Google is stepping up to support Indian startups in a big way. Google to Empower 10000 Indian Startups with AI. This effort is in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) ‘Startup Hub’. At the ‘I/O Connect’ event in Bengaluru, Google introduced a bunch of new tools and programs to help Indian developers and startups become leaders in the AI world.
More Access to Powerful AI Models
Google is making it easier for developers in India to use its advanced AI models. They can now work with the two million token context window in Gemini 1.5 Pro and Gemma 2, the next generation of open models. These powerful tools will help Indian developers create even more amazing AI applications.
“We’re committed to empowering Indian innovators to harness AI’s full potential, creating solutions that not only address India’s unique needs but also shape the future of AI globally,” said Ambharish Kenghe, Vice President at Google. He talked about the huge opportunities with AI, especially in areas like mobile and multilingual applications, and said Google is excited to be part of India’s AI journey.
New Tools for Indian Developers
The easiest way to build with Gemini is through Google AI Studio, and India has one of the largest groups of developers using this platform. At the event, Google showed off new tools and programs made just for Indian developers. These tools will make it easier to build AI applications and improve what they can do.
Google’s DeepMind India team has expanded Project Vaani, working with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). This project now offers over 14,000 hours of speech data in 58 languages, collected from 80,000 people in 80 districts. This data will help developers create AI that understands and processes many different Indian languages.
IndicGenBench and CALM
Google also introduced IndicGenBench, a benchmark to test how well large language models (LLMs) handle Indian languages. This will help developers make better AI models for these languages. Plus, Google open-sourced CALM (Composition of Language Models), giving developers even more tools to build advanced AI applications.
Making Integration Easier and Costs Lower
To help developers even more, Google introduced Google Wallet APIs. These make it easier to add things like loyalty programs, tickets, and gift cards to apps. For those using the Google Maps Platform, Google is lowering the costs for most APIs by up to 70% in India. This price drop will make it cheaper for startups to use location-based services in their apps.
Google is also working with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), offering developers building for ONDC up to 90% off on select Google Maps Platform APIs. This partnership aims to support India’s digital commerce scene by providing affordable tools for developers.
AI in Agriculture and More
“From consumer experiences to agriculture, to social enterprises, AI has the power to address some of the biggest challenges of our time across many sectors and industries,” said Seshu Ajjarapu, Senior Director at Google DeepMind. Google plans to launch the Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) Research API soon. This tool will help make farming more data-driven and efficient, helping farmers get better yields and manage their resources better.
Conclusion
Google’s plan to help 10,000 Indian startups with AI is a big move to boost innovation in India. By giving developers access to powerful AI models, new tools, and partnering with key industry players, Google aims to create an environment where Indian startups can excel and lead in AI technology.
With these new AI tools and resources, Indian developers are in a great position to solve problems both in India and around the world. As these startups use AI, they can drive economic growth, improve various industries, and shape the future of technology in India and beyond.
