Google s role in the future of voice based search in India

Abstract

Voice is the most ubiquitous medium of communication and it crosses even the literacy and age barriers. There are attempts by several providers to offer voice based search for information. This ranges from completely manual solution like Just Dial to more recent start-ups like Ubona providing automated solution using voice recognition. The industry has been marked by trade off between scalability and usability. Indian languages and dialects offer both challenges and opportunities in this area. Google wants to provide a new voice-based search engine in India that allows consumers to search for local businesses and information. In this project we study the need and market for voice based search in India. We evaluate the existing players and their market offerings in this arena. We do market surveys, collecting field data to further aid us in our analysis. Finally we answer the question Does Google have a role to play in Voice Search in India?