Google Maps announced on Tuesday that it will increase the free usage limits for developers globally, offering free access to its products up to a monthly cap starting March 1, 2025.

The expanded offering includes maps, routes, places, and environment APIs and SDKs. The goal is to encourage developers by allowing them to build more at no cost.

For India, this change means that developers will have access to up to $6,800 (over Rs 5,70,000) worth of free usage each month across all Google Maps products, replacing the current $200 monthly credit. This translates to a price reduction of up to 70% on most APIs for Indian developers. In July 2024, Google also partnered with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to offer up to 90% off on certain Google Maps platform APIs.

According to the company, many developers have seen their costs drop by more than 50%, with smaller developers benefiting even more. Google emphasized that these steps are designed to make its mapping tools more accessible and foster local innovation, supporting developers of all sizes. The company had also introduced India-specific pricing for its platform earlier this year.

The blog highlighted that developers can now evaluate new products more easily—for example, they can integrate features like Places Nearby or Dynamic Street View into their apps, or create proof-of-concept delivery services using the Routes API before committing to larger investments.

Google added that with the expanded free usage, developers will only incur charges if they exceed the set limits. Popular products like Maps Embed API and Maps SDK will continue to be available with unlimited free usage.

In India, Google Maps now covers over 7 million kilometers of roads, 300 million buildings, and 35 million businesses and places. Additionally, the company has been enhancing its platform with AI-powered features, such as Address Descriptors to display addresses in local formats and the Air Quality API to provide accurate air quality data.

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