Nvidia is intensifying its push into India’s rapidly growing artificial intelligence ecosystem, moving earlier than ever to engage with startups — sometimes even before they are formally incorporated. The chipmaker’s latest strategy centers on building strong technical and commercial ties with founders at the earliest stages of development, positioning itself as a long-term infrastructure partner in one of the world’s fastest-expanding AI talent pools.
A key development in this effort is Nvidia’s partnership with venture firm Activate, which plans to invest in 25 to 30 AI startups from its $75 million debut fund. Under the collaboration, Activate’s portfolio companies will receive preferential access to Nvidia’s technical expertise. The initiative complements Nvidia’s broader India-focused efforts, including support for AI Grants India, a nonprofit co-founded by Vaibhav Domkundwar and Bhasker (Bosky) Kode that aims to assist more than 10,000 early-stage founders over the next year.
The announcement coincided with India’s AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where global technology leaders gathered, including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Although Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was unable to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, a senior delegation led by executive vice president Jay Puri met with researchers, startups, and partners on the ground, reinforcing the company’s commitment to India’s AI ecosystem.
India has quickly emerged as one of the fastest-growing AI developer hubs outside the United States, making it strategically vital for Nvidia’s long-term expansion. The company already supports more than 4,000 startups in India through its global Inception program and has strengthened ties with major venture firms such as Accel, Peak XV, Elevation Capital, and Nexus Venture Partners to identify promising AI ventures. In November 2025, Nvidia also joined the India Deep Tech Alliance, a cross-border investor consortium providing guidance to emerging deep-tech startups.
For Nvidia, the strategy is straightforward: the earlier it builds relationships with promising AI founders, the more likely those companies are to scale on its chips and computing platforms. Activate founder Aakrit Vaish described the firm’s model as “inception investing,” working with technical teams months before company formation. As startups grow and demand more computing power, Nvidia stands to benefit from sustained infrastructure usage — a move that underscores the intensifying competition among global tech giants to win over India’s next generation of AI innovators.