Google launches Hindi Voice Search to discover Hindi content

In an event in New Delhi, Google demoed voice search in Hindi. Additionally, it also launched a portal for Hindi-related content like websites, blogs, apps and videos among others. Earlier this year, Google India’s Sandeep Menon told BGR India how Hindi voice search was the next big thing for Google India. He also revealed how the company had over 700 volunteers in India who are asked to read popular search queries in a variety of acoustic conditions such as in restaurants, out on busy streets, and inside cars.

According to Google, most new Indians coming online don’t speak English and typing in Hindi isn’t easy either. That’s where Hindi Voice Search comes to play. Google has also launched a new Hindi keyboard. Google also launched a website called www.hindiweb.com, which will help users find Hindi-related content like websites, blogs, apps, and videos.

Google also announced the Indian Language Internet Alliance (ILIA) in partnership with the likes of ABP News, Amar Ujala Publications, IDB Digital, Firstouch, HinKhoj, NDTV, Network 18, Oneindia.com, and Times Internet Limited among others. The alliance’s focus is to bring regional content to Internet users in India.

The search giant says that nearly 200 million Indians are currently online, which is only 16 percent of the country’s population. It says that India is the third largest Internet market, which is set to overtake US in the next 12 months.

Recently, Google has also launched Google Maps in Hindi, and also added turn-by-turn voice navigation in Hindi for the Android app.