India’s startup ecosystem has evolved into a global powerhouse of app innovation, with a new generation of founders leveraging AI to solve uniquely Indian challenges at scale. Today, we are excited to announce that applications are open for the third cohort of our apps and games focused equity-free accelerator program, now officially called Google Play Accelerator India. This program remains a critical pillar in our effort to foster a secure, innovative, and thriving app ecosystem in India.

Building on our long-standing commitment to the Indian startup community, this accelerator program continues our mission to support high-potential startups in the apps space, providing them with the tools, mentorship, and technology needed to build world-class products for India and the world.

Alumni Impact: Driving Innovation, Performance, and Growth

Our alumni have demonstrated remarkable success in integrating advanced AI and ML technologies to drive innovation and impact across various sectors.

• Toonsutra used Gemini, Lyria, and Veo for immersive vernacular webcomics with AI visuals and speech.
• Vidyakul achieved 85–90% accuracy in AI-generated vernacular questions for underserved students.
• Flick TV Reduced micro-drama production time by 40% using GenAI.
• BigOHealth used Google AI/ML APIS to enable faster, decision-ready clinical triaging for cancer patients.

The program also provides significant technical and business advantages, and the startups achieved major milestones in several key areas:

• App Stability & Performance: Startups like Nawgati and BigOHealth substantially reduced crashes and improved stability, while Felicity Games saw a 50% revenue increase.
• Growth & Efficiency: DeepVisionTech achieved massive conversion boosts, Dot9 Games reduced cloud costs by 40%, and Kindlife experienced 50% organic keyword growth.
• User Retention: Iyaso dramatically increased its Day-7 retention to 30%.
• AI Scaling: GoSats leveraged Gemini to drive a 2.5x surge in Gross Transaction Value, and TrueFan AI achieved massive video personalization scaling at a fraction of the cost.

What the program offers from Empowering Indian app innovators

The Google Play Accelerator India is a three-month, equity-free program that provides:

• Mentorship: Access to a global network of Google experts and industry veterans. In the last cohort, startups received over 300 hours of mentoring.
• Technical Audits: Deep-dive sessions on App Quality, Play Store Optimization, and Security. 95% of previous participants reported a high impact on Play quality and design.
• AI/ML Integration: Advisory and support for integrating Google technology, including Cloud and Gemini models, into your product stack.
• Business Support: Training on leadership, OKRs, and Go-to-Market strategies.
• Bespoke Reports: Gain access to custom reports providing key insights to optimize your app’s performance and success on Google Play.

Who should apply?

We are seeking AI-powered startups in the apps and games space that are:

1. Based in India and building for the Indian or global market.
2. Have a published app on the Playstore.
3. At the Seed to Series A stage.
4. Utilizing AI/ML in a core capacity to solve significant user or industry problems.