Over 100 Languages Used in India
Google Developing AI to Support All Languages
Google has expanded its local language services in India to increase its market share in the Indian smartphone market. It is also exploring ways to lower the unit price of smartphones. As competitor Apple is making efforts to enter the Indian market, Google, the existing dominant player, is also striving to defend its position in the Indian smartphone market, making India a major battleground for global big tech companies in this blue ocean market.
According to Bloomberg on the 7th (local time), Sanjay Gupta, head of Google's India division, stated the day before, "More Indian users are now able to access services in their local languages."
Google is currently developing artificial intelligence (AI) capable of processing over 100 Indian languages in both voice and text. In India, more than 100 languages are used, including 14 official languages besides Hindi, as well as English. It is expected that through the AI Google is developing, many Indians will be able to use smartphones and the internet in the future. Google currently provides services mainly in English. Gupta emphasized, "This is Google's biggest investment," adding, "Through this content revolution, we will help all Indians use the internet more deeply."
He also expressed the intention to enhance smartphone price competitiveness. Google's Android is currently the dominant operating system (OS) in the Indian market. While Apple is trying to expand its market share in the high-end smartphone segment, Google is focusing on launching affordable smartphones to firmly establish its position in this market. In particular, it has released various low-cost smartphones in collaboration with Reliance Jio, an Indian telecom company owned by Indian conglomerate Mukesh Ambani.
According to Google, the Indian smartphone market is expected to grow more than fivefold to reach a scale of $1 trillion by 2030. Accordingly, Apple has also shifted its production base from China to India and started manufacturing Apple devices such as iPhones and iPods. Apple CEO Tim Cook visited India earlier this year for the first time in seven years and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reaffirm Apple's investment policy in India.
Bloomberg predicted that the growth of the Indian smartphone market will create new business opportunities in the online service sector. E-commerce, online travel booking, food delivery services, and ride-sharing services like Uber are expected to benefit.
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