Google on Monday announced the launch of the second edition of its ‘Google for Startups Accelerator: Apps’ programme, aimed at empowering 20 promising Indian startups to harness the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Backed by Google Play and run in partnership with the MeitY Startup Hub, the initiative seeks to fuel AI innovation within India’s app ecosystem.
The three-month accelerator programme is designed for Indian startups that are either already integrating AI or planning to do so in their mobile apps. To be eligible, startups must have a published app on the Google Play Store, be incorporated in India, and fall between the Seed and Series-A funding stages.
Paul Ravindranath, Programme Manager for the initiative, said the selected startups will benefit from personalized mentorship, access to top engineers and researchers from Google, and expert guidance to scale their products. The focus will be on enhancing AI capabilities, user experience, app security, and user growth.
Google noted that India’s vibrant startup and developer ecosystem continues to be a “hotbed of innovation” and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the country's digital entrepreneurs. The first edition of the programme reportedly led to major improvements in technology, engagement, and design among participating startups.
Applications are open until May 15, and the accelerator will officially kick off in July with a week-long bootcamp. During the application phase, Google will host weekly virtual open forums every Thursday to address queries from interested startups.
