TLDR: Nasscom has announced the selection of 37 innovative Generative AI startups for the third cohort of its GenAI Foundry programme. This initiative aims to bolster India’s burgeoning generative AI sector by fostering strategic collaborations, providing access to resources, and enabling startups to develop globally competitive solutions. The program has already seen significant success with previous cohorts, demonstrating substantial growth in business, headcount, and intellectual property generation.
New Delhi, August 6, 2025 – The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), India’s premier IT industry body, today revealed the 37 pioneering Generative AI (GenAI) startups chosen for the third cohort of its highly acclaimed GenAI Foundry programme. This strategic selection underscores Nasscom’s commitment to nurturing and accelerating the growth of India’s dynamic generative AI startup ecosystem.
The latest cohort represents a diverse array of transformative domains, showcasing the breadth of innovation within the Indian AI landscape. These include specialized areas such as HR and Talent-Intelligence Copilots, Finance and FinOps Copilots, Enterprise Workflow and Knowledge Copilots, Defence and Physical Autonomy, and cutting-edge AI Security and TrustTech solutions.
Launched in October 2023, the Nasscom GenAI Foundry programme has rapidly established itself as a cornerstone initiative for the sector. Its success is evident in the performance of its previous participants; startups from the first two cohorts have collectively secured an impressive $15 million in funding, with individual companies poised to attract an average of $2 million in subsequent investment rounds. The inaugural cohort, in particular, demonstrated remarkable progress, achieving nearly 100 percent business growth and a 50 percent increase in headcount within just one year. Cumulatively, these startups have filed over 40 patents, signaling India’s burgeoning intellectual property generation in the AI space.
Ankit Bose, Head of AI at Nasscom, articulated the program’s forward-looking vision, stating, ‘The future of AI isn’t just generative — it’s agentic. For decades, we followed the world’s playbook. Today, we’re writing it.’ He further emphasized the transformative shift reflected in the new cohort: ‘The third cohort of the GenAI Foundry reflects this shift: India is no longer building mere copilots — we’re building autonomous systems that decide, act, and scale across real-world complexity.’
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The GenAI Foundry programme fosters robust strategic collaborations, engaging with a broad spectrum of partners, including 60 leading enterprises and investors. This collaborative environment enables startups to develop world-class solutions meticulously tailored to meet global market demands. The program has facilitated over 530 investor and enterprise touchpoints, significantly catalyzing real-world Proof of Concepts (PoCs) and opening up crucial funding opportunities. Participating startups have benefited from $25 million in soft investor commitments, unprecedented access to essential GPU and cloud credits, and invaluable deep knowledge and mentorship, all contributing to their rapid advancement and market readiness.
