Google Maps in India gets Plus Codes, adds voice navigation in 6 additional Indian languages

Google Maps is probably one of the most widely used mobile application in India, especially for a frequent traveler. Today, Google Maps has introduced 2 new additional features to make the navigation and locating the address a very smooth experience. The 2 new features include the introduction of Plus Codes and voice navigation in 6 additional Indian languages.

Plus Codes

It is an open source solution which represents a simple and consistent addressing system that works across India and globally. It divides the geographical surface of the Earth into tiny ‘tiled areas’, giving a unique code to each of them. This code comprises a ‘6-character + City’ format that can be generated, shared and searched by anyone on a smartphone. The open source nature of Plus Codes means that applications that use location services can easily incorporate it into their platforms for free. To use a Plus Code, users need to simply enter it into the Search field on Google or Google Maps, mobile or desktop, which will instantly show a location. Plus Codes can be used for a wide variety of reasons including communicating the venue of a temporary event, guiding emergency services to afflicted locations, and providing an identifiable location for complicated addresses.

Google Maps today is adding voice navigation in six additional Indian languages: Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam. The company had launched navigation in Hindi three years ago.

Also, Google Maps will come with a new Smart Address Search which is an innovative approach to providing the best estimate of the location of an address. In case Google Maps doesn’t understand the address precisely, the Smart Address Search will now try to use all the pieces of information in the address and provide options for landmarks which will make it easier for users to best identify the addresses.

Suren Ruhela, Director, Google Maps, said: “At Google Maps, our objective has always been about organizing all location-related information, and making it more accessible and relevant for Indian users. Address search is critical for delivering on this mission. In India, we know how challenging it can be to reach a given residential address. They are unique in format, and vary across regions, localities, and use cases. While some addresses are well-defined by street names and house numbers that are easy to find, others can be long-winded and hard to locate. The other reality is that millions of people and places in India are hard to locate — especially those in remote areas. We are deeply committed to helping find solutions to these challenges.”

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