Bengaluru: Microsoft will offer free its Azure cloud services to start-ups in India for speeding up the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India, the global software major said on Tuesday.
"Our Azure cloud services, valued at $120,000 will be given free to qualified start-ups under the 'BizSpark plus programme' for building the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country," the company's Indian subsidiary said in a statement here.
"Startups need all the help they can to get access to the right tools, technology and guidance. At Microsoft, we are committed to supporting these startups and through the BizSpark Plus program we want to support India's upcoming entrepreneurs," said Microsoft Ventures India director Rajinish Menon.
Qualifying startups must be privately held, below five years old with sub $1 million revenue annually and be a member of select accelerator or venture capital firm, Microsoft added in the statement.
Microsoft BizSpark is a worldwide programme which gives wings to startup dreams by offering free Microