Google offers free access and lower API costs for Indian developers

New Delhi: Google has announced new initiatives to empower Indian developers by expanding free access to its Maps platform and reducing costs for its application programming interfaces (APIs) and software development kits (SDKs).

Starting March 1, 2025, developers will receive free access to Maps, Routes, Places, and Environment products up to a monthly limit. This enables them to integrate features like Places Nearby and Dynamic Street View without any upfront charges.

Tina Weyand, Senior Director of Product Management for Google Maps Platform, explained that developers in India would soon access up to $6,800 worth of free monthly usage distributed across all products, instead of the current fixed $200 monthly credit. This move, she said, aims to give developers greater flexibility to build innovative solutions and experiment with APIs and SDKs without cost concerns.

Google clarified that developers would only pay if they exceeded the free usage limit. Furthermore, popular offerings like the Maps Embed API and Maps SDK would continue to allow unlimited free usage, ensuring broad access to these tools.

The company highlighted the significant impact of the Google Maps Platform in India, supporting applications ranging from delivery services to travel apps. It currently maps over 7 million kilometers of roads, 300 million buildings, and 35 million businesses and places across the country.

Weyand added that Google was addressing India’s unique challenges by leveraging artificial intelligence to develop solutions such as Address Descriptors, designed to accommodate local address formats, and the Air Quality API, which provides reliable air quality data.

In addition to expanded free access, Google introduced India-specific pricing that cuts most API costs by up to 70%. The company also partnered with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to offer up to 90% discounts on select APIs. These measures have significantly reduced expenses for developers, with smaller players benefiting the most.

Praful Poddar, Chief Product Officer at Shiprocket, noted that the revised pricing has cemented Google Maps Platform’s position as a valuable strategic partner. By lowering operating costs, the changes have enabled companies to scale their operations sustainably and without concerns about rising expenses.

With IANS inputs