Nasscom Unveils Third Cohort of GenAI Foundry with 37 Pioneering Startups
New Delhi, August 6 (TheTrendingPeople.com): In a significant boost to India’s growing stature in the global artificial intelligence race, the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) announced the selection of 37 cutting-edge startups for the third cohort of its Generative AI Foundry programme. This move underscores India’s continued momentum in developing agentic AI systems across high-impact sectors.
The selected startups span five transformative domains:
- HR and Talent-Intelligence Copilots
- Finance and FinOps Copilots
- Enterprise Workflow and Knowledge Copilots
- Defence and Physical Autonomy
- AI Security and TrustTech
GenAI Foundry: A National-Scale AI Incubation Engine
Launched in October 2023, Nasscom’s GenAI Foundry has rapidly emerged as a national benchmark initiative for nurturing the country’s generative AI ecosystem. Over just three cohorts, the programme has curated an elite portfolio of AI-driven startups, catalysing market-ready innovation with global relevance.
The first two cohorts alone witnessed impressive outcomes:
- $15 million raised collectively
- Average fundraising potential of $2 million per startup
- 100% business growth within a year for Cohort 1
- Over 40 patents filed, with more in the pipeline
- 50% headcount increase among participating startups
According to Nasscom, these figures reflect not only robust startup health but also India’s emergence as an IP-driven innovation hub in the GenAI space.
From Copilots to Autonomous AI Agents
“The future of AI isn’t just generative — it’s agentic. For decades, we followed the world’s playbook. Today, we’re writing it,”
said Ankit Bose, Head of AI at Nasscom, marking a defining shift in India’s AI ambition.
He added,
“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.”
This shift toward autonomous decision-making AI systems marks a step-change in innovation, enabling AI to play a more strategic and independent role in enterprise and national functions.
Strong Backing and Market Access
The GenAI Foundry has unlocked significant institutional and financial support for its startups. According to Nasscom’s data:
- The programme has facilitated over 530 enterprise and investor touchpoints
- Startups have received $25 million in soft investor commitments
- Participants benefit from access to GPU and cloud credits, which are crucial for AI model training
- Industry mentorships and deep-dive knowledge sessions have accelerated startup development cycles
Nasscom also collaborates with over 60 leading enterprises and VC investors, allowing GenAI Foundry startups to quickly turn concepts into real-world Proofs of Concept (PoCs) and pilot projects.
India's Rapid Rise in Global GenAI Ecosystem
India now boasts the second-largest generative AI startup ecosystem in the world, with the country on track to reach 1,000 GenAI startups in the near future. The GenAI Foundry programme is widely credited with fueling this surge through a structured, outcomes-driven approach.
By creating a support system that includes funding, technical infrastructure, IP mentoring, and go-to-market strategies, Nasscom is positioning India not only as a participant but as a global leader in AI innovation.
Sectoral Impact: Building Solutions for Tomorrow
The domains selected for the third cohort are aligned with critical national and enterprise priorities:
- HR and Talent Copilots are aimed at automating recruitment, workforce analytics, and upskilling.
- FinOps and Finance Copilots bring efficiencies to budgeting, forecasting, and auditing.
- Workflow Copilots enhance knowledge management and automation within large enterprises.
- Defence and Physical Autonomy startups are working on AI for surveillance, autonomous navigation, and decision-making in high-risk scenarios.
- AI Security and TrustTech tackle the urgent need for responsible AI, data integrity, and cyber resilience.
This diversity reflects a broadening vision of where GenAI can be applied — from corporate boardrooms to battlefields, and from hiring pipelines to cybersecurity protocols.
Final Thoughts from TheTrendingPeople.com
Nasscom’s third GenAI Foundry cohort is not just a startup list — it’s a blueprint for India’s future in AI. With global tensions around AI governance, ethical use, and market control rising, India is wisely building its own stack of trusted, high-impact AI innovation.
By investing in deep tech entrepreneurship, fostering IP generation, and unlocking institutional capital, the GenAI Foundry is setting new benchmarks for what an ecosystem-driven innovation model can achieve.
As the world races to define the next generation of AI leadership, India is no longer following — it is leading. And with Nasscom’s GenAI Foundry paving the way, the future of AI could very well be scripted from the subcontinent.
