Masters' Union launches Road to YC program for Indian tech startups
The inaugural cohort of six startups and 10 founders targets AI infrastructure, coding agents, and developer tools for global expansion.
Indian business school Masters' Union has launched Road to YC, a dedicated accelerator initiative created to mentor technology founders and prepare them for admission into Y Combinator and international markets.
The inaugural cohort comprises six startups and 10 founders operating across five technology sectors: artificial intelligence infrastructure, coding agents, developer tools, education, and relationship intelligence. The launch reflects India's expanding deep-tech sector and its transition from consumer software toward high-value infrastructure and enterprise systems.
Driving Indian innovation onto the global stage
India's technology ecosystem has established itself as a primary supplier of global software talent and venture-backed innovation. The emphasis on AI infrastructure and developer tools within the cohort aligns directly with international capital movement. Market research firm IDC reported that global enterprise spending on AI compute and storage infrastructure grew 166% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2025, reaching $82.0 billion (£63.2 billion).
Road to YC operates as an institutional feeder pipeline, sharpening product strategy and pitch readiness before Indian founders present to global investment panels.
| Programme | Model | Primary geography | Stated sector focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masters' Union Road to YC | Business-school feeder cohort | India | AI infrastructure, coding agents, dev tools |
| Entrepreneur First | Talent-first residency | Global | Pre-idea founder matching |
| Antler | Global residency cohorts | Global | Early-stage company formation |
| Y Combinator | Core global accelerator | Global | AI infrastructure, physical AI, dev tools |
Sector alignment with global funding trends
The focus on AI infrastructure and developer tooling mirror broader shifts in international startup cohorts. Y Combinator's Fall 2026 directory shows that AI infrastructure, data, robotics, and developer tools represented the largest proportion of accepted startups.
Indian technical founders, backed by national digital infrastructure and technical training, are increasingly building hardware-adjacent software, firmware simulation, and autonomous agent systems suited for global deployment.
Masters' Union has not publicly disclosed the individual names of the six startups, founder identities, or program duration. However, the initiative underlines the capacity of Indian institutions to nurture globally competitive technology businesses.
Key numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Road to YC startups count | 6 startups | Masters' Union statement |
| Road to YC founders count | 10 founders | Masters' Union statement |
| Global AI infrastructure spending growth Q2 2025 | 166% year-on-year to $82.0 billion | IDC |
In this story
| Name | Role in the story |
|---|---|
| Masters' Union | Launched the Road to YC program for Indian tech startups. |
