Google Maps upgrades navigation in India with Gemini, safety alerts (techcrunch.com)

Google is rolling its Gemini AI into Google Maps in India, bringing hands‑free assistance, contextual navigation suggestions and richer place information to Android and iOS users in the coming weeks. The rollout — already launched in the U.S. — will support nine Indian languages and reflects extensive localization beyond translation: Google says it adapted for regional naming, query patterns and how people refer to places. Gemini in Maps will surface on‑route prompts and POI details to help drivers and commuters make decisions without manual searching. Alongside AI features, Google is adding India‑specific safety and routing updates: visual and audio alerts for accident‑prone stretches (initially in Gurugram, Cyberabad/Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Faridabad), proactive disruption notifications for highways in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, and speed‑limit displays in nine cities using data from local traffic authorities. Google partnered with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to ingest near‑real‑time road closure, diversion and repair data and to show wayside amenities. The changes aim to restore confidence after navigation‑related incidents and improve situational awareness, though Google cautions Maps can’t be perfect and urges drivers to remain attentive.