Google India have just announced the launch of a new feature that will let users first locate stores and then pay for items during (and presumably after) the coronavirus enforced lockdown.

This comes from a recent post on Google’s Indian blog site in which they announced Nearby Spot, an addon to the Google Spot Platform, designed to help users find nearby stores that have remained open during the covid-19 lockdown.

Google feels this new feature will prove especially useful in India where the vast majority of shops are traditionally owned by sole traders or families and don’t have websites to let regulars know if they’re still open or not.

With the lockdown and social distancing norms in place, digital payments have become more important than ever and Google Pay is an additional surface to provide key information regarding COVID-19. We think this information will help users to contact the appropriate business, pay digitally and aid social distancing efforts.

Google Spokesperson

The Google Spot platform, which was launched last year, lets business without their own website create an online ‘shop-window’ that lets their customers browse goods and purchase items (using Google Pay of course).

The just announced ‘Nearby Spot’ function adds geolocation to the platform.

Already available in Bengaluru, it’s set to be launched soon in Chennai, Hyderbad, Mumbai and Pune with Delhi to follow after.

However, in addition to the exciting, new, geolocation feature to Google Spot, Google continues to provide up to date coronavirus information within the Google Pay app to users, offering official guidance from India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on a dedicated page.