Voice assistants on audio devices have mostly meant basic commands — play a song, skip a track, check the time. boAt is aiming considerably higher. The company has partnered with Google Cloud to launch Crest AI, a new platform built with Google Gemini that turns its audio hardware into genuinely conversational AI companions.
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What Crest AI Actually Does
At its core, Crest AI integrates Gemini Live to enable natural, flowing voice conversations directly through boAt’s devices — a meaningful step up from the scripted, command-based assistants most audio wearables ship with today. For more on how Indian consumer tech brands are adopting AI, check our technology news coverage.
| Feature | What It Enables |
|---|---|
| Crest Ask | Conversational intelligence for general queries, learning, and casual chat |
| Crest Translate | Real-time, two-way language translation |
| Google Workspace integration | Voice control over Gmail, Google Tasks, and Google Calendar |
| Multimodal AI (via Gemini Live) | Understands context, complex queries, and regional dialects |
Hands-Free Productivity, Not Just Music Control
The Google Workspace integration is arguably the most practical addition here. Users will reportedly be able to say things like “Help me respond to that email” or “Schedule a meeting for me” directly through their Crest AI-powered device, with the assistant handling the task across Gmail and Google Calendar without needing a phone screen at all. That positions these devices as genuine productivity tools rather than just audio accessories.
Built for India’s Linguistic Diversity
A key part of this partnership’s pitch is regional accessibility. By running on Google Cloud’s infrastructure and Gemini Live’s multimodal capabilities via the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, Crest AI is designed to understand regional dialects and nuanced, real-time queries — a genuinely difficult problem given how many languages and accents exist across India. For more on how Gemini’s voice capabilities work under the hood, check Google Cloud’s official Gemini Enterprise page.
What Leadership Is Saying
boAt CEO Gaurav Nayyar framed the partnership as a shift from “basic voice assistants” toward genuinely intelligent conversational agents, covering everything from general queries and device control to music playback, productivity, translation, and FAQ support. Google Cloud India’s Managing Director, Sashi Sreedharan, echoed that ambition, pointing to voice and vernacular support as “the next frontier for AI in India” — with Google Cloud’s infrastructure providing the scale needed to bring these features to millions of users.
“Voice is the most natural way for humans to communicate, and we believe it will also become the most natural way to interact with AI. At boAt, we have a unique opportunity because we already have millions of devices sitting in people’s ears. With Crest AI, our ambition is to bring useful AI experiences directly to this surface and make them accessible to millions of consumers through devices that are affordable and part of their everyday lives. This is our first step, and we will continue to make the experience richer and more capable as we learn and build.” said Sameer Mehta, Co-founder & Executive Director, boAt.
Why This Partnership Matters
This collaboration reflects a broader trend of Indian consumer electronics brands moving beyond hardware specs and into software-driven differentiation. For boAt — already India’s leading homegrown audio and wearables brand — embedding a genuinely capable AI layer via Gemini could meaningfully separate its next-generation devices from competitors still relying on basic voice commands. It also signals growing confidence in AI as a core product feature rather than a marketing checkbox, especially as boAt continues strengthening its financial fundamentals following its recent FY26 results.
What’s Next
Neither company has confirmed exact device names, pricing, or a launch timeline for the first Crest AI-powered products. Keep following our technology and wearables section for updates as boAt reveals its first Crest AI devices.
