Google’s intent to use technology to create social good is made clear by these advancements, particularly in healthcare, are meant to improve healthcare outcomes.
The event also highlighted the DigiKavach initiative, through which Google has protected users from scams worth Rs. 13,000 crore. Over 41 million warnings were issued to users in 2023 alone, with the AI-driven system automatically detecting and removing over 170 million fraudulent reviews on Google Maps.
Upcoming updates include enhanced fraud protection for Android users, aimed at preventing the sideloading of malicious apps by requiring critical permissions, thereby fortifying users' digital security.
Google is intensifying its focus on regional languages in its AI search overviews and Gemini Live support, a move set to benefit a broader spectrum of Indian users by providing more inclusive and accessible technology.
This step is part of Google’s ongoing efforts to adapt and evolve its services to meet diverse consumer needs across India, ensuring that technology serves as a bridge rather than a barrier.