NEW DELHI: Google on Thursday announced a new programme—Google Market Access Program—to help Indian startups expand into global markets. The programme is designed to help Indian AI startups move from pilot projects to long-term global enterprise contracts. According to Google, many startups struggle at this stage despite having strong technology.
The announcements were made at the Google AI Startups Conclave in New Delhi. The new programme will focus on helping startups prepare for global enterprise customers, connect them with international business leaders, and offer overseas exposure through partnerships with ecosystem organisations. Applications for the programme are now open for eligible startups.
Speaking at the event, Preeti Lobana, country manager for India at Google, said Indian startups are building advanced AI solutions but often face difficulties in scaling beyond domestic pilots.
“AI startups are no longer experimenting with the edges. They are turning that capability, that potential into products that people use, trust and actually pay for. What matters then is not what looks impressive or is a buzzword, but how the technology is deployed. Is it really improving decision making?,” said Lobana.
“India isn’t just a market to build for, but a place to build from,” she added.
Alongside the programme, Google announced two new additions to its open-source Gemma model family. One of them, MedGemma 1.5, is aimed at healthcare-focused startups and supports complex medical imaging tasks such as CT scans, MRI scans, X-rays and analysis of medical reports. The model is already being used in collaboration with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to develop India’s Health Foundation Models.
The second model, FunctionGemma, is a lightweight AI model designed to run directly on devices such as smartphones. It allows applications to perform tasks locally without needing constant internet access, which Google said could improve privacy, reduce costs, and enable AI use on low-end devices.
Google also highlighted a new industry report released by Inc42, which estimates that India’s AI market could grow to $126 billion by 2030, with 47% enterprises already moving AI projects from pilot stages into production.
According to the report, falling innovation costs, public digital infrastructure initiatives, and a growing focus on privacy and trust are shaping India’s AI startup ecosystem.
“India has moved past the ‘why AI’ phase. Over the next two years, the centre of gravity shifts from proofs of concept to full-scale systems,” says the report.
Google said the latest announcements build on its existing investments in India, including AI infrastructure projects, such as the $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam announced in October 2025.
