Ola Maps Challenges Google with Competitive Pricing and Free Access for Indian Startups

Ola Maps gets new pricing, day after Google rate cuts

Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal on Thursday unveiled an updated pricing structure for Ola Maps, powered by the company's artificial intelligence arm Ola Krutim. "As promised, here's our response to Google Maps 'belated' price cuts. It's time we build world class alternatives to big tech giants and empower Indian innovation!" founder Bhavish Aggarwal wrote on X. The move comes a day afterGoogle said it would slash rates on Google Maps for developers in India by as much as 70% from August 1. Ola will now introduce a free tier for all mapping and location-based APIs to developers, allowing up to five million API calls per month at no cost, Aggarwal said in a blog post. This includes APIs such as autocomplete, reverse geocoding, vector tiles, and directions. He said for larger volumes, despite recent price adjustments by Google, Ola Maps is offering prices which are 50% of Google Maps reduced rates. "For users committing to Ola Maps for 3+ years, we are offering 2 years FREE!" "It's time we build world class alternatives to big tech giants and empower Indian innovation," Aggarwal said. He said Ola has been a champion of the ONDC platform since its inception and the company will offer three years free access to Ola Maps for all startups and SMBs building on the ONDC platform. Ola Krutim will also introduce a range of new APIs, including advanced features like traffic-aware directions, distance matrix with multi-modal transportation options, and specialised routing for two-wheelers and toll information. APIs on 'places' will bring powerful search capabilities, allowing users to find nearby locations, conduct natural language-based searches, and access detailed place information.

Bhavish Aggarwal unveils new Ola Maps pricing after Google Maps' rate cuts. Here are the details | Mint

Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal's AI startup Krutrim released its new pricing policy for Ola Maps. The policy offers five million free API calls per month for all startups in India and will cost 50 per cent less than that of Google. Krutrim, the artificial intelligence (AI) startup of Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal, on Thursday, July 18, unveiled the new pricing structure for Ola Maps to provide an alternative to global tech giants such as Google and empower innovation in India. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Aggarwal released his AI startup Krutrim's new pricing policy, which will be active from July 18, 2024. As per the pricing policy, Krutrim offers five million free API calls per month for all the startups in India. Its rates are 50 per cent less than that of Google for larger volumes; it's free for two years for anyone who signs into the platform with a three-year or more commitment, and three years of free usage for all startups and small and midsize businesses on ONDC, according to the post. "While all main APIs are supported by Ola Maps today, we will be feature complete for all kinds of APIs, SDKs and niche use cases by Dec. Roadmap attached," said Aggarwal in his post on X. Google aims to increase its reach to Indian developers with a price reduction for its Google Maps platform starting August 1. Aggarwal previously said that Krutrim's key differentiator will be the cost, which is designed keeping in mind the domestic factors. Krutrim launched the mapping and location-based services for developers through Ola Maps API in May, according to a Moneycontrol report. Bhavish Aggarwal said that in early July, Ola Cabs exited Google Maps and shifted to its in-house-built Ola Maps, intending to save approximately ₹100 crore a year. The Ola founder is using social media to encourage developers to use Ola Maps for a one-year free access plan. He posted that as of July 18, more than 10,000 developers have signed up for the platform and the company is optimising the opportunity to gain new customers.

