Google for India pushes Gemini era to brands, consumers

Even as it marked 20 years in the country, Google celebrated the 10th edition of Google for India in New Delhi. This year, the event focused on making AI more accessible, with launches designed to benefit individuals, businesses, and society at large, with Google head honchos promising to take us into the Gemini era. Through the unveiling of the ‘AI Opportunity Agenda for India’ whitepaper, Google outlined a roadmap to support India’s AI mission, with a focus on infrastructure, workforce readiness, and inclusive adoption.

One of the major highlights was the integration of Google ’s most advanced AI model, Gemini , into its consumer-facing products. For advertisers, this transformation offers an array of opportunities to reach digital consumers with greater precision. Google Search now features AI Overviews, which help users find information faster, with this capability expanding into more Indian languages like Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, and Tamil. The localized AI experience enables brands to deliver personalized messaging, helping them connect more effectively with diverse Indian audiences.

A notable update to Google Lens allows users to search using video, introducing a powerful visual search tool. This innovation opens new possibilities for brands to engage consumers through rich, interactive experiences, making it easier for advertisers to answer more complex queries through multimedia content.

Google Maps has also received AI-powered upgrades, including new capabilities for merchants. With AI summarizing user reviews and analyzing images, brands can now provide more insightful, visual, and engaging experiences for consumers. This will be especially useful for location-based advertisers and businesses, as the platform's advanced image recognition will help users find unique experiences and products, making it easier to match their offerings to consumer demand.

Reacting to these announcements, Vivek Pradeep Rana, Managing Partner, Gnothi Seauton, said, “For communicators, these innovations bring the opportunity to craft highly localized and culturally relevant messages for India's multilingual audience. With AI Overviews and Gemini Live now supporting Indian languages, communicators can ensure their content is not only accessible but resonates deeply with regional nuances.”

“The Google Lens video search experiment pushes communicators to adopt more dynamic, visual storytelling methods, engaging audiences through interactive and immersive content. These tools enable faster, personalized responses and real-time adjustments, enhancing the precision of brand narratives and strengthening stakeholder engagement across diverse markets,” added Rana.

For example, a food brand launching a new regional snack can use AI Overviews in multiple Indian languages to create targeted campaigns, ensuring that product information and promotional content are delivered in the native language of each region.

“Additionally, with the Google Lens video search feature, the brand can encourage users to upload videos showing how they enjoy the snack, which can be featured in future campaigns. Communicators can track these engagements in real time, adapting content and responding directly to consumer interactions, making the campaign more interactive, relevant, and impactful,” said Rana.

For local merchants, Google introduced AI tools in the Google Merchant Center that enhance product displays. These include the Image-to-Video Animation tool, which transforms static images into engaging video content, offering advertisers an exciting new format to showcase products creatively. Additionally, chat options via SMS and WhatsApp, rolling out first in India, allow brands to connect with customers more directly through their Search listings , improving customer service and lead generation.

Google Pay’s latest features, including gold-backed secured loans and AI-powered support guides for credit products, reflect how AI is enhancing financial access for both consumers and businesses. Advertisers in the financial sector can tap into these innovations to provide tailored credit solutions, while businesses can use the platform to showcase product deals and promotions across popular aggregators like Zomato and Swiggy.

Furthermore, Google Cloud's introduction of the Gemini Agent Framework brings generative AI to sectors like agriculture and education, helping businesses and individuals search, discover, and transact more efficiently. This AI integration will drive productivity across industries, offering brands and advertisers a scalable platform to engage customers and optimize operations. “Through initiatives like our open-source Gemini Agent Framework and collaborations on 'DPI in a box,' we're not only advancing India's digital landscape but also creating a blueprint for digital inclusion,” said Bikram Singh Bedi, Vice President and Country MD, Google Cloud India.

Google ’s focus on online safety, the company said, is a significant step forward for India’s digital ecosystem. The introduction of enhanced fraud protection through Google Play Protect in India, as well as the upcoming Google Safety Engineering Center (GSEC) in the country, aims to safeguard users from security threats, building a safer environment for consumers and businesses alike.

Google ’s commitment to AI literacy, with the launch of AI Skills House, aims to train 10 million Indians in AI, creating a tech-savvy workforce. This initiative will ensure that businesses across the digital ecosystem have access to skilled talent, enhancing the overall efficiency of AI-driven advertising and digital marketing efforts. Shekhar Khosla, VP for Marketing, Google India, spoke about the importance of skilling, calling it a multi-generational slingshot for individuals and families to better their lives and futures, and how Google is using AI to provide those skills.

The company also revealed investments in healthcare and clean energy projects within India, furthering its commitment to long-term sustainable growth.