During its Building for India event held in New Delhi, Google unveiled a series of region-specific enhancements destined for Google Maps. These updates encompass a diverse array of improvements, including advancements in Google Maps Street View, the debut of live view walking, integration of Lens within Maps, and various additional functionalities. Notably, Google Maps will witness augmentations specifically tailored for train travel and public transport within India. The Where Is My Train feature is set to receive expanded support, now encompassing Mumbai and Kolkata local trains directly within the app. These updates are slated for an initial release on Android devices, with an anticipated rollout for iOS users in the forthcoming months.
Google Maps showcased India-specific features like Live view walking, Lens in Maps, fuel efficient routing, address descriptors, local trains support, among others, at the Building for India event. With the new updates, Google aims to develop richer and more comprehensive map for India that is more visual and immersive and caters to the country’s diverse mobility needs.
According to Google, Live view walking navigation is coming to 3,000 cities in the country, starting first with Android devices, with iOS support coming later down the line. The Lens in Maps feature, which will add Google Lens support in the application to help it utilise the phone camera for local information, is set to arrive by January 2024, Google said.
Fuel efficient routing, which brings more eco-friendly routes to Maps, will also be added to Google Maps in India. According to Google a green leaf symbol will show up on fuel efficient routing in Maps, making it distinct from regular navigation. The feature is set to arrive in January 2024 and will be available in over 20 cities.
The Where Is My Train feature, which allows for live tracking of trains, will add support for Mumbai local trains soon. Local trains support for Kolkata is next in line. Additionally, Maps will also get address descriptors in early 2024.
In October, Google introduced an array of AI-driven functionalities to Google Maps, headlined by the launch of “Immersive View for routes” alongside several other features. This innovative addition enables users to preview their chosen routes step-by-step, accommodating various modes of travel such as driving, walking, or cycling. The feature’s initial rollout commenced in select cities, including but not limited to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Dublin, Florence, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Paris, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle, Tokyo, and Venice. This release spans both Android and iOS platforms, providing users in these cities with an enhanced navigation experience.
