Sriram Santhanam, Head of Startups, AWS India, discusses how AWS is democratizing innovation through cloud, AI, and ecosystem-driven startup enablement.
India’s startup ecosystem is entering a defining phase where innovation is no longer just about building fast, but building intelligently at scale. As artificial intelligence moves from experimentation to real-world deployment and cloud infrastructure becomes more deeply embedded in business strategy, startups are shifting towards leaner, more efficient and globally competitive models. With increasing access to advanced technologies and stronger ecosystem support, founders across the country are now equipped to transform bold ideas into scalable and future-ready enterprises.
The “Crafting Bharat – Season 3” presented by AWS Startups, an initiative by NewsReach and production partner – HT Smartcast, explores the founders’ resilience, agility and passion to build a super startup and inspire the next wave of entrepreneurs. This series is hosted by Gautam Srinivasan, famed for hosting a diverse range of TV and digital programs, currently consulting editor at CNBC (India), CNN-News18, Forbes India, and The Economic Times.
In the finale episode, we spotlight the enabler behind India’s startup momentum, Sriram Santhanam, Head of Startups, AWS India. He offers a front-row view into the evolving startup ecosystem, he shares how AWS is powering the next generation of innovation by combining cloud infrastructure, AI capabilities and robust partner ecosystem. Discover the inspiring where we deconstruct the blueprint of growth for India’s super startups through this series.
Edited Excerpts:
The AWS Activate program is often the first handshake between a founder and the cloud. Beyond Activate credits, what does intangible mentorship look like in 2026?
The credits open the door, but what keeps founders engaged is the strength of the community and the depth of the craft.
In 2026, intangible mentorship within AWS Activate is shaped by three key elements. The first is access to experts. Founders get direct access to AWS solution architects and AI specialists who co-design their architecture rather than simply reviewing it. Through the AWS Generative AI Innovation Center, startups receive hands-on technical guidance that helps them move from concept to production quickly.
The second is the peer network. AWS is building cohort-based communities where founders learn from each other’s failures as much as their successes. The AWS AI Native Builders community is a peer-to-peer network of technology leaders and serves as a valuable sounding board, especially for early-stage founders navigating critical decisions.
Third is go-to-market acceleration. Beyond credits, AWS enables founders through co-sell pathways, marketplace listings, and introductions to enterprise buyers. This is where true value emerges, turning cloud credits into meaningful customer conversations.
Some startups this season are AWS partners in areas like cybersecurity. How are these partners helping startups in India grow and navigate the funding winter while reducing infrastructure overheads?
Partners are, in my view, the most effective way to scale. This is especially evident in cybersecurity. AWS partners and emerging AI security startups are running focused acceleration programs. For example, recent cohorts have supported dozens of companies building AI-native threat defense solutions.
For startups navigating a funding winter, partners help reduce infrastructure overhead in two keyways. The first is managed security services. Instead of hiring a large in-house security team, startups can rely on AWS security partners to deliver enterprise-grade protection at a significantly lower cost. The second is co-selling and distribution. AWS partners bring long-standing enterprise relationships that would take startups years to build independently. Through AWS Marketplace and programs like ISV Accelerate, partners help shorten sales cycles and open doors to large enterprise customers in India and globally.
In many ways, the funding slowdown has increased the importance of partnerships. Lean startups cannot afford to build everything themselves, and with the right ecosystem support, they do not need to.
AWS recently introduced the AWS AI Native Builders Community, a peer-to-peer network of technology leaders. How is AWS addressing the upskilling challenge in a time of rapid change and uncertainty?
Uncertainty is driving the need for upskilling. As the technology landscape evolves rapidly from large language models to agentic AI within a short span of time, the relevance of existing knowledge is shrinking faster than ever.
The AWS AI Native Builders Community is designed to address this shift. It is a peer-to-peer network where technology leaders learn from each other, not just from AWS. The idea is simple. The most valuable guidance for a CTO adopting agentic AI often comes from another CTO who has already navigated that journey. This is supported by structured learning pathways such as AWS certifications and hands-on labs at AWS Summits, including upcoming events in India. Moreover, NASSCOM and AWS entered into a strategic collaboration to skill 250,000 learners in AI & Cloud by 2027.
What really matters is the community layer. In times of uncertainty, founders and technology leaders benefit more from trusted peer networks than from standalone courses. This approach ensures that learning is practical, relevant, and continuous, while helping startups stay ahead in areas like compliance and future-ready architecture.
Quote: “In today’s ecosystem, success belongs to startups that combine lean execution with powerful data-driven intelligence.”
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