India now a powerhouse in digital economy: Google India head Preeti Lobana

Swift expansion of India's digital economy has cemented the country's status as a "powerhouse", Google India's Country Manager and Vice President Preeti Lobana has said, emphasising that a razor sharp focus on trust and security are key to sustaining the momentum in the AI era.

In an interview to PTI, the newly appointed top executive of Google India asserted that the US tech firm is "deeply committed to having rich, thriving digital ecosystem when it comes to Android or Play Store".

According to her, Google sees "competition" as means of making the "digital ecosystem richer".

Lobana declined to comment on the specifics of the search giant's antitrust cases in the country (bundling of the Play Store with Android TV OS, a case that Google settled by paying Rs 20 crore or the Play Store policies case) but said the company complies with the local laws in any country it operates in.

"So we will work with the government and any of the regulatory bodies to make sure we are complying," she affirmed.

New technologies, like artificial intelligence, are unleashing creative potential, but, at the same time, bringing to the fore challenges around deepfakes, she acknowledged.

"And therefore, our efforts to make sure that whatever content is created using our AI, there are watermarks on that, and then enabling or sharing tools through which a wider section of users can upload some of this content to be able to identify the 'synthID'," Lobana said.

Tackling AI-powered misinformation and deepfakes requires industry-wide collaboration, she said, noting this remains a key area of the ongoing focus and development not only for Google but other industry stakeholders as well.

Google sees India as a critical market, Lobana said, adding that with the country on track to reach a $1-trillion digital economy in the near future, the tech giant hopes to leverage its expertise in advertising, cloud technology, and advanced AI to contribute to the nation's economic growth.

The top honcho of Google India said she is excited to have taken over her new role at a "critical and exciting juncture" as the company looks to contribute to India's economic progress, especially in the digital space.

"Google looks at India as a critical market. We are deeply engaged here, deeply committed. We are all-in and when you look at the breadth of 'One Google', we are here across all our products," she said.

Lobana cited the uniqueness of India's digital landscape that has seen remarkable adoption rates when it comes to new technologies.

She noted that proliferation of systems like UPI, and by extension, payment platforms such as Google Pay have exceeded expectations.

"So, if you look at the digital landscape in India, (it is) so unique... think about the adoption. Who would have imagined a few years ago that UPI and therefore, consequently, you know, payment systems like Google Pay would be so widely adopted," she said.

The takeoff and the billions of transactions that get enabled through UPI have been nothing short of amazing, she said, adding that the digital payment system has made a big difference to how people consume and purchase.

"As you know, we are looking at a 1 trillion digital economy in the next few years... so how do we bring the best of Google ads, our cloud and cutting-edge AI to power India's economic momentum," she said, outlining Google's priorities for this market.

India has become a strong player in the way its digital economy has developed overtime, she said, emphasising that trust and security will be crucial to its continued success.

"India is a powerhouse in terms of how the digital economy has taken off, right? But none of that good stuff will continue to grow and evolve without that deep foundational layer of people having trust, people feeling secure," she said.

On Tuesday, the company unveiled Google Safety Charter for India's AI-led transformation.

As per Google, the charter is a blueprint for tackling the online world's new challenges collaboratively with the wider ecosystem. This includes keeping the end user safe from online frauds and scams; cybersecurity for government and enterprise infrastructure; and building AI responsibly.

Lobana further noted that India was the launchpad for YouTube Shorts and GPay -- showcasing the key role the market plays in Google's global strategy.

"So if you think about the short form video 'shorts' came on YouTube first to India... Look at the scale of Google Pay in India. So that is where we launched the product, taking the learnings overseas. So India is a very critical market for us, and we have made investments in putting a lot of large teams here," she said.