In a bid to support the burgeoning startup ecosystem in India, Google has introduced the Startup School India (SSI) platform. The initiative aims to bring together investors, successful entrepreneurs, and programmers from smaller cities, with a target of reaching a minimum of 10,000 startups.
The nine-week program, delivered virtually, will foster meaningful conversations between Google leaders and collaborators across various sectors of the startup ecosystem, including fintech, business-to-business and business-to-consumer e-commerce, social media, and networking. The comprehensive curriculum will cover a range of instructional modules, offering valuable insights into topics such as product strategy, user value optimization, app development for customer engagement, and user acquisition strategies.
India currently ranks third globally in terms of its flourishing startup landscape, with nearly 70,000 startups making their mark. “Startups are no longer restricted to Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, or Hyderabad. We have a multitude of fast-growing startups headquartered in centers such as Jaipur, Indore, Gorakhpur, and more. In fact, these account for nearly 50 percent of all recognized startups in India today,” highlighted Aditya Swamy, director of Play Partnerships at Google, in a blog post.
Swamy also emphasized the challenges faced by startups, stating, “About 90 percent of all startups fail within the first five years of their journey. This happens because of some key reasons such as unmanaged cash burn, flawed demand assessment, ineffective feedback loops, or lack of leadership. There is a need for programs which can organize this knowledge into a structured curriculum and deliver it across a wide footprint. Startup School India, a Google for startup initiative, is designed to do precisely that as we align our efforts to support this expansion.”
Rahul Garg, founder of Moglix, expressed his support for the initiative, remarking, “The combination of intellectual power, original thinking, creative application and technology, as well as a fertile economic ground to experiment in a market full of problems and opportunities, has resulted in considerable growth of these businesses, with many of them turning into Unicorns. The Google Startup School will provide an avenue for entrepreneurs to come out of their closet and look for opportunities.”
Targeting early-stage founders with a minimum viable product, the Google Startup School offers the flexibility of a virtual curriculum. Attendees can choose the modules that align with their specific needs and interests, enabling them to customize their learning experience.
With the launch of the Startup School India, Google reaffirms its commitment to supporting and nurturing the growth of startups across the country. By bridging the gap between small-city entrepreneurs and industry experts, Google aims to create a conducive environment for innovation, collaboration, and success in India’s startup ecosystem.
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