Google and Accel Launch Joint Funding Program for Indian AI Startups

Google and venture firm Accel have formed a new partnership to fund at least ten early-stage AI startups in India, marking Google’s first collaborative investment effort of this type.

The initiative targets companies working in entertainment, creativity, workplace productivity, and coding. Each startup will receive up to US$2 million from Google’s AI Futures Fund and Accel.

The move comes as global tech companies intensify their focus on India, where nearly one billion people are online and demand for AI driven services is rising sharply. Google recently committed $15 billion to build an AI data center in Andhra Pradesh, its largest investment in the country to date. The company has already funded more than 30 startups through the AI Futures Fund and partnered with Reliance Jio to offer free Gemini access to over 500 million mobile users.

India’s AI market is projected to reach $17 billion by 2027, supported by rapid enterprise adoption and a strong developer base. Global AI spending is on track to exceed $2 trillion in 2026.