Google for India 2023 is set to kick off on Thursday and the search giant is expected to show off innovations to artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet technologies at its annual event. The 9th edition of Google for India could see the company announce details of its plans to improve access to Internet in India, as well as new AI tools and applications that are aimed at users in India. Google also works with local private and public partners and the company could announce new initiatives related to digitisation and improving access to information online this year.
Google for India 2023 event date and how to watch the livestream
The company’s 9th Google for India event will begin at 11am on October 19. The in-person event will be streamed live via the Google India YouTube channel. You can also watch the livestream of the event via the player embedded below.
Google for India 2023: What to expect
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) the company has shared an image of a golden model of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander and the Pragyan rover, alongside text that announces the date of the next event. Google suggests that its announcements will range from “access to Internet, to success on the Internet”.
While we are likely to hear more about the company’s plans — and new technologies it plans to introduce over the coming year — at the event on Thursday, it is worth taking a look at Google’s previous announcements over the past couple of years.
Last year, at the 8th edition of Google for India, the search giant unveiled a new ‘Multisearch’ feature that allows users to combine a captured image or a screenshot with a text query for even more refined results. The search platform also received a new feature that allowed users to search YouTube videos for specific moments. The company also announced a feature to digitise doctors’ handwritten prescriptions at the event.
Google also announced a feature that would allow users in India to securely access their documents in Digilocker via the Google Files app on their smartphone — these files are stored in an isolated environment on the user’s device and users have to provide authentication to access their documents, according to the company.
Meanwhile, at the Google for India 2021 event amid the pandemic, the company announced a Google Assistant feature that would allow users to book a vaccination slot via the CoWIN portal in English, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu.
During its 7th Google for India event, the company also announced a new Hinglish language option for Google Pay that was aimed at making interacting with the app more intuitive. A new bill split option was also introduced alongside a new speech to text feature that allows users to enter payment amounts and account numbers using their voice.
New weather features were also announced during the company’s 2021 event, including the ability to check AQI levels via Google search, getting weather alerts related to extreme climatic conditions, and forecasting floods — part of the company’s Google Flood Forecasting Initiative.
We can expect the company to announce new ways to bring more users online and help them get access to the Internet during the Google for India 2023 event. These announcements are expected to arrive alongside the company’s AI features — targeted at Indian users — that are expected roll out to users in the coming months.