Google India today launched navigational services based on landmarks under its Google Maps services offering directions to users of the service. The service can be accessed from desktops or mobile phones. And for reference landmarks such as petrol stations, banks, schools, railway stations, bus stops, local businesses & traffic circles and signals will be considered.

Google says that Indians are more comfortable finding ways using landmarks as reference.

“Typically many roads in India are not marked with road signs and even if they are, the signs are not visible. In some cases people do not even know the road names. For instance, a friend asks you for directions to your house for a new year party, or to that nice picnic spot you recommended to celebrate a new year’s eve, you scribble some lines on a piece of paper or explain that they should take a turn from a petrol pump or a bus stop or a grocery shop! Google today enables this activity online and share with friends and family,” says Google on the launch of the service.

For this service, Google has collected data through user-created "Points of Interest" in Google Map Maker. It makes use of a new algorithm which determines which landmark is most useful for navigation, based on importance, and closeness to the turns that the user is making and other available signals.

The company is offering two kinds of landmarks to identify where users need to turn, and to provide confirmation that they''re on the right track.