Google, in 2020, launched a licensing program for news publishers with the incentive of paying them for what was deemed as “high quality content”, through which readers could access “enhanced storytelling experiences”.
Through Google News Showcase, the search giant was willing to pay the publisher for limited paywalled content access as well, so readers could access these articles for free. This, in turn, would allows publishers to reach a wider audience than what would be possible through a native app, while also being adequately compensated. Meanwhile, readers get access to content that may not have been available to them otherwise.
We’re stepping up our commitment to India’s news industry by
✍️ expanding Google News Initiative to support the business success of local news organisations
📰 announcing Google News Showcase to provide readers easier access to trustworthy information.➡️https://t.co/44GCIC48Z4 pic.twitter.com/JbBDNMmvVh
— Google India (@GoogleIndia) May 18, 2021
Well, after having launched Google News Showcase in countries like Germany, Australia and Brazil, the search giant has now officially launched the service in India.
We’re stepping up investments and initiatives in support of a sustainable and diverse news ecosystem by launching Google News Showcase in India.
Readers can now explore curated content from 30 publishers in the News Showcase panels on Google News and on Discover. pic.twitter.com/BGQEJjt89l
— Google India (@GoogleIndia) May 18, 2021
As mentioned in a blog post around the announcement, Google News Showcase will show curated content from 30 news publishers in India which includes a mix of national, regional and local news organizations. The publishers roped in so far include The Hindu Group, HT Digital Streams Ltd, Indian Express Group, ABP LIVE, India TV, NDTV, Zee News, Amar Ujala, Deccan Herald, Punjab Kesari, The Telegraph India, IANS (Indo Asian News Service), ANI and a bunch of other publishers too.
The blog notes that the feature will rollout initially with support for content in two languages – English and Hindi. The company does note that support for more Indian languages will be added as things move forward.
The new Google News Showcase experience will show up within Google News and Discover pages too, which displays a curated list of articles on Android devices.