The Economic Times daily newspaper is available online now.

    Google wants local companies to 'Solve for India'

    Synopsis

    Google is launching a three-month India-focused mentoring programme for startups that are building solutions to serve the country’s local needs and solve problems using technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

    ET Bureau
    BENGALURU: Google is expanding its efforts to engage with startups in tier-II cities in India, after running a year-long pilot through its ‘Solve for India’ programme.

    The American internet firm is launching a three-month India-focused mentoring programme for startups that are building solutions to serve the country’s local needs and solve problems using technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

    The company will select eight to 10 startups for the programme, which is expected to be rolled out in the second half of this year, said Paul Ravindranath G, programme manager, Launchpad Accelerator, Google India. “We have learnt a lot through the pilot in the past one year. We have also built a mentorship network to resolve the challenges faced by these startups,” he said.

    The programme is aimed primarily at startups who have come out of the minimum viable product stage and are looking to scale up their products, said Karthik Padmanabhan, developer relations lead, Google India. “We are seeing a lot of entrepreneurs who are solving local problems across sectors like agriculture, local language services, healthcare, environment, retail, education and microfinance,” he said.
    “With this programme, our objective is to build a bridge between startups and the industry ecosystem and provide them with the right technology support and mentorship to help them succeed,” he said.

    Google had announced the Solve for India initiative in April last year to engage with local startup entrepreneurs and developers in tier-II cities.

    Padmanabhan had told ET at the time that the company intended to engage with at least 10,000 entrepreneurs and developers through this initiative.
    SIDBI MSME Conclave 2024 |Register Now.
    ...more
    The Economic Times

    Stories you might be interested in