Bengaluru, India – In a momentous development aimed at transforming the digital commerce landscape, Google has forged a strategic alliance with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and revealed plans to launch an accelerator program. The announcement, made during a prestigious developer’s conference in Bengaluru, signifies a pivotal milestone in empowering online retailers and propelling their growth to unprecedented heights.
The accelerator program, unveiled with great enthusiasm by Google, aims to equip businesses with the cutting-edge tools and invaluable resources necessary to build and scale their digital commerce operations. In an official blog post, the company expressed its excitement, emphasizing its commitment to supporting the growth and success of businesses operating within the purview of the ONDC ecosystem.
Participants of the program will gain access to Google’s core infrastructure APIs, empowering them to leverage the full potential of the tech giant’s robust platform. Moreover, developers affiliated with the ONDC network will be granted access to Google’s advanced retail search capabilities and generative artificial intelligence, revolutionizing the experiences of both buyers and sellers in the digital commerce realm. As an additional testament to its dedication, Google has allocated $25,000 worth of cloud credits to startups operating within the ONDC ecosystem, facilitating their journey towards success and innovation.
The ONDC, a government-supported initiative, recently embarked on a soft launch in five prominent Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Shillong, Bhopal, and Coimbatore, in April 2022. With a resolute objective to connect 30 million sellers and 10 million merchants in the online sphere, the ONDC program strives to expand its reach to at least 100 cities and towns by August, truly democratizing digital commerce across the nation.
Apart from this groundbreaking collaboration, Google made a series of remarkable announcements during the I/O Connect Bengaluru event, further solidifying its commitment to the Indian developer community and fostering innovation on multiple fronts. As part of Project Vaani, Google is sharing its state-of-the-art research models and datasets for speech data and building information. The esteemed Indian Institute of Science is making its first set of speech data available, comprising over 4,000 hours across 38 languages, enabling researchers and developers to leverage this invaluable resource for groundbreaking advancements.
In another notable initiative, Google is providing access to over 200 million Open Buildings data, empowering organizations to plan and execute social and infrastructure projects with unparalleled accuracy and efficiency. Additionally, Google’s commitment to mitigating biases in Natural Language Processing is exemplified through the open-sourcing of the SeeGull Database, a globally recognized stereotype benchmark that includes Indian stereotypes. By actively addressing biases and promoting fairness, Google contributes to the ethical advancement of technology.
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In the realm of healthcare, Google is preparing to launch a Trusted Tester program that allows developers to access its state-of-the-art healthcare AI model APIs. These groundbreaking APIs possess the ability to recognize medicines in handwritten prescriptions, revolutionizing the healthcare landscape and streamlining medication management for professionals and patients alike.
Furthermore, Google Maps API is set to revolutionize the serviceability of orders through the introduction of address descriptors in 25 Indian cities. This experimental feature, exclusive to India, enables easier identification and communication of addresses using landmarks and area names, eliminating complexities and ensuring seamless delivery experiences.
As Google continues to champion innovation and collaboration, its partnership with the ONDC and the announcement of the accelerator program signify a paradigm shift in the digital commerce realm. By empowering online retailers and facilitating their growth through cutting-edge technologies and unparalleled support, Google solidifies its position as a catalyst for progress and a champion of digital transformation.
