Google and Scaler Partner to Democratize AI for Indian Startups
In a significant move to boost India's artificial intelligence ecosystem, Google for Startups has joined forces with Scaler to introduce "Startup School: Prompt to Prototype," an intensive two-week program designed to empower Indian entrepreneurs with AI capabilities regardless of their technical background.
Bridging the AI Gap in India's Startup Landscape
The initiative addresses a critical shortage in the Indian startup environment, where fewer than 2% of the country's 180,000 startups are genuinely AI-native. The program, scheduled to run from November 27 to December 7, 2025, aims to transform this landscape by making advanced AI tools accessible to founders without traditional coding expertise.
Ragini Das, Head of Google for Startups - India, emphasized the program's mission: "At Google for Startups, our goal is to make the power of AI accessible to every founder and not just those with technical expertise." She added that the initiative will help entrepreneurs move from concept to creation faster and with greater confidence.
Comprehensive AI Learning Experience
Participants will engage in live online sessions and workshops conducted by Google experts and industry mentors, focusing on practical applications of Google's cutting-edge AI technologies including:
- Gemini for advanced AI capabilities
- Imagen for visual content generation
- Veo for video creation tools
- NotebookLM for research and analysis
- AI Studio for development purposes
The curriculum covers five essential areas that will provide hands-on experience in AI-first prototyping and prompt engineering, AI-powered market research using NotebookLM, creative asset generation with Gemini Canvas and Imagen, AI prototyping with structured data outputs, and building complete web applications deployable to Cloud Run.
Pathway to Recognition and Scaling
The program concludes with prototype submissions, where selected innovators will receive a unique opportunity to showcase their work at the prestigious "Build the Future" event in January 2026. These chosen participants will also benefit from continued mentorship from Google experts to refine and scale their ventures.
Abhimanyu Saxena, Co-Founder of Scaler, highlighted the program's revolutionary approach, stating that it demonstrates how "innovation no longer needs to be gated by code but just curiosity, creativity, and the right tools."
The initiative enjoys strong institutional support from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Startup India, India AI Mission, and NASSCOM. Successful participants will receive Google-recognized certificates and gain access to Scaler's extensive networking ecosystem, providing valuable connections within the Indian tech community.
This collaboration represents a significant step toward positioning India as a global leader in AI innovation, potentially transforming thousands of non-technical entrepreneurs into AI-powered startup founders capable of building the next generation of technology solutions.
