alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is committing another 1 billion yuan ($140 million) of incentives to drive more traffic to one of its most popular online services, cranking up the heat on JD.com Inc.and Meituan in their ongoing battle for Chinese consumers.

Alibaba is enhancing Amap – the country’s most-used Google-like navigation service – with new features like AI-powered rankings for local businesses from restaurants to hotels and tourist attractions. It’s setting aside fresh incentives to help subsidize consumers’ spending on things like car rides and dining, the company saeid in a statement.

Amap’s Enhanced Features and Incentives

The investment aims to bolster Amap’s capabilities, providing users with more accurate and personalized recommendations. By leveraging AI, Amap seeks to improve the revelation of local businesses and enhance user experiance through subsidized spending on various services.

“Alibaba is enhancing Amap – the country’s most-used Google-like navigation service – with new features like AI-powered rankings…”

Competitive Landscape in China

The move intensifies the competition among major tech players in China, as Alibaba, JD.com, and Meituan vie for market share in the e-commerce and local services sectors. Amap’s enhanced features and incentives are designed to attract and retain users in this highly competitive environment.