India has rejected Google's Street View service, which makes use of 360-degree cameras mounted on vehicles, boats and more for high-quality panoramic views of streets.
The Home Ministry has vetoed the deployment of Google's image-gathering technology, citing security risks.
According to a report from the Hindu, officials in the country are worried that Google's Street View could leak out information about sensitive defense facilities. The Ministry further adds that Google's service cannot be monitored after it launches, which can cause vulnerabilities to national security.
Google's proposal to implement its service in India was rejected by the government in February, in the wake of the Pathankot Air Force Station shooting. Seven people, three of which were part of the security forces, died in the confrontation. According to sources familiar with the investigation, the terrorists located the airbase with the help of Google's mapping service.
The government accused Google of showcasing high-resolution photographs of both defense facilities and nuclear power plants.
Currently, only a limited number of Unesco monuments show up in Street View for India. Those who wish to behold the wonders of the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, the Gateway of India and Humayun's Tomb can do so with Google Street View. However, you would be hard-pressed to use Street View in India as you would in any western country.
India is one of the blooming markets for internet-related services, and getting a green light on its service would be huge step forward for Google. The competition intensifies, as Amazon and Apple are courting the government to deploy their operations in the country. Just last month, Apple announced the opening of a facility in Bengaluru, during Tim Cook's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
It seems that Google hopes for the regulator to be more lenient in the future. A different report indicates that the Indian government will revise Google's request for Street View access once more, after the Parliament ratifies its 2016 Geospatial Information Regulation Bill.
The bill reads that permission from a government authority becomes mandatory before "acquisition, dissemination, publication and distribution" of geospatial information in India.
This is not the first time that Google Street View has faced harsh times in the country.
The first security concerns were apparent as early as 2011, when the Google Car taking captures for Street View was stopped by the Bangalore police.
BBC reports that the officers informed Google that the city was "highly sensitive," hosting defense and research institutions.
