New Delhi, August 3: US-based technology giant Google has announced the 2026 cohort of its Play Accelerator India programme, selecting 20 AI-powered startups from across India to help them scale their products, strengthen app quality and expand into global markets.
The three-month, equity-free programme is designed to provide participating startups with hands-on mentorship in artificial intelligence (AI) integration, app quality, security, growth strategies and monetisation. The initiative combines Google Play’s product expertise with the broader Google technology ecosystem to support Indian developers in building trusted, scalable and globally competitive applications.
The selected startups are leveraging AI to solve real-world challenges across diverse sectors, including education, healthcare, gaming, agriculture, finance, e-commerce, productivity, lifestyle and entertainment. Their innovations focus on improving healthcare access, empowering farmers, personalising exam preparation, enhancing sports coaching, enabling faster payments for small businesses and creating next-generation gaming and entertainment experiences.
“India’s next wave of app innovation is being built with AI at the centre. Through Google Play Accelerator India, we want to support founders across the full journey—from product quality and AI integration to growth, security, monetisation and global scale,” said Aditya Swamy, Managing Director, Google Play Partnerships.
Paul Ravindranath, Regional Lead for Developer and Startup Programs at Google, said the programme is tailored to provide practical support to high-potential startups during a crucial phase of their growth.
“Over the next three months, we will work closely with these founders on product quality, responsible AI integration, security, growth and monetisation, helping them strengthen their apps for users in India and global markets,” he said.
Startups Selected for Google Play Accelerator India 2026
The 20 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
- Zet
Google said the programme aims to help startups improve product quality, strengthen security standards, expand their user base and explore international growth opportunities while leveraging the transformative potential of AI.
With India’s startup ecosystem increasingly embracing artificial intelligence, the Play Accelerator India programme is expected to play a key role in nurturing innovative app developers and helping them build globally competitive digital products.
