New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS): Microsoft India on Tuesday announced it has collaborated with Invest India to nurture tech startups in India. To begin with, the company has onboarded 11 startups for its Microsoft for Startups programme from fields like agriculture, defense/security, IT/ITeS, e-mobility, waste management and financial services.

The 11 startups will gain access to benefits including Azure credits, as well as support for technology and business acceleration, focused on scaling their growth.

They will be able to utilise Microsoft technology including Azure, GitHub, and M365, allowing them to quickly build and run their businesses, the company said in a statement.

The Microsoft for Startups programme will work closely with Accelerating Growth of New India's Innovations (AGNIi Mission), a programme of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Indian government.

"Fostering strong ties with the top enterprises in the world to nurture Indian innovation is one of the most important contributions of AGNIi in ensuring India's continued strength in the global economy," said Deepak Bagla, MD and CEO, Invest India.

Housed and executed by Invest India, AGNIi Mission helps startups become enterprise ready.

The selected startups will also get personalised technical sessions, content, and mentorship.

Moreover, they will be able to leverage Microsoft's Azure Marketplace, enterprise sales team, and the rapidly growing partner ecosystem to develop and execute their go-to-market strategies, said Microsoft.

"The collaboration between Microsoft and Invest India affirms our commitment to the startup ecosystem in the country, aid Emily Rich, Director of Startups, APAC, Microsoft.

"Combining the reach of Invest India's AGNIi Mission with the tech and business resources of Microsoft for Startups, this is an exciting opportunity for startups to accelerate their aspirations for enterprise readiness," Rich added.