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  • February 18, 2025
Google announces free access to Maps for Indian developers to help build better solutions

Google announces free access to Maps for Indian developers to help build better solutions

Google announces free access to Maps for Indian developers to help build better solutions

Google announces free access to Maps for Indian developers to help build better solutions | Photo credit: REUTERS

Google on Monday (December 9, 2024) announced free access to the Google Maps Platform from March 2025 for developers around the world and India. The free access to products includes Maps, Routes, Places and Environment APIs and SDKs, but up to a monthly limit. Google believes this would help developers build better solutions.

Tina Weyand, Senior Director Product Management, Google Maps Platform, wrote that for Indian developers, this means that instead of the $200 recurring monthly credit, developers will have access to up to $6,800 in free usage each month across all products.

“A few months ago, we introduced India-specific pricing for Google Maps Platform. This includes up to 70% lower prices on most APIs, and a partnership with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) that offers developers up to 90% off select Google Maps Platform APIs,” the blog post said.

With the relaxation, Indian developers can integrate ‘Places Nearby’ or ‘Dynamic Street View’ into their app or build a proof-of-concept delivery service with Routes API before making a major investment.

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With this extended free usage, developers only pay if they exceed the limit, Tina writes. “Maps Embed API and Maps SDK will remain free to use indefinitely,” she added.

Now developers can try more products for free, such as dynamic maps, nearby search and place data, before deciding which APIs or SDKs best suit their needs, the blog post said.

With our new, comprehensive real-world data, we’re supporting the incredible work Indian companies and developers are already doing with the Google Maps Platform.

Google Maps Platform’s coverage includes more than 7 million kilometers of roads, 300 million buildings and 35 million businesses and places in India, the company said.

We continue to build solutions that meet complex local needs by harnessing the power of AI, Tina wrote. She added that Address Descriptors was developed in India to help developers display addresses in the local format, and features such as the Air Quality API.