The EdTech Accelerator, part of the ShikshaNext initiative, aims to strengthen learning outcomes for children aged 4 to 10 through technology in India. The Accelerator will catalyse the supply of pedagogically sound, contextually relevant, high-quality EdTech and AI solutions, serving students, parents, and teachers from underserved communities and democratising access to quality learning solutions
Applications open till 22nd May, 2026
Opportunity
India’s digital learning landscape has reached an inflection point.
As per the Bharat Survey for EdTech 2025, 72% of students now have access to a smartphone at home, and nearly all of them are connected to the internet. For these learners, devices are not occasional tools but part of daily life, with 84% of children spending over 30 minutes a day on them. EdTech awareness and use is already mainstream with 63% children already using it for learning. Half of these children are also aware of generative AI pointing to a rapidly evolving digital learning environment
72%
of students have smartphone access
84%
of children spend over 30 minutes daily on smartphones
50%
of children using EdTech are aware of generative AI tools
Despite the steady growth of the EdTech market, high digital penetration and increased salience for EdTech usage, the EdTech opportunity for the underserved segment remains untapped. Most solutions target higher-income users, they are unaffordable and not available in vernacular languages, thereby leaving a large segment underserved. Despite a vibrant ecosystem of ~8k EdTech products in India across K-12 as of December 2025[1], only a small percentage focus on ages 4 to 10, and even fewer cater to the low-income segment.
This gap is evident in usage patterns. According to BaSE 2025, 94% of children rely on YouTube for learning, with minimal awareness of specialised EdTech platforms. Demand for digital learning is clear, but it is being met through unstructured, general-purpose channels rather than purpose-built, pedagogically sound solutions.
Encouragingly, there is emerging evidence in recent years that highlights the effectiveness of pedagogically rigorous primary grade learning apps, underscoring a strong opportunity to expand access to high-quality solutions for underserved learners.
[1]Tracxn. (n.d.). K-12 EdTech startups in India.Vision
The EdTech Accelerator will promote access to and use of high-quality, contextually relevant EdTech and AI solutions for parents, teachers, and students in underserved communities to enable equitable access to impactful learning.
Approach
The Accelerator aims to enhance reach to contextually relevant EdTech solutions for more than 1.5Mn users by creating a supply of 5 EdTech players serving ages 4-10 from underserved communities.
Reach
Enhance access to contextually relevant and pedagogically strong EdTech and AI solutions
1.5 Mn+ users from underserved communities have access to high-quality, pedagogically strong and contextually relevant learning solutions
Supply
Enhance the supply of high-quality EdTech and AI solutions for ages 4-10
A vibrant ecosystem of 5 EdTech and AI solutions serving age groups 4-10 from underserved communities
Evidence
Establish the impact of these solutions
Generate evidence for solutions on the impact of EdTech for the larger ecosystem
Cohort Structure
Organisations applying to the Accelerator must have solutions that are designed to explicitly drive measurable improvements in the learning outcomes for students in underserved communities. Their core value proposition should centre on learning, such as personalised practice, assessment-enabled instruction, teacher capacity building and enablement for pedagogy, etc.
Applying solutions will be segmented into the following cohorts based on their use case:
Student/Parent Facing Learning Solutions
Teacher Facing Learning Solutions
System Facing Learning Solutions
Support Provided
The ~2.5 Mn+ USD Accelerator will provide support to selected solutions over 3 years, across a range of areas, tailored to the specific problem or use case that each solution is addressing. This includes:
Funding
Catalytic funding towards product iteration, strengthening pedagogy, and unlocking pathways for adoption to improve learning
Building rigorous evidence to establish the efficacy of learning solutions
Mentorship from industry experts at multiple touch points to build long-term capacity and capacity-building workshops to strengthen product development and delivery
Events
Showcase events for partners to present their approach, impact, and offering to obtain feedback and guidance
The Selection Journey
Eligibility & Shortlisting
11th May to 22nd May, 2026
Open call for applications. In Phase 1, applicants will fill out an Eligibility form, and if eligible, they will fill out an Expression of Interest form (shared on a rolling basis within 24-48 hours of filling out the Eligibility form).
22nd May to 25th May, 2026
Shortlisting of applications
Request for Detailed Proposals
25th May to 12th June, 2026
Shortlisted applicants requested to submit detailed proposals and conduct an EdTech Tulna self-evaluations
Pitches and Selection
Week of 15th June, 2026
Applicants pitch their proposals to the Selection Committee
July, 2026
Selected EdTech solutions are announced
Eligibility Criteria
Solutions applying to the Accelerator must meet the following criteria:
Non Profits: Must be a registered entity in India and operational for at least 3 years and have a CSR 1 form.
For Profits: Must be a registered entity in India or internationally* and have at least 12 months of operational existence.
*If not currently registered in India, selected applicants will be required to establish an Indian for-profit entity or can apply through a local for-profit partner, who must be listed as the primary applicant in the application.
The product must be at least 12 months old, with a minimum of 3K users (across any K-9 grades in India or globally)
The product must cater to at least 1 age band between ages 4–10 OR be committed to building for at least 1 age band within ages 4–10, within the next 6 months
Subjects covered must include literacy or numeracy or both
Product must have an instance that is built for low-end Android devices OR be committed to building for low-end Android devices within the next 6 months.
Product is able to OR will build capacity to report metrics such as scale, activation, engagement, retention, etc. (required at a monthly and weekly level)
For any other doubts or queries, please refer to the FAQ document.
Join the EdTech Accelerator and help shape the future of tech and AI-enabled learning for India.
Applications open till 22nd May, 2026