U.S. chipmaker giant Nvidia is set to mentor and support deep tech startups in India as part of a new $2 billion investment alliance, strengthening its engagement with the country’s fast-growing startup ecosystem.
Nvidia has become a founding member of the India Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA), a consortium of private equity and venture capital firms committing $2 billion to support deep tech innovation. The initiative aims to back startups working in advanced sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, space technology, biotechnology, robotics, and energy.
The world’s most valuable company plans to provide specialized training sessions and knowledge-sharing programs for emerging Indian startups through its Deep Learning Institute.
As the U.S. chipmaker intends to “provide guidance on AI systems, developer enablement, and responsible deployment, and to collaborate with policymakers, investors, and entrepreneurs,” Vishal Dhupar, Nvidia’s managing director of South Asia, said.
“Nvidia’s depth of expertise in AI systems, software, and ecosystem-building will benefit our network of investors and entrepreneurs,” said Sriram Viswanathan, founding executive council member of the IDTA, reflecting on this mentorship.
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Speaking to CNBC, Viswanathan said that innovation in India is gaining momentum and predicted that within the next five years, several Indian deep tech startups could emerge as globally recognized leaders.
Even the Indian government is ramping up efforts to strengthen the country’s deep tech sector through large-scale funding initiatives. These include about $1.1 billion allocated under the national AI Mission, along with a separate approximately $11.2 billion Research, Development, and Innovation Fund designed to support deep tech enterprises.
Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India will host the AI Impact Summit in February next year, highlighting the country’s growing focus on artificial intelligence and technology-driven innovation.
The upcoming summit is expected to draw participation from world leaders, senior government officials, and prominent industry figures, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Google DeepMind chief executive Demis Hassabis.
Nvidia’s expanded focus in India comes at a time of growing international attention on the country’s rapidly developing AI sector. India has become OpenAI’s second-largest user base, while other U.S. tech giants are also strengthening their presence, including Google, which recently announced a $15 billion investment to establish an AI hub in Visakhapatnam.
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Global tech giants and AI innovators are increasingly turning their attention to India, recognizing it as one of the fastest-growing technology and innovation hubs in the world. Google recently announced a $15 billion plan to build its first AI hub in Visakhapatnam, strengthening its local presence and investing in India’s talent base.
Meanwhile, Anthropic, backed by Google and Amazon is setting up its first Indian office in Bengaluru by early 2026, reflecting the growing demand for generative AI expertise in the country. Together, these moves underscore India’s expanding digital ecosystem, skilled tech workforce, and data-driven economy that continue to attract global investment.
To boost the use of AI tools across India, global tech companies are making premium services more accessible by offering them for free. Bharti Airtel, for instance, has collaborated with Perplexity Pro to give its customers a one-year complimentary subscription worth about ₹17,000. Similarly, Google and Reliance Jio have partnered to provide eligible Jio users 18 months of free access to Google’s AI Pro plan, which includes the Gemini 2.5 Pro model and 2TB of cloud storage, valued at around ₹35,000.
These offers are part of a broader effort to make advanced AI technologies available to a wider audience and strengthen their foothold in India’s rapidly growing digital market.