October 30, 2026: Access to funding, experienced mentors and business infrastructure remains a challenge for many entrepreneurs outside India’s major startup centres. PhysicsWallah is now looking to address some of these gaps by expanding its startup support programmes to smaller cities and rural communities through a new partnership with the government.
PhysicsWallah School of Startups (PW SoS), the entrepreneurship arm of listed edtech company PhysicsWallah, has signed a two-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Startup India, an initiative operating under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The partnership will focus on entrepreneurs in Tier-II and Tier-III cities and rural areas, bringing together training, mentorship, incubation facilities, product development assistance and access to investors. The programmes will combine online learning with residential training, allowing founders at different stages of business development to access support.
For PhysicsWallah, the agreement provides an opportunity to extend its existing entrepreneurship initiatives through Startup India’s nationwide network. For founders, particularly those operating outside established startup hubs, the collaboration could open up additional avenues to develop business ideas, test products and seek early-stage investment.
The two organisations plan to introduce programmes catering to entrepreneurs at different stages, from individuals working on their first business ideas to companies preparing for expansion and larger fundraising rounds.
One of the key initiatives under the partnership will be PW UDYAMI, a 90-day live online training programme designed for entrepreneurs from smaller towns and rural communities. Participants will receive an additional year of mentorship after completing the training, giving them continued guidance as they work towards building their businesses.
Another initiative, Aarambh Immersion, will offer a five-day residential programme focused on prototype development, pitch preparation and networking. The programme is intended to help founders move beyond the initial idea stage and develop a clearer understanding of how to present and build their products.
For startups that have already established their businesses and are looking to expand, PW SoS will introduce a Growth Stage CEO Programme. It will cover 200 DPIIT-recognised startups across four hybrid cohorts, with a focus on helping founders prepare for growth-stage fundraising.
The programme is expected to address the business and leadership requirements of companies looking to move into their next phase of expansion. Preparing for larger funding rounds often requires startups to strengthen their operations, demonstrate business traction and develop a clear growth strategy.
PW SoS will also run a six-month DeepTech Accelerator for a smaller group of selected startups. The programme will focus on ventures working in advanced technology areas that may require specialised guidance and support to move from development to commercial applications.
Early-stage innovators will have additional opportunities through PhysicsWallah’s National AI Startup Challenge and SeedX initiatives. These programmes will provide avenues for proof-of-concept development, corporate pilot projects and seed investment.
The StartinUP Business Incubation Centre, hosted by PW SoS, will also contribute to the partnership by offering incubation support and seed grants. This is expected to help founders access resources required to validate their products and take their businesses towards the market.
Ateesh Kumar Singh, Additional Secretary at DPIIT, said supporting entrepreneurs beyond Tier-I cities was important for building a stronger startup ecosystem in India. He added that the partnership would help grassroots innovators gain access to resources, mentorship and infrastructure needed to build scalable businesses and generate employment.
Rounaq Mustafa, Head of PW School of Startups, said the objective was to make knowledge, mentorship and funding more accessible to aspiring entrepreneurs across the country. He highlighted initiatives such as PW UDYAMI, Aarambh and the deeptech acceleration programmes as part of the company’s effort to help founders turn business ideas into viable ventures.
PhysicsWallah’s growing startup ambitions takes a leap with Startup India Pact
The latest agreement builds on PhysicsWallah’s efforts to establish a presence in India’s entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem.
The company launched its School of Startups in August 2024 with three initial programmes — Aarambh, Prarambh and Hopes Alive. At the time, it also announced a Rs 100 crore fund aimed at supporting more than 100 startups.
PhysicsWallah co-founder Alakh Pandey had highlighted the potential of businesses emerging from Tier-II and Tier-III cities, pointing out that founders in these regions often face difficulties because of limited guidance and a lack of supportive entrepreneurial networks.
Since its launch, PW SoS has expanded its incubation activities. In March 2026, it received accreditation as an incubator under the Uttar Pradesh government’s StartInUP initiative.
The organisation currently operates incubation centres in Noida and Lucknow. Its support framework covers several aspects of building a startup, including product validation through LeapX, go-to-market planning through MarketX, early-stage capital through SeedX, mentorship through Samadhan and team building through TeamX.
The company has also been working with Startup India on initiatives focused on emerging technologies. Earlier this year, PhysicsWallah partnered with Startup India and DPIIT to organise the PW AI Startup Challenge 2026.
Under the challenge, PhysicsWallah committed up to Rs 10 crore to support AI-focused startups from the seed to Series A stages, along with student innovators. Shortlisted teams presented their ideas at the company’s Noida headquarters on August 20 and 21.
Founded by Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari in 2020, PhysicsWallah initially began as an educational YouTube channel in 2016. The company, headquartered in Noida, made its stock market debut on the NSE and BSE on November 18, 2025.
Smaller cities gain a larger role in India’s startup ecosystem
The partnership comes at a time when startup activity is increasingly spreading beyond India’s metropolitan centres.
According to DPIIT data released on October 27, the government had recognised 2,50,046 startups across more than 770 districts in the country. These businesses have collectively generated over 25.42 lakh jobs.
Notably, around 52% of the recognised startups are based in non-metro cities, highlighting the growing contribution of smaller urban centres to India’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Government-backed funding programmes have also extended support to businesses in these regions. Under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme, Rs 775.67 crore has been approved for 4,194 startups through 244 incubators.
Of these, 2,356 startups are based in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The approved funding works out to an average of approximately Rs 18.5 lakh per startup, although actual allocations vary across businesses.
Against this backdrop, the PhysicsWallah-Startup India partnership seeks to strengthen the support available to founders who may have business ideas and technical capabilities but lack access to established investor networks and incubation facilities.
The success of the initiative will depend on how effectively these programmes translate training and mentorship into viable businesses, funding opportunities and job creation. With a combination of incubation, acceleration and investment support, the partnership adds another effort to expand India’s startup ecosystem beyond its traditional metropolitan hubs.
