Google has announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at assisting small and medium-sized vernacular news publishers in India. Known as the Indian Languages Program, this project is part of the Google News Initiative (GNI) and aims to provide support to local news platforms in nine languages, including Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Marathi. The initiative will also extend its assistance to news organizations in Telugu, Bengali, Malayalam, Gujarati, and English.
In a statement, Google stated, “Google News Initiative (GNI) today announced the launch of the Indian Languages Program, a new initiative by Google, designed to support local news publishers in India.”
Under this program, Google will offer training, technical support, and funding to help selected publications improve their digital operations and expand their readership. The initiative will also provide mentorship, consultations, and technical implementation support to chosen startups in the field.
Eligible news publishers have been invited to apply for the program, with applications remaining open until June 30.
The Google News Initiative has established a comprehensive set of criteria for enrollment, including registration in India, a minimum of 50 full-time employees, and a functional website with at least 12 months of continuous operations. The initiative is open to small or mid-sized Indian language news organizations, as well as non-profit news organizations, “digital natives,” and broadcasters.
The applications received will be evaluated by a team of Google experts and external consultants, and a select number of publications will be shortlisted for the program. The chosen local news publishers will then undergo a diagnosis process in which their websites will be assessed based on various parameters such as page speed and core web vitals performance. Google will provide personalized support to address identified areas for improvement and streamline the user experience.
Publishers selected for the program will receive tailored guidance and support to address issues related to core web vitals, schema, site manifests, mobile usability, content formats, and additional revenue enhancement solutions, according to Google.
This initiative comes at a time when Google is facing scrutiny and challenges from Indian authorities regarding issues such as fake news crackdowns and competition concerns. In response, Google has launched several initiatives to expand its outreach and improve its relationship with the central government.
Interestingly, Google is also facing a competition probe in India due to alleged dominance in the news aggregation space. Various major media organizations have filed cases with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) in relation to this matter.
Despite these challenges, Google has much at stake in India. The company estimates that India’s internet economy will grow from $175 billion in 2022 to nearly $1 trillion by 2030. With increasing internet and smartphone penetration in the country, Google could experience significant growth opportunities in the coming years.
