Amazon Web Services launches programme to empower PSU startups in India

India is the first to roll-out the program focused on enabling early-stage startups in the public sector

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of e-commerce giant Amazon, has launched AWS Public Sector Startup Ramp in India. The new programme would help early stage public sector focused technology startups build solutions on AWS.

AWS Startup Ramp is an acceleration program for startups that are building innovative solutions for public sector customers worldwide, including but not limited to customers in national and local government, space and defence, and healthcare. Startups in their early stage growth can apply to join the AWS Startup Ramp in one of two tiers: pre-revenue startups can apply to the Innovator tier, and post-revenue startups (with up to Rs 100 crore in revenue) can apply to the Member tier. Firms meeting all qualifying application criteria will be reviewed and evaluated for participation based on their potential contributions to public sector customers.

“We are excited to launch the AWS Startup Ramp in India where there is incredible opportunity for startups to solve public sector challenges through their innovative solutions,” said Sandy Carter, vice president of public sector partners and programs at AWS. “This global initiative is a critical way for us to support startups who are using technology to change the world.”

AWS Startup Ramp is modeled after AWS EdStart, which works with education technology (EdTech) focused startups, and AWS GovTechStart, our US-based program that supports commercial technology companies serving state and local governments. Each program offers eligible companies support including access to AWS Promotional Credit, technical training and support, a community of experts, and more.

Rahul Sharma, President, Public Sector – AISPL, AWS India and South Asia said the company’s experience in India has shown that public sector organizations are increasingly keen to experiment with new ideas and technologies to advance their missions at speed and scale. He said startups bring disruptive innovative solutions that create broad impact, and can pivot quickly to meet society’s changing needs.

“We are doubling down on our focus to serve the public sector, and empower startups with the new AWS Startup Ramp programme,” said Sharma. “We are thrilled to introduce the programme to expand the capabilities of India’s strong and aspiring startup ecosystem,” said Rahul Sharma, president, Public Sector–AISPL, AWS India and South Asia.

During the development phase of the AWS Startup Ramp programme, the company worked with several startups focused on the distinct needs of the government technology sector.

Anil Nadig, co-founder of TraceX, a technology platform leveraging blockchain for a connected, clean, traceable, and transparent supply chain, said working with AWS greatly helped accelerate the firm's product development.

“AWS solution architects were at the forefront, helping us build resilience in our infrastructure and application architectures to prevent distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks,” said Nadig.

Fintech startup Whrrl is working with AWS to revolutionize the post-harvest ecosystem through its integrated blockchain platform. Their service helps reduce fraud risk that banks face with warehouse receipt finance. It provides warehousing and marketplace facilities to farmers that will aid in solving problems such as distress sale, access to finance, and market linkage.

“We are assured that with AWS support, we will not disappoint our stakeholders,” said Ashish Anand, chief executive officer (CEO) of Whrrl. “Second, the financial support in the form of AWS Promotional Credit that we’ve received is hugely helpful for us as an early-stage startup.’

Another such firm is Unmiti, an agritech startup that is working to monitor and evaluate agriculture projects. “Most of our data is sensitive information related to the farmers and farmland, and with security features of AWS implemented, we are able to manage data security with ease,” said Praveen Kuruganti, co-founder of Unmiti.