Google Selects 20 AI Startups for 2026 Play Accelerator India Program
New Delhi — Google said Monday it has selected 20 artificial intelligence-powered Indian startups for the 2026 edition of its Play Accelerator India program.
The startups operate across education, healthcare, gaming, agriculture, finance, e-commerce, productivity, lifestyle and entertainment.
The three-month, equity-free program will provide participating companies with support in AI integration, app quality, security, growth and monetization.
Google said the initiative combines Google Play’s product expertise with technologies and resources from across the company to help Indian developers build secure, scalable products for domestic and international markets.
The selected startups are using AI for a range of applications, including expanding access to healthcare, assisting farmers, personalizing exam preparation, improving sports coaching, helping small businesses receive payments and developing gaming and entertainment products.
“India’s next wave of app innovation is being built with AI at the center,” said Aditya Swamy, Managing Director of Google Play Partnerships. “Through Google Play Accelerator India, we want to support founders across the full journey, from product quality and AI integration to growth, security, monetization and global scale.”
Paul Ravindranath, Regional Lead for Developer and Startup Programs at Google, said the accelerator is intended to provide practical assistance to promising app and gaming companies at a critical stage of development.
“Over the next three months, we will work closely with these founders on product quality, responsible AI integration, security, growth and monetization, helping them strengthen their apps for users in India and global markets,” Ravindranath said.
The startups selected for the 2026 cohort are Chaupal, ChennaiGames, Dalvoy, Frontier Markets, GAPE Labs, Grape, HeyDoc AI, Kisanwala, Lingopanda, LUZO, Machaxi, MetaShot, MindYourLogic Studios, MrMed, Plutus Labs, Regain, Swipe, UrbanPro, Zave AI and Zet.
Google said the program will also help the companies improve security standards, expand their user bases and explore international growth opportunities. (Source: IANS)
