PhonePe Payment Gateway and Wadhwani Foundation Forge Strategic Alliance to Accelerate Startup & SME Growth in India
New Delhi: In a significant move to boost India’s startup and SME ecosystem, PhonePe Payment Gateway has entered into a strategic partnership with the Wadhwani Foundation. The collaboration, formalized through an MoU signing and ecosystem mixer in the capital, aims to create a comprehensive growth pathway for entrepreneurs by marrying Wadhwani’s flagship venture-support programs with PhonePe’s digital commerce infrastructure.
Under the alliance, Wadhwani’s Liftoff and Accelerate initiatives, which offer end-to-end guidance to entrepreneurs from ideation to scale, will integrate with PhonePe’s payment gateway services and the Indus Appstore, a homegrown app distribution platform. Together, they promise a robust toolkit for founders, helping them navigate payments, customer acquisition and market expansion while maintaining cost efficiency.
“Our mission is to empower entrepreneurs to create jobs and drive inclusive economic growth,” said Meetul B. Patel, President – Entrepreneurship at Wadhwani Foundation. “Through this partnership, startups and SMEs gain not just solutions but an India-first growth pathway from customers to capital at scale.”
Ankit Gaur, Head of Payment Gateway & Online Merchants at PhonePe, echoed this sentiment: “This collaboration reinforces our commitment to enabling businesses with technology-driven solutions that unlock opportunities, drive growth and help them scale with confidence.”
A Holistic Growth Engine for Entrepreneurs
For early-stage founders, Wadhwani Liftoff an AI-powered venture advisor now comes bundled with PhonePe’s payment gateway and access to the Indus Appstore, offering an integrated launchpad that spans business intelligence, digital transactions and app distribution.
Scale-ready ventures under Wadhwani Accelerate will benefit from structured growth playbooks, curated capital connections and market-access programs, complemented by PhonePe’s expertise in online commerce and its extensive developer-support network.
PhonePe is also offering participants special incentives, including zero merchant service fees for the first three months (up to ₹5 lakh in transaction volume), a self-service onboarding toolkit, and dedicated account support. App-based businesses can further leverage Indus Appstore’s advantages such as zero listing fees, competitive commissions and 24×7 India-based developer assistance.
Building Capacity and Market Access
Beyond infrastructure, the collaboration emphasizes entrepreneur capability-building. Startups will gain access to exclusive masterclasses on go-to-market strategies, financial management and operational scaling sessions led by PhonePe’s senior leadership alongside Wadhwani’s venture advisors.
The launch event, themed “Powering India’s Entrepreneurs: From Digital Adoption to Scalable Growth,” brought together more than 80 founders, SME leaders, investors, and policy influencers. A highlight of the evening was an engaging panel discussion featuring Garima Seth (Value Bridge), Subodh Sachan (STPI), Sreyansh Chauhan (Beautywise), and Ankit Gaur (PhonePe), moderated by Ravi Shankar, Co-founder and former CEO of Nearbuy.com.
A “Make in India, Scale with India” Vision
The partnership underscores a broader national push toward entrepreneurship-led economic resilience. By combining homegrown technology platforms with global-standard mentorship and networks, PhonePe and Wadhwani Foundation aim to democratize access to payments, customers, capital and markets.
Future phases of the collaboration may extend to skilling programs, innovation challenges and expanded thought-leadership initiatives strengthening India’s position as a hub for high-potential startups and growth-focused SMEs.