Google cuts Maps prices by 70% after Bhavish Aggarwal's free Ola Maps offering

Google joins the price war over a week after Bhavish Aggarwal announced that Ola was exiting Google Maps, shifting to an in-house navigation system, Ola Maps. He said the move saved the company about Rs 100 crore in costs. Google said it is working with ONDC to offer developers on the platform up to 90% off on select Google Maps APIs.Google on Wednesday said that it is introducing India-specific pricing for developers using the Google Maps platform with up to 70% lower costs on most APIs. The tech giant also said it is collaborating with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), offering developers building for ONDC up to 90% off on select Google Maps Platform APIs. This comes soon after Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal announced a one-year free access to all developers to shift to Ola Maps on artificial intelligence (AI)-driven Krutrim platform, along with more than Rs 100 crore in free credits. On July 6, Ola said it had exited Google Maps and shifted to its in-house navigation system for its cab operations. The move has reportedly saved the company nearly Rs 100 crore a year. Slamming Google's "belated" price cuts, Aggarwal responded with a more aggressive price cut for Ola Maps. "It's time we build world class alternatives to big tech giants and empower Indian innovation! I'm very excited to announce a further reduced pricing structure and our future product roadmap for Ola Maps @Krutrim." At its 'I/O Connect' event, Google on Wednesday said it will work with the government's 'Startup Hub' to train 10,000 startups in artificial intelligence (AI), as the tech giant expanded access to its AI models and introduced new language tools for the developers in the country. The company unveiled a range of tools, programmes and partnerships to empower Indian developers and startups at the event. It also announced expanded access to Google's AI models for Indian developers, with the two million token context window in Gemini 1.5 Pro and Gemma 2, the next generation of open models. "We're committed to empowering Indian innovators to harness AI's full potential, creating solutions that not only address India's unique needs but also shape the future of AI globally," said Ambharish Kenghe, vice president, Google. "The fastest way to build with Gemini is through its developer platform Google AI Studio, and India has one of the largest developer bases on Google AI Studio today," said the company. The Google DeepMind India team has expanded Project Vaani, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), which provides developers with over 14,000 hours of speech data across 58 languages, collected from 80,000 speakers in 80 districts. The team also introduced IndicGenBench, a comprehensive benchmark to evaluate the generation capabilities of LLMs on Indic languages, and open-sourced CALM (Composition of Language Models). The company said it is introducing Google Wallet APIs to simplify the integration of loyalty programs, tickets, and gift cards. "From consumer experiences to agriculture, to social enterprises, AI has the power to address some of the biggest challenges of our time across many sectors and industries," said Seshu Ajjarapu, senior director, Google DeepMind. The company will also soon launch the Agricultural Landscape Understanding (ALU) Research API, a limited-availability tool designed to make agricultural practices more data-driven and efficient.

Ola's CEO Bhavish Aggarwal Challenges Google with Free Ola Maps API Access for Indian Developers

Ola has introduced a special offer for startups and SMBs building on the ONDC platform, providing three years of free access to Ola Maps. After Google announced a 70% price cut for Google Maps API, Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal challenged the tech giant by announcing an even more reduced pricing structure and the future product roadmap for Ola Maps. "As promised, here's our response to @googlemaps' 'belated' price cuts. It's time we build world-class alternatives to big tech giants and empower Indian innovation! I'm very excited to announce a further reduced pricing structure and our future product roadmap for Ola Maps @Krutrim," he posted on X. Ola Maps has announced a new pricing structure and is now available on the cloud with a free one-year subscription. The updated structure includes a free tier for 5 million API calls per month, covering the needs of over 90% of Indian developers and startups. For larger volumes, Ola Maps offers prices at half of Google's reduced rates, with additional benefits for long-term commitments. Furthermore, Ola has introduced a special offer for startups and SMBs building on the ONDC platform, providing three years of free access to Ola Maps. Regarding Google's price cut on the Maps API, Aggarwal criticised Google for its delayed response in adjusting prices and localising payment options, saying, "Dear @Google, too little too late! Reducing prices for @googlemaps and 'offering to price in ₹' after #ExitGoogleMaps. Don't need your fake generosity!" Ola Maps has seen significant interest from the developer community, with over 10,000 developers signing up and transitioning their workloads to the platform. This support is seen as a testament to India's readiness to develop its tech solutions. Astro India AI and KPN Fresh Product are among the early adopters of Ola Maps. Astro India AI has enhanced its user experience by integrating Ola Maps' Autocomplete service, while KPN Fresh Product has seamlessly incorporated Ola Maps' Location services into its e-commerce platform, benefiting from precise geocoding and routing. Ola Maps announced that it will introduce a suite of powerful new APIs. The Routes APIs will offer advanced features like traffic-aware directions, a distance matrix with multi-modal transportation options, and specialised routing such as two-wheeler routes and toll information. The Places APIs will enhance search capabilities, enabling users to find nearby locations, perform natural language searches, and access detailed place information. Additionally, the Maps APIs will provide flexible solutions for both static and dynamic map integration, allowing seamless embedding of rich geographical data into applications. To support these API offerings, Ola Maps is launching feature-rich SDKs for web, Android, and iOS platforms. The Web SDK will empower developers with functionalities including custom markers, interactive info windows, and advanced visualization tools like heatmaps and marker clustering. Unique features such as automatic localisation into Indic languages and extensive map customization options will also be available. The Android and iOS SDKs will provide native support for dynamic maps, custom markers, intuitive user controls, and will similarly support localisation and customisation. These SDKs will integrate seamlessly with the Places SDK, offering intelligent features like place autocomplete and detailed place information. Ola Maps will also deliver robust platform features designed for developers and businesses. The Map Style Editor will allow users to create, edit, and publish custom map styles, while a dedicated test environment will enable experimentation before full integration. Comprehensive developer resources, including documentation, tutorials, and a community forum for knowledge sharing, will be available. Users will receive changelog notifications and have access to strong customer support through an automated ticket system with defined SLAs and chat support.

