Google launches 'India Ki Udaan' to mark 75 years of country's independence

Capturing the milestones the country has achieved in its 75-year journey since independence, software major Google has unveiled an online project, drawing from rich archives and featuring artistic illustrations to tell the story of India.

The project -- "India ki Udaan" -- executed by Google Arts and Culture celebrates the achievements of the country and is "themed on the unwavering and undying spirit of India over these past 75 years".

It was officially launched at a glittering event held at the Sunder Nursery here on Friday in the presence of Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy and senior officials of the culture ministry and Google.

As part of the countrywide celebrations to commemorate 75 years of independence, Google also announced its collaboration with the Ministry of Culture focused "on reaching informative online content that showcases the contributions of Indians and the evolution of India since 1947 to support the government's year-long 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' programme", the software giant said in a statement.

It also announced that its popular Doodle4Google contest for 2022, themed on "In the next 25 years, my India will...", is now open for entries to the students of Classes 1-10.

"The winner of this year's Doodle4Google will see their artwork on the Google homepage in India on November 14 and win a Rs 5 lakh college scholarship, a Rs 2 lakh technology package for their school or non-profit organisation, a recognition of achievement, Google hardware and fun Google collectibles. Four group winners and 15 finalists will also win exciting prizes," it said.

Reddy urged the Google team to create a special doodle on "Har Ghar Tiranga", which would encourage its employees and others to enthusiastically take part in the campaign.

In his speech, the minister also said Google could help the culture ministry in digital mapping of the boundaries of its over 3,000 centrally-protected monuments that will help in better monitoring of the sites and checking encroachment.

It can also help in digitisation of rare archival material, he added.

"Therefore, we urge the Google team to be a partner in the government's transformative journey as also to promote India's tourism destinations," Reddy said.

"To mark 75 years of India's independence, Google announced the launch of a series of special initiatives across its products and services that will offer content and experiences created especially for the occasion to hundreds of millions of Indians through the anniversary year," the statement said.

The centrepiece of its celebrations is a new online collection titled "India Ki Udaan", available on the Google Arts and Culture website. It pays tributes to India's rich cultural history and includes iconic moments from the last 75 years.

Published in English and Hindi, it allows people to explore more than 120 illustrations and 21 stories created by 10 talented artists, alongside exhibitions from various institutions -- including the Ministry of Tourism, the Museum of Art and Photography, the Heritage Directorate of the Indian Railways, the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Dastkari Haat Samiti.

"This initiative offers a unique view of India's remarkable moments and lets people discover some of the most memorable moments in India's modern history, its iconic personalities, its proudest scientific and sporting achievements, and how women in India continue to inspire the world. This commemorative collection will be expanded with a unique blend of archives and artistry for people in India and across the globe," Google said.

Merging technologies and India's rich cultural heritage, the new Google Arts and Culture collection, "India Ki Udaan", (literally translated as "India takes flight"), "is themed on the unwavering and undying spirit of India over these past 75 years", it added.

Simon Rein, senior programme manager at Google Arts and Culture, told PTI that the project "marries the rich archival content with artistic talent as demonstrated by illustrators".

A physical representation of the new digital collection was also set up at the venue, with a kite-shaped digital screen, pictures with augmented reality experience and other tech-driven experiences.

Rein said kite has been used as an "optimistic metaphor" to describe India's journey in the last 75 years as also to engage and educate the audience at home and also those who are not from India but wish to learn about its story.

In its 10th year in India, Google Arts and Culture has showcased the country's rich culture in many ways. Working with more than 100 partners in India, it has brought the country's cultural heritage to people all over the world.