Google Wallet Lands in India

Air India stands out as one of the first adopters of Google Wallet, integrating boarding passes directly into the app for travelers' convenience.
Google Wallet Lands in India
Facebook
Twitter
Tumblr
WhatsApp
Reddit
LinkedIn

The Google Wallet app has been introduced for Android users in India, with a distinct focus compared to its counterparts in other nations. Unlike its versions elsewhere, the Indian iteration of Google Wallet won’t handle digital payments at the moment, as that responsibility lies with the well-established Google Pay app, compatible with both Android and Apple devices.

Google’s emphasis with Wallet in India is on facilitating everyday essentials, providing easy access to various elements such as movie tickets, event passes, flight boarding passes, train tickets, public transit cards, hotel loyalty accounts, memberships, and the potential digitization of essential physical documents for convenient retrieval later. Google envisions expanding the functionality of the Wallet app in India to include support for digital keys, potentially including features like digital car keys, later this year.

Ram Papatla, the general manager and India Engineering Lead for Android at Google, highlights the significance of Google Wallet’s introduction in India, emphasizing its aim to simplify daily life through innovative and convenient experiences, offering services ranging from boarding passes to loyalty cards and event tickets.

Google’s decision not to venture into digital payments with Google Wallet in India stems from the established dominance of Google Pay, evident from the substantial number of transactions it processes compared to competitors like PhonePe. Google Pay’s broad availability, extending to iPhones as well, further solidifies its position in the market. Despite being exclusive to Android at launch, Google Wallet has garnered support from over 20 prominent brands in India, covering various sectors such as entertainment, travel, e-commerce, and public transportation.

Air India stands out as one of the first adopters of Google Wallet, integrating boarding passes directly into the app for travelers’ convenience. To enable seamless integration of boarding passes and other tickets, users are encouraged to activate ‘smart personalization settings’ within the Gmail app, facilitating direct data integration between Wallet and their email accounts. Satya Ramaswamy, the chief digital and technology officer for Air India, emphasizes the environmentally friendly and user-friendly features of this integration, highlighting benefits such as automatic updates of boarding pass details on Android phones.

Facebook
Twitter
Tumblr
WhatsApp
Reddit
LinkedIn

Rishikesh Arya

Rishikesh Arya, a Commerce graduate from St. Xavier's College, Ranchi, transitioned into English Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). With a passion for politics.

Leave a Comment

Top Stories

RBI’s Initiative: Developing MuleHunter.AI to Combat Financial Fraud

RBI’s Initiative: Developing MuleHunter.AI to Combat Financial Fraud

The alarming rise in online financial fraud, as highlighted by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to protect consumers and the banking system. With online financial frauds constituting 67.8% of all cybercrime complaints in Q2 2022, and a staggering increase in reported fraud cases from 14,480 to 18,461—amounting

Read More »
Rural Empowerment through technology: a way forward or just a tax strategy?

Rural Empowerment through technology: a way forward or just a tax strategy?

Kamran Akhtar, New Delhi The SVAMITVA scheme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24, 2020, aims to provide a formal record of rights to rural households by issuing property cards. This initiative is designed to empower villagers by recognizing their property ownership, thereby enabling them to leverage their assets for financial benefits. The

Read More »
Dushyant Dave’s Emotional Plea: A Critical Examination of Judicial Precedents and Minority Rights in India

Dushyant Dave’s Emotional Plea: A Critical Examination of Judicial Precedents and Minority Rights in India

In a heartfelt interview with Karan Thapar for The Wire, Dushyant Dave, the former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), shed tears as he expressed profound concerns over India’s increasingly polarized political landscape. Central to his discourse was the role of the majority in protecting the rights of minorities and the troubling implications

Read More »