Krutrim unveils ambitious roadmap for Ola Maps, challenging Google with competitive APIs and free access for startups

Earlier this month, Aggarwal announced that Ola Cabs had fully transitioned from Google Maps to Ola Maps. Home-grown large language model artificial intelligence company, Ola Krutrim, unveiled its ambitious new product strategy and roadmap for its Google Maps competitor Ola Maps today. By offering powerful new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs) at competitive prices, the company aims to enhance India's tech sovereignty. Krutrim has laid out a detailed plan to introduce a suite of robust APIs designed to cater to diverse needs. These APIs include Autocomplete, Reverse Geocoding, Vector Tiles, and Directions, each integral to building advanced mapping applications. Additionally, feature-rich SDKs for web, Android, and iOS platforms will complement these API offerings, providing developers with versatile tools to create sophisticated applications. In an effort to support Indian innovation, Krutrim has announced a highly competitive pricing model. The company will offer 5 million free API calls per month for all users, which is expected to cover almost all startups in India. For larger volumes, Krutrim's pricing will be 50 percent of Google's recently reduced rates. Moreover, users committing to a three-year plan will receive two years of free access, while startups and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) building on the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) platform will enjoy three years of free access to Ola Maps APIs. In a significant move to empower developers, Krutrim has partnered with ONDC to provide its mapping platform to developers on the network. This collaboration will offer three years of free access to Ola Maps APIs for startups and SMBs registered with ONDC, fostering innovation and growth in the digital commerce space. In addition, Ola Maps is set to introduce several advanced features in its new APIs and SDKs. The Routes APIs will offer traffic-aware directions, a distance matrix with multi-modal transportation options, and specific routing needs such as two-wheeler routing and toll information. The Places APIs will provide powerful search capabilities, enabling users to find nearby locations, conduct natural language-based searches, and access detailed place information. For developers, the Web SDK will include functionalities such as custom markers, interactive info windows, and advanced visualization tools like heatmaps and marker clustering. Mobile developers will benefit from the Android and iOS SDKs, which will support dynamic maps, custom markers, intuitive user controls, and automatic localisation into Indic languages. To support the developer community, Krutrim is also introducing several new platform features, including a Map Style Editor, a dedicated test environment, comprehensive documentation, tutorials, a community forum, and robust customer support through an automated ticket system and chat support. The slate of announcements comes a day after Google reduced prices of its Google Maps Platform for developers in India by 70 percent effective August 1, a move that Bhavish Aggarwal criticised on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. "Dear Google, too little too late! Reducing prices for Google Maps, 'offering to price in ₹' after #ExitGoogleMaps. Don't need your fake generosity!" the founder and CEO of Ola wrote. Earlier this month, Aggarwal announced that Ola Cabs had fully transitioned from Google Maps to Ola Maps. He mentioned that this move is projected to save the company Rs 100 crore annually.

Krutrim takes on Google, unveils new pricing & future roadmap for Ola Maps

For larger volumes, despite recent price adjustments by Google, Krutrim said it is offering prices which are 50 per cent of Google Maps' reduced rates, ensuring value for the users Krutrim, an artificial intelligence (AI) venture co-founded by Bhavish Aggarwal of Ola, is taking on tech giant Google in the digital mapping space. The firm on Thursday evening announced new pricing and a strategic future roadmap for Ola Maps. This includes new Application Programming Interface (APIs) and Software Development Kits (SDKs). The initiative comes in the backdrop of the company's mission to reshape India's digital landscape and strengthen data and tech sovereignty for the nation.