Artificial Intelligence | Gemini Pro 1.5 Lands: Smarter AI, But What About India?

Google DeepMind just pushed out Gemini Pro 1.5. They say it’s smarter, especially when it comes to understanding videos. This update could change how businesses use AI.

The new version, available since Wednesday, April 22, 2026, boasts “significantly improved multimodal reasoning capabilities.” What does that mean? Multimodal means the AI can understand different types of information, like text, images, and now, much better video inputs. Imagine feeding an entire movie to the AI and asking it specific questions about scenes or characters. That’s the promise.

It also has “expanded support for function calling.” This lets the AI trigger external tools or software. For developers, this is a big deal. They can build more complex applications. For example, an AI assistant could understand a user's request, then use function calling to book a flight or check stock prices through another program.

The India Question

This sounds powerful for "enterprise users," which means businesses. But here’s the thing — Google's announcement mainly focused on global features. There's no clear word yet on specific availability for Indian developers or businesses. Pricing for India is also unconfirmed.

Indian startups often look for affordable and accessible AI tools. Without local pricing or specific language support for, say, Hinglish or other regional languages, the immediate impact on India's booming AI ecosystem might be limited. That said, developers here are always quick to adopt new tech once it's within reach.

The European Commission recently proposed new rules for how generative AI models handle data. These rules, or guidelines, cover things like data collection and intellectual property. This shows how governments worldwide are thinking about AI safety and transparency. For us in India, our own Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is also tracking these developments closely. Rules like these become important when powerful new models like Gemini Pro 1.5 become widely used.

What Wasn't Said

The announcement was polished. The details, less so. Google DeepMind highlighted 'significantly improved' capabilities but didn't share specific benchmarks or examples of how much better it is. We don't know the exact jump in accuracy for video understanding, for instance.

Anthropic, another big AI player, recently partnered with UnitedHealth Group to use their Claude 3 model in healthcare. They stressed HIPAA compliance and data privacy. This focus on practical, secure integration is key for businesses. Google's announcement hints at similar enterprise uses, but specifics for privacy and data handling with Gemini Pro 1.5 were light.

Ultimately, the true test for Gemini Pro 1.5 will be in how developers worldwide, and especially in India, can actually use it. We'll be watching to see if it lives up to the hype, or if it's another incremental step in a rapidly evolving field.

Key Takeaways

• Google DeepMind launched Gemini Pro 1.5, claiming better video understanding and function calling for developers.
• The update aims to help enterprise users build more complex AI applications that can interact with external software.
• Specific availability, pricing, and local language support for Indian developers remain unconfirmed.
• Global AI rules are becoming more common, showing a push for responsible AI development alongside these advancements.

People also ask

What is multimodal reasoning?

AI's ability to understand and process diverse data types: text, images, and video.

How does function calling help developers?

Yes — it enables AI models to connect directly with other software, simplifying app development. For instance, an AI can trigger a weather or booking system.

Is Gemini Pro 1.5 available in India?

Still unclear: The official announcement didn't specify India-specific availability or pricing.

So what now?

Please monitor Google's official announcements.

We'll provide updates on India access and pricing.