LinkedIn announces India leg of Creator Accelerator Program

LinkedIn, the online professional network, has announced the India leg of its global Creator Accelerator Program, which is a 10-week incubator-style initiative to support 200 creators in growing their communities on the platform.

The program aims to help creators build engaging content and communities, spark productive conversations, and connect creators to meaningful opportunities. The Creator Accelerator Program is part of LinkedIn’s $ 25 million commitment to creators globally.

India is the second market to roll out the program, after its launch in the US in September 2021. As per the company, at LinkedIn India is the fastest-growing market with a thriving creator community, and the Creator Accelerator Program is the first of many steps in supporting a diverse range of creators on the platform.

As part of this program, the selected 200 creators will get support and access to LinkedIn’s Community Management team, educational workshops, creator-to-creator networking opportunities, access to rich tools and resources, and mentorship opportunities with LinkedIn thought leaders Ankur Warikoo (Founder of Nearbuy.com), Radhika Gupta (MD and CEO of Edelweiss AMC), Pooja Dhingra (Founder and CEO of Le 15 Patisserie), and Nuseir Yassin (CEO of Nas Academy).

The selected cohort of creators will also be given a financial grant to bring their ideas to life and explore their creativity.

The creators will be shortlisted on the basis of their ability to build passionate communities, unique content, and spark discussions around a variety of professional topics such as skills, future of work and mental health, and find ways to engage with LinkedIn’s 85+ million members in India in a meaningful way.

“Creators are at the heart of the LinkedIn community and this program is the first of many steps in our increased commitment to support this community. We have seen that the more conversations that happen on LinkedIn, the more opportunities become available to members everywhere. By equipping a diverse range of voices with the right resources, the Creator Accelerator Program aims to help members unlock greater business opportunities with the content they're making and the conversations they're sparking,” said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager at LinkedIn.

“I’m excited to be a mentor for the amazing creators who are going to be a part of LinkedIn’s Creator Accelerator Program in India. I’m looking forward to coaching creators on how to leverage LinkedIn to build community on the platform. There’s a lot of potential to stand out on LinkedIn and turn your content into your next opportunity,” said Ankur Warikoo, entrepreneur, and mentor on the LinkedIn Creator Accelerator Program.

As part of LinkedIn’s commitment to creators, the platform has also recently introduced Creator Mode, a new platform feature to display creators’ content more prominently, and has built a new Community Management team that is dedicated to helping creators do their best work.

The program is now taking applications from creators from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise, who can use LinkedIn tools to build engaging content using a variety of formats such as video, newsletters, and short-form posts. The program is also open to Hindi language creators. Applications are open till March 16, and the final cohort of 200 creators will be announced in the coming months.

To help creators understand what’s in store, LinkedIn’s Community Management team is hosting a live event where program leads and partner mentors will walk members through the program details and eligibility criteria. 

The event will be live on March 2 at 11.30 am on the LinkedIn For Creators Page.