Google has been slashing the pricing of the Google Maps Platform for developers in India by as much as 70 per cent since August 1, 2024, as the company introduces a new India-specific pricing structure to make it easier to build location-based solutions.
The tech giant is also partnering with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to offer additional discounts for developers building for ONDC for a limited period. This will result in up to 90 per cent discount on select Google Maps Platform APIs that are used to drive e-commerce and adjacent use cases, the firm said.
At its developer conference Google I/O Connect Bengaluru on July 17, Google revealed this change. It also said that it would begin taking payments in Indian Rupees (INR). Customers from India were formerly billed in US dollars. According to Google, this price drop will increase developers’ access to the Google Maps Platform, enabling them to create location-based applications.
These statements, however, overlap with Bhavish Aggarwal, the CEO of Ola, openly urging developers to use Ola Maps for their mapping requirements by providing a complimentary one-year subscription. Aggarwal’s artificial intelligence (AI) business Krutrim debuted location-based and mapping capabilities for developers via the Ola Maps API in May. One of Krutrim’s primary differentiators, according to Aggarwal’s prior statements, will be offering services to developers on an “India-first” cost structure.
Aggarwal had declared earlier this month that Ola Cabs had switched entirely from Google Maps to its own internal Ola Maps system. According to him, the corporation stands to save Rs 100 crore annually from this measure.
According to Google, the new pricing model will only be accessible to users headquartered in India, who use the service primarily there and get billing there. It will keep an eye on eligibility and might bar clients who don’t fit these requirements from the discounted pricing plan.
All new customers headquartered in India will begin receiving bills in Indian rupees on August 1st; current customers may opt to continue receiving bills in US dollars on their current account or to get bills in Indian rupees. According to the statement, developers can utilize the same billing account for both Google Cloud and Google Maps Platform usage. Google is raising the monthly request cap in each tier and decreasing the pay-as-you-go prices under the new pricing structure.
Small firms in the buyer, seller, technical service provider, and gateway roles inside the ONDC network will all be eligible for the lower pricing. According to a Google FAQ page, businesses can sign up for the discounted pricing offered by ONDC for a year beginning August 1, 2024, and it will be valid for three years, ending April 1, 2027.