On Wednesday, July 27, Google declared relaunching Street View on Google Maps in the selected parts of India. In the country, this 360-degree, street-level viewpoint was introduced in 2011. But, soon, it was rejected in 2016 by the government because of security concerns.
In this blog post, Google says that its Street View feature will roll out in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Nashik, Delhi, Ahmednagar, Amritsar, Vadodara, Kolkata, and Mumbai. Moreover, it expects to launch this feature in 50 more cities in India by the end of 2022.
We believe the launch of Street View in India will be instrumental in delivering a more helpful user experience, from virtually visiting locations to getting a better sense of local businesses and establishments.”
Miriam Karthika Daniel, VP – Google Maps Experiences
Also, he added,
We remain committed to collaborating with local organizations and the government as we work toward delivering even more useful features and information on Maps. We will continue to do this responsibly, enabling accurate, authentic, and trustworthy information.
Street View Relaunching Story
This story may sound interesting to you. Let’s read!
According to the National Geospatial Policy, 2021, local companies must license the data from foreign firms that they collect from the Indian entities to serve the customers.
Earlier, Street View was declined by the government agencies regarding data collection because of this policy.
Google was required to follow the same guidelines to serve its consumers. But, it decided to emerge uniquely again.
Today, Google collaborates with two local companies, Genesys International and Tech Mahindra, to supply images. It’s the first time worldwide that Google marks its launch by connecting with local partners to give life to the Street View service to Indian consumers. This model arouses hope in us that soon, India will scale up in other parts of the globe.
They shared with Google:
We were the first Indian firm to perform street imaging of all major cities in India. Our fleet is still swiftly photographing Indian cities, bringing to life our city’s amazing tapestry of streets and landmarks and allowing us to comfortably visit our old neighbourhoods or plan our trips. Google Maps has always been at the forefront of geospatial technology, and we are honoured to be an enabler of their efforts by offering the best technology to India and its people. We are delighted to be a part of the Google Street View programme, and we feel that our partnership will go a long way towards offering the most helpful and engaging mapping experience for people and customers across India.
Sajid Malik, Managing Director of Genesys International
Technology is not just the backbone of the global economy, but is also a strategic tool which can turn insights into solutions, uncover trends and predictions, and transform businesses in a sustainable manner. Today, there is an increasing need for technologies that turn insights from GIS (Geographic Information Systems) into ready products that can be utilized by customers. The GIS industry has only grown manifold with time, owing to increased data availability and the development of smart cities all over the world. In line with this, our partnership with Google is another step toward delivering high-quality and immersive mapping experiences to the people of India.
Birendra Sen, Business Head, Business Process Services, Tech Mahindra
About Google Street View
From July 27, you can find Street View on Google Maps in India with fresh images that Google has licensed with its local partners. Google claims to have licensed new imagery, spanning over 150,000 km, from its local partners, across ten cities.
How to Launch Street View
- Open Google Maps.
- Zoom it into a road in its targeted cities.
- Tap the area you need to view.
Street View will assist you in exploring and navigating the country’s new corners with better visualization accurately. You will get the whole experience of the specific place you are exploring right from your device (phone or computer).
Resolving Local Challenges
- In its blog post, Google said it had been committed to associating with local authorities to make accessible the information targeting real-world challenges, like Covid-19 and public sanitization. And this time, it announced its partnership with the local traffic authorities to aid India in improving road safety and controlling traffic congestion.
- In the country, to aid road safety efforts, Google Maps will now showcase speed limit details shared by traffic authorities, starting with Chandigarh and Bengaluru.
- Partnered with Bengaluru traffic police, Google is helping optimize traffic light timings. It has resulted in a 20% reduction in traffic congestion across every intersection.
- Collaborating with the Central Pollution Control Board, the company is showcasing “authoritative air quality information,” which you can see by tapping the Layers button at the top-right and choosing the Air Quality Option.
Google Prospects
To ensure everyone reaps Street View benefits, Google will avail Street View API to local developers, allowing them to render an improved mapping experience with their services and apps.
Google is looking to partner with more cities to exhibit speed limits information on Google Maps.
Key Notes
The rebirth of Street View will begin a new chapter in India’s mapping experience, attracting the strength of virtual imagery to assist people in visually exploring and governments locate local challenges.
Furthermore, in collaboration with data aggregators and local authorities, Google will also offer information on road incidents and closures on Google Maps across eight Indian cities to let people stay informed to avoid congestion zones and travel decisions.
By rolling out these announcements on its blog page, Google commits to extending its technology and proficiency to local partners to deliver more helpful info on Maps.
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