Google to focus on investing in women-led early-stage startups

Google will focus on investing in women-led early-stage startups through its Rs 75,000 crore India Digitisation Fund, a senior company official said on Monday. The company had launched USD 10 billion — about Rs 75,000 crore as per the prevailing exchange rate at the end of 2020 — to make access to the internet affordable.

Through Google IDF, the company bought a 7.73 per cent stake in Jio for USD 4.5 billion and a 1.2 per cent stake in Bharti Airtel for USD 700 million. “Moving forward, as part of our IDF investments, we will be targeting support for early-stage companies with a particular focus on women-led startups,” Sanjay Gupta, Country Manager & VP, Google India said at Google for India event.