At this year’s Google I/O 2025, which took place on May 20, amidst a barrage of AI model upgrades, sweeping product integrations, and ambitious visions for the future of Search, one theme quietly and unmistakably stood out: India. Whether through emotional storytelling, live language demos, or cultural references, Google made it clear that the Indian user isn’t just part of its global strategy. They’re central to it.
From Sundar Pichai’s personal anecdotes to Bollywood-flavored segments and live Hindi-Farsi translation, the keynote reflected more than just technological prowess. It reflected attention. And not the broad, market expansion kind of attention that tech companies like to gesture at when talking about “emerging economies.” This was more specific. More intentional. The kind of focus that signals both recognition of market strength and a calculated bet on where the future of AI adoption might truly take root.
The Personal Meets the Technological
In one of the most memorable moments of the event, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared a personal story that resonated deeply, especially with Indian viewers. He recounted how his elderly parents recently visited San Francisco and experienced a ride in a Waymo self-driving taxi, a company owned by Google’s parent company. His father, now in his 80s, was amazed by the autonomous vehicle, prompting Pichai to reflect on how far technology has come in just one generation.
“It was a reminder of how incredible the power of technology is to inspire, to awe, and to move us forward,” Pichai said.
This wasn’t a throwaway feel-good anecdote. It was a strategic story. It tapped into a collective narrative familiar to many Indian families: the generational leap from analog simplicity to digital complexity. And in doing so, it positioned Google not just as an innovator, but as a bridge across time, culture, and aspiration.
From Ragas to Lyria: When AI Meets Indian Music
The cultural spotlight didn’t stop at family stories. In a surprising and widely talked about moment, acclaimed Indian music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan appeared in pre-recorded footage, singing along to AI-generated beats.
Mahadevan’s performance was more than entertainment. It served as a live demo of Google’s AI music model, Lyria, which has been trained using input from renowned artists around the world. Mahadevan described the experience of working with AI as “like opening a door and finding another room.” The metaphor was apt. It was also symbolic. In showcasing Mahadevan, Google not only spotlighted its tech, but tied it directly to the richness of Indian classical and contemporary music traditions.
No Western company includes Bollywood and Carnatic influences by accident. This was a deliberate move to court Indian creatives, and by extension, Indian audiences by showing that AI can be shaped by their cultural voice, not just deliver someone else’s.
Language as a Gateway
One of the more technical yet impactful demos featured two Google employees conversing in Hindi and Farsi while the system provided live English translations. This wasn’t just a flex of multilingual AI capabilities. It was a political and cultural moment.
To hear Hindi spoken prominently on stage, with real-time translation helping bridge East and West, was a symbolic gesture. For Indian users, it signaled that their language isn’t an afterthought. It’s part of the front line of AI development.
In practical terms, Google’s push for multilingual AI is also about market penetration. India is one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world, with over 22 scheduled languages and hundreds of dialects. English may be the bridge language of India’s elite, but regional languages dominate in everyday life, especially outside urban centers.
Live translation and AI-native multilingualism are tools with enormous potential. Not just to expand Google’s footprint, but to redefine digital accessibility in India altogether.
AI Overviews: India Among Top Markets
Beyond the stagecraft, there were some straightforward metrics that drove the point home. Google shared that India is one of the top markets for its AI Overviews feature in Search. That’s a notable data point.
AI Overviews are designed to summarize complex information in a digestible format, giving users quicker, clearer responses to broad queries. That Indian users are among the top adopters tells us two things: they’re hungry for faster, more intelligent tools, and they’re open to AI-enabled services that enhance productivity and reduce friction.
It also underscores a broader shift. Indian internet users, once seen as digital late adopters, are now among the most curious and engaged when it comes to cutting-edge tech.
The Implicit Bet on India
This wasn’t the first time Google used its flagship conference to signal its interest in India. But the 2025 edition felt different. Less like a polite nod. More like a clear pivot.
The inclusion of Shankar Mahadevan, the emphasis on Indian language usage, the storytelling centered on Indian families—none of these were necessary for an event that could have easily focused only on product announcements and technical breakthroughs. Their inclusion sends a message.
India is no longer just a fast-growing market. It’s a culture-setting, narrative-driving, user-shaping priority.
That makes sense. India is projected to have over 1.2 billion internet users by 2030. It’s a country where mobile-first behavior is the norm, and where digital literacy is skyrocketing. It’s also a place where emotional narratives, community trust, and cultural familiarity still matter in ways that Western tech brands often underestimate.
By weaving Indian themes into the fabric of its keynote, Google showed it understands that reaching Indian users requires more than offering products. It requires understanding context.
Why It Matters Now
It’s easy to view the desi elements of I/O 2025 as just flavor, spice to an otherwise AI-heavy meal. But that would miss the point.
As AI becomes more embedded in daily life, the tools people use will shape how they think, search, communicate, and create. The models powering those tools will reflect the cultures they’re trained in. Which means the inclusion of Indian voices, languages, and artistic traditions isn’t just about marketing. It’s about shaping the cognitive DNA of tomorrow’s tools.
If Google wants to build global products that feel personal, it has to start with specificity. At I/O 2025, India was that specificity.
And if the reception is any indication, it won’t be the last time we see Bollywood, bhasha, and banyan trees in the heart of Silicon Valley’s biggest show.