Nearly ten years after its initial attempt to introduce the service in the nation ran into regulatory problems, Google Maps has now debuted its 360-degree interactive Street View panoramic feature for ten Indian cities.
For the first time, the Silicon Valley tech giant is teaming up with regional partners to provide this service to customers. Google is launching the functionality in collaboration with local companies Genesys International and Tech Mahindra for 3D mapping material, geospatial solutions, and IT services.
Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Nashik, Vadodara, Ahmednagar, and Amritsar are the ten Indian cities where the functionality would be introduced initially, according to a statement from Google.
On Wednesday, Google announced that it had obtained additional footage from its regional partners that covered a distance of more than 50,000 km in these cities.
Google Maps faced privacy concerns and legal scrutiny when it introduced Street View for the first time in India in 2011. Street View provides 360-degree images of streets across the world using photos taken by cruising vehicles.
A new geospatial policy from India last year, according to company executives, allowed it to now meet the regulatory standards.
After being suspended by the government for ten years due to security concerns, Google wants to reintroduce Street View in India, beginning in ten cities.
By obtaining the data from local partners, they claimed that the new regulations permit international map providers to offer panoramic imagery.
Tech Mahindra and Genesys handled all of the data collecting for Street View, according to Google, which added that it anticipates the service to be accessible in more than 50 Indian cities by the end of this year.
Street View will obfuscate faces and license plates to address privacy concerns, according to Miriam Daniel, Vice President of Google Maps Experiences, who spoke to Reuters.
By opening the Google Maps app, zooming onto any road in any of the 10 cities where the function is available, and tapping the area they want to see, users in those cities can access it.
The introduction of Street View in the nation follows the release of a comparable tool by MapmyIndia, which powers Apple Inc.’s India maps.
Additionally, Google is apparently working with regional traffic authorities to ease traffic congestion and enhance road safety, as well as the Central Pollution Control Board of India to give air quality information on maps.
- Related: Launching In August, The Lenovo Legion Y70 Has Been Teased With A Triple 50-Megapixel Rear Camera Setup!
- Related: Meta Increases The Price Of The Quest 2 Headset Before The Release Of ‘Project Cambria’ Successor!
- Related: Nothing Phone 1 Review: See Why It Is Compared To The Galaxy S22 Ultra And The iPhone 13 Pro!