Today at the sixth edition of the annual Google for India event – held virtually this year due to Covid-19 pandemic Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced that it will be investing ₹75,000 crores (approximately $10 billion) in India over the coming five to seven years to help boost the country’s digital economy. Google opened its first offices in India – in Hyderabad and Bangalore – in 2004, and the country is now a key overseas market for the company. Therefore, with its new Google for India Digitization Fund, the search giant will focus on four key areas that it believes are crucial for India’s digitization.
The primary focus of the new fund will be on enabling access to information on the internet for every Indian in their own language. Second, Google will be creating new products and services that are tailored to the unique needs of Indians. The third area of focus for Google is empowering thousands of small and medium businesses in the country, as they embark on their digital transformation. It also hopes to leverage AI and technology for outbreak predictions, digital literacy, and supporting rural economies across India.
Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google and Alphabet, wrote in a blog post:
There’s no question we are facing a difficult moment today, in India and around the world. The dual challenges to our health and to our economies have forced us to rethink how we work and how we live. But times of challenge can lead to incredible moments of innovation. Our goal is to ensure India not only benefits from the next wave of innovation, but leads it. Working together we can ensure that our best days are still ahead.
In addition to the Google for India Digitization Fund, Google also announced that its AI-powered reading tutor app Bolo, which was designed for Indian users, is now rolling out globally as Read Along. Children in 180 countries can now use the app to learn to read in nine languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hindi.
