In order to deeper penetrate the startup ecosystem in India, Facebook has said that it will be expanding its SheLeadsTech, Innovation Hub, and Developer Circle programs.
With SheLeadsTech, Facebook will be targeting women entrepreneurs in Tier 2 cities such as Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, and Shillong. It will help them to convert their ideas to startups.
Presently, it is supporting more than 170 women entrepreneurs in 24 cities by providing access to community, tools, mentorship and resources.
The company is further collaborating with co-working spaces in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. The aim is to set up Innovation hubs that support startups in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Satyajeet Singh, Head of Platform Partnerships, Facebook India, said, "We believe when startups flourish, India will prosper. At Facebook we are committed to paving the way for the success of the new generation of startups in India and understand that access to resources, people and networks can be a powerful catalyst for their growth. That’s why we are creating programs that can fuel startups to build businesses of tomorrow through mentoring, regular training, workshops and meetups."
Facebook is also launching three innovation hubs for AR and VR technologies.