StartupTalky

Tag: Ola Maps

  • Indian developers Can Access Google for Free up to $6,800

    Google Maps has announced that, from March 1, 2025, Indian developers will get “free” access to its suite of tools for up to $6,800 (more than INR 5.7 lakh) each month, in response to increasing competition from regional geotech companies. Tina Weyand, Google Maps’ senior director of product management, stated in a blog post that local developers will get “free” access to the company’s products, including software development kits (SDKs) and environment application programming interfaces (APIs), up to the specified monthly cap.

    Google Maps’ existing fixed $200 monthly credit will be replaced by a newly announced pay structure. Developers will be able to create more for free after March 1, 2025, when they will have one month’s worth of free access to all of Google’s products, including the Maps, Routes, Places, and Environment APIs and SDKs. According to Weyand, this implies that developers in India would soon have access to up to $6,800 in free usage per month, spread across all products, in place of the company’s current fixed $200 monthly credit.

    Unlimited Free Usage For Maps Embed API and Maps SDK

    Maps Embed API and Maps SDK will continue to offer “unlimited free usage,” according to tech giant Google. Additionally, the updated pricing plans will allow developers to develop more effective solutions and experiment with the APIs and SDKs. It is anticipated that this approach will help Google better compete with regional firms like MapmyIndia and Ola’s Krutrim, particularly in terms of pricing, and will attract smaller developers. This comes after Google reduced the cost of its Maps platform in July of this year and introduced new pricing for Indian developers that is specifically altered for India. A partnership with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) was then revealed by the giant tech company, which will provide developers creating apps on the state-backed network with up to 90% off on specific Google Maps APIs.

    Google Forming New Strategies to Remain Ahead in the Race

    Google’s cost-cutting action followed Bhavish Aggarwal, the founder and CEO of Ola Consumer, urging Indian developers to abandon Google Maps. Aggarwal announced at the time that all developers on the Krutrim platform would have free access to Ola Maps for a year and that developers would receive more than INR 100 Cr in free credits. In the meantime, MapmyIndia has also been putting up a strong fight against Google Maps.

    Google Maps launched a number of India-specific features earlier this year, such as flyovers, narrow road callouts, and Address Descriptors, which allow users to accurately pinpoint a location inside intricate city road networks. Google has launched Gemini AI in Docs, which is a related development. Compared to competing AI models, it can more clearly generate photo-realistic images of people, landscapes, and animals with only text cues. Gemini AI may be effectively used by users to upload full-bleed photos that fill a document’s page. Additionally, it can be used to produce inline visuals for promotional flyers, marketing campaign briefs, and digital restaurant menus.

    Rohan Verma Steps Down as MapmyIndia CEO to Start B2C Venture
    MapmyIndia CEO Rohan Verma announces resignation to launch a new B2C business, marking a strategic career shift into consumer-focused ventures.
    StartupTalkyNitin Konde

  • MapMyIndia Claiming That Ola Electric Plagiarised Its Map Data for Their Own Ola Maps

    Ola Electric was served a legal notice by CE Info Systems, the parent company of MapMyIndia, which allegedly accused Ola Electric of copying its data following the launch of Ola Electric’s mapping service in India (as reported by a media group).

    Ola Electric is accused of breaching its licensing agreement in the notification. Ola Electric began using MapMyIndia in 2022 to help guide riders of their S1 Pro electric scooter.

    As per MapMyIndia, the agreement forbade Ola Electric from doing things like combining the licensed product with competitive products or trying to reverse engineer the API or related software of the licensed product to extract or copy its source code.

    “In order to construct OLA Maps, you have stolen our client’s proprietary APIs and software development kits and used them to create your own. “Our client’s exclusive data has been copied/derived by you to further your illegal motive and for your unjust commercial gains,” CE Info Systems warned, as quoted by the media outlet in its report.

    “Your assertion that you have developed API and map data/Ola Maps solely through open map is factually incorrect and not tenable,” the company said in its legal document.

    Specifically, the conditions of the 2021 agreement prohibit co-mingling and reverse engineering in accordance with Intellectual Property standards; the legal notification reportedly highlights this fact.

    “By engaging in such dishonest and unlawful practices, you have clearly disregarded the agreement’s provisions and have violated our client’s copyright regarding the source code,” the warning went on to state, as reported by the media agency.

    Ola Refuted All the Allegations

    Ola Electric has denied the accusations leveled by MapMyIndia, calling them “false and misleading.” The firm promised to respond to the legal complaint in due course. 

    Ola Electric would like to make a statement regarding the accusations made by CE Info Systems Limited regarding the purported problems with Ola Maps compared to MapMyIndia, which have been highlighted in the media. “We want to make it clear that these accusations are completely unfounded, intended to mislead, and spiteful. When it comes to doing business, Ola Electric is unwavering in its honesty”. An Ola Electric representative promised a proper response to the notification soon.

    Google to Lower Maps Platform Fees for Indian Developers From August 1
    Google is making it easier to build location-based solutions by cutting Google Maps Platform pricing for Indian developers by 70% from August 1, 2024.
    StartupTalkyNitin Konde

    Ola Maps to Substitute Google Maps

    Ola, headquartered in Bengaluru, India, debuted Ola Maps earlier this month to compete with Google Maps. The business also stopped using Google Maps and started using its own mapping service.

    “We have now fully exited Google Maps,” wrote Ola Cabs CEO Bhavish Aggarwal in a message on X (previously Twitter). This follows Azure’s departure last month. “We eliminated that expense this month by switching to our own Ola maps, which saved us INR 100 crore compared to last year! To see if an update is necessary, open your Ola app,” added CEO.

    MapmyIndia Business Model | Funding, Marketshare and More!
    MapmyIndia is India’s most comprehensive GPS navigation solutions provider. Read to know the business model of MapmyIndia, how it earns money, and more!
    StartupTalkyPV Vyshnavi