Google Introduces Search Live in India with English and Hindi Support
Google has officially launched its AI-powered conversational search feature, Search Live, in India. Initially available in English and Hindi, this rollout marks India as the second market after the U.S. to receive the technology. Search Live enables users to utilize their smartphone cameras to identify objects and receive real-time, interactive assistance through a conversational AI interface. The feature is accessible via the Google app by tapping the “Live” icon beneath the search bar or through Google Lens by selecting the “Live” option at the screen’s bottom. This approach leverages Google’s Project Astra technology to integrate visual context into search, allowing for dynamic, back-and-forth dialogue with the AI.
Strategic Expansion in India Reflects Robust AI Adoption
India represents one of Google’s fastest-growing markets for AI-powered products. The company highlighted that Indian users are among the largest global adopters of multimodal search, encompassing both voice and visual inputs. This early adoption has contributed to training and refining models like Gemini’s Nano Banana.
“People in India are power users of multimodal search, forming our largest user base for both voice and visual search globally,” said Hema Budaraja, Vice President of Product Management for Search at Google.
Google plans to utilize India’s diverse visual environments to continuously enhance Search Live’s contextual understanding and responsiveness.
AI Mode Expands to Seven Additional Indian Languages
Complementing the Search Live rollout, Google has extended its AI Mode to seven new Indian languages: Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. This expansion is part of a broader global initiative to introduce AI Mode in over 35 new languages and 40 new countries, increasing its reach to more than 200 countries worldwide. AI Mode, which debuted in the U.S. earlier this year, allows users to pose complex, multi-part questions through an AI-powered interface, offering nuanced and contextually aware responses. It launched in India in June and has since seen gradual global expansion. Hema Budaraja emphasized the sophistication of Google’s custom Gemini model, stating that its advanced reasoning and multimodal understanding enable the AI to grasp the nuances of local languages, ensuring relevance and effectiveness across diverse linguistic contexts.
Gemini Technology Powers Enhanced AI Search Experiences
Search Live operates on a customized version of Google’s Gemini AI model, which underpins the company’s latest conversational and visual search capabilities. Notably, Google’s Gemini app includes a feature named Gemini Live, introduced in May, which offers a similar experience, potentially causing user confusion. Google continues to refine these AI tools to balance innovation with user clarity, aiming to provide seamless, intuitive search experiences.
Industry Feedback and Google’s Position on AI Search Impact
Despite the advances, Google’s AI Mode and related features have attracted criticism over concerns that AI-generated summaries and answers may reduce traffic to traditional online publishers. Google has publicly denied these claims, maintaining that AI search tools do not negatively impact website visits.
FinOracleAI — Market View
Google’s expansion of Search Live and AI Mode in India represents a strategic investment in one of its fastest-growing and most technologically engaged markets. By integrating multimodal AI search capabilities with extensive language support, Google is reinforcing its dominance in AI-driven search while tailoring products to local user needs.
- Opportunities: Enhanced user engagement through localized AI search; broader data sets for AI training; increased adoption of AI-powered tools in diverse linguistic contexts.
- Risks: Potential user confusion due to overlapping feature names (Search Live vs. Gemini Live); ongoing criticism regarding impact on web traffic to publishers; challenges in maintaining user trust and clarity.
Impact: Google’s AI search expansions in India are poised to strengthen its market position and accelerate AI adoption, though careful management of feature clarity and publisher relations will be essential.
