India becomes the second country to receive Google’s AI-powered Search Live feature as the tech giant doubles down on its fastest-growing market with deeper language support.
Search Live arrives in India with English and Hindi support
Google has officially launched Search Live in India, bringing its AI-powered visual and conversational search experience to a broader audience. Initially introduced in the U.S. in July, Search Live lets users point their phone camera at real-world objects and ask questions in real-time, combining visual context with natural language processing for smart, back-and-forth assistance.
“People in India are power users of multimodal search,” said Hema Budaraju, VP of Product Management for Search at Google.
India is only the second market globally to get this feature, underlining its significance in Google’s broader AI strategy.
What is Search Live and how does it work?
Search Live is powered by Google’s custom Gemini model, building on Project Astra, the company’s advanced multimodal AI initiative. The tool is designed to understand both visual and verbal inputs simultaneously, enabling users to:
- Point their camera at any object, product, or scene
- Ask questions conversationally, with responses improving over multiple interactions
- Use it in both English and Hindi to start
Users can access Search Live through:
- The Google app by tapping the “Live” icon under the search bar
- Opening Google Lens, then selecting the “Live” tab
The feature is rolling out today and will become available to more users in the coming weeks.
Expanding AI Mode: 7 more Indian languages added
Alongside Search Live, Google is expanding AI Mode in India by adding seven more regional languages:
- Bengali
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Marathi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Urdu
This brings the total number of Indian languages supported by AI Mode to eight, including Hindi, which was added earlier. The update is part of a global expansion that adds AI Mode to over 35 languages across 40+ new countries and territories, extending reach to over 200 markets worldwide.
“Our custom Gemini model allows AI Mode to grasp the subtleties of local languages,” Budaraju emphasized.
India’s role in shaping Google’s AI strategy
India continues to serve as a crucial testbed for Google’s AI technologies. With its large, multilingual, mobile-first user base, the country provides rich input for training AI models, especially for voice and visual search.
- Google previously noted that India is its largest market for both features.
- India also played a key role in the early adoption of Gemini’s Nano Banana model, further fueling Google’s AI advancements.
This strong user engagement helps Google refine its models and scale more effective tools for global deployment.
A note on naming: Gemini Live vs. Search Live
The rollout of Search Live comes amid naming confusion with Gemini Live, a similar feature inside the Gemini app that also enables real-time, camera-based AI interaction. Both features offer conversational, visual assistance but operate on different platforms.
- Gemini Live: In the Gemini app, introduced in May
- Search Live: Within the Google Search app, based on Project Astra
Users should take care to distinguish between the two, as Google has not yet clarified long-term branding.
AI Mode’s mixed reception
While AI Mode enhances the search experience with complex, multi-part answers, it has also drawn criticism from online publishers who argue it diverts traffic from traditional search results. Google denies this, maintaining that AI features are designed to enhance user experience without undercutting content creators.
Google launches its real-time AI search tool, Search Live, in India — its second global market — starting with English and Hindi. It also expands AI Mode to seven more Indian languages, deepening its multilingual AI footprint as India continues to drive global adoption of Google’s AI products.
