Facebook announces accelerator programmes to help tech start-ups, developers and students in India

Facebook's Managing Director Northern, Martin Ott poses for the photographer with a Gear VR virtual reality headset by Oculus. Reuters[/caption]These programmes are designed to help unlock the potential of advanced technologies, including Virtual Reality (VR).In partnership with T-Hub, the India Innovation Hub will work with 10 VR focused startups to accelerate their businesses in new and innovative ways, Facebook said in a statement here on the eve of Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) beginning on Tuesday.Each start-up will get access to training, mentors, workshops, research and Facebook's VR Innovation lab as part of the six-month accelerator programme. Applications for the Innovation Hub programme will be open from January 2018, and the first programme will begin in early 2018.Facebook is also introducing the School of Innovation programme in partnership with Startup Village Collective. 10 engineering student teams will be selected from across the country to build a next generation product idea they have using VR. The teams will participate in a 20-week program that includes online and in-person learning to progress their idea, build a low and high-fidelity prototype and finally launch to customers."At Facebook, we are committed to investing in the future of the India's digital economy. We know from experience how fast great ideas can thrive when startups are given the opportunity to grow and learn from each other," said Satyajeet Singh, Head of Platform Partnerships, Facebook India and South Asia."The partnership will drive radical change in the start-up ecosystem. We encourage Facebook's efforts to support and mentor start-ups to explore the possibilities of future technologies such as VR. As the VR ecosystem in India takes shape, we are committed to working towards accelerating its success and help startups in this space solve India's challenges," said Jay Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer, T-Hub.