Google Street View launches in India 11 years after first attempt

It plans to have imagery of 50 cities available by the end of the year

A man walks past a sign that reads 'Google for India'. Google Street View is now available in parts of the country. Reuters

Google Maps launched Street View in 10 Indian cities on Wednesday, covering 150,000 kilometres.

Imagery has been licensed to Genesys International and Tech Mahindra in what Google said was the first time that Street View data collection is being brought to life completely by local partners.

The 10 cities to feature at launch are Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Nashik, Vadodara, Ahmednagar and Amritsar. Google plans to expand this to more than 50 cities by the end of 2022.

"India’s digital adoption continues to move at a phenomenal pace, and we remain focused on accurately modelling, reflecting, and solving for today’s rapidly-evolving India," Miriam Daniel, vice president of Google Maps experiences, said in a blog post.

Google first launched Street View in 2007. The platform can be used to explore places around the world with a 360-degree panoramic view and street-level imagery.

The company has faced privacy complaints and was denied permission at least twice in the past decade by the Indian government over security concerns.

In 2019, Google agreed a $13 million settlement after code in its software gathered samples of payload data from Wi-Fi networks, collecting passwords and emails.

"Our fleet is still swiftly photographing Indian cities, bringing to life our city's amazing tapestry of streets and landmarks and allowing us to comfortably visit our old neighbourhoods or plan our trips," said Sajid Malik, managing director of Genesys International.

"Google Maps has always been at the forefront of geospatial technology, and we are honoured to be an enabler of their efforts by offering the best technology to India and its people."

Google also announced a collaboration with the Central Pollution Control Board to make authoritative air quality information available on Google Maps.

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