Nvidia is significantly intensifying its efforts to engage with India’s artificial intelligence startups much earlier in their lifecycle, announcing a series of strategic partnerships this week. This proactive approach aims to cultivate robust relationships with future customers within one of the world's most rapidly expanding developer markets, thereby ensuring long-term demand for its advanced AI chips and computing software.

A cornerstone of this renewed push is a collaboration with Activate, an early-stage venture firm that plans to support approximately 25 to 30 AI startups through its debut $75 million fund. A key benefit for Activate's portfolio companies will be preferential access to Nvidia’s specialized technical expertise. Aakrit Vaish, Activate’s founder, noted that Nvidia’s engagement with Indian startups had historically been relatively light-touch compared to its activities in the U.S., but the chipmaker is now seeking to work with founders at significantly earlier stages of their entrepreneurial journey. Activate itself specializes in “inception investing,” engaging with technical teams months before a company is formally established, and its network of backers includes prominent figures such as venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, Perplexity co-founder Aravind Srinivas, Peak XV managing director Shailendra Singh, and Paytm CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma.

Nvidia's strategic rationale for partnering with early-stage venture firms is straightforward: the sooner it establishes connections with promising AI startups, the greater the likelihood these companies will integrate and rely on its computing infrastructure as they grow. Vaish emphasized that scaling startups typically require increasing amounts of AI compute over time, making early technical engagement a valuable pathway for Nvidia to secure future business.

Beyond the Activate partnership, Nvidia has also broadened its ecosystem ties in India through several other initiatives unveiled this week. This includes collaborations with the nonprofit AI Grants India, which aims to support over 10,000 early-stage founders within the next 12 months. Additionally, Nvidia has forged new alliances with various venture firms focused on the South Asian nation, including Accel, Peak XV, Z47, Elevation Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners, to identify and fund promising AI startups.

The company already maintains a substantial presence in India via its Inception program, which currently supports more than 4,000 startups across the country. Further demonstrating its commitment to the Indian deep tech landscape, Nvidia joined the India Deep Tech Alliance in November 2025—a consortium of U.S. and Indian investors providing strategic and technical guidance to emerging startups.

These intensified activities coincide with India’s AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, an event that drew major technology companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. While Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, a senior delegation led by Executive Vice President Jay Puri represented the company, meeting with AI researchers, startups, developers, and partners on the ground. This surge in activity underscores the escalating competition among global technology firms to engage with AI developers and startups in India, which has emerged as one of the fastest-growing pools of technical talent outside the United States.