Press Release Overview
AWS India’s Head of Startups, Sriram Santhanam, appeared on the season‑finale of “Crafting Bharat – Season 3” hosted by Gautam Srinivasan. The episode, produced by NewsReach in partnership with HT Smartcast, highlights how AWS is democratizing innovation in India through cloud, artificial intelligence and an ecosystem‑driven startup enablement model.
AWS Startup Enablement Highlights
The AWS Activate programme is described as the “first handshake” for founders, providing not only credit vouchers but also intangible mentorship built around three pillars: (i) direct access to AWS solution architects and AI specialists via the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, enabling co‑design of architectures; (ii) a peer‑to‑peer network called the AWS AI Native Builders community where technology leaders share failures and successes; and (iii) go‑to‑market acceleration through co‑sell pathways, Marketplace listings and introductions to enterprise buyers.
Role of Partners
AWS partners, especially in cybersecurity and AI‑native threat‑defence, run focused acceleration programmes that have supported dozens of startups. Partners help reduce infrastructure overhead during the current funding‑winter by (i) delivering managed security services that replace large in‑house teams, and (ii) providing co‑selling and distribution via AWS Marketplace and the ISV Accelerate programme, thereby shortening sales cycles and opening enterprise opportunities in India and globally.
Upskilling Initiative
To address rapid skill obsolescence, AWS launched the AWS AI Native Builders Community, offering structured learning pathways, certifications and hands‑on labs at AWS Summits. In a strategic collaboration with NASSCOM, AWS committed to upskill 250,000 learners in AI and cloud by 2027 through these programmes.
Additional Context
The series “Crafting Bharat – Season 3” is an AWS Startups initiative that showcases founder resilience, agility and passion. Host Gautam Srinivasan, a consulting editor at CNBC India, CNN‑News18, Forbes India and The Economic Times, leads the conversation. The release includes social media links and carries a disclaimer that it is provided under an arrangement with NRDPL, with PTI taking no editorial responsibility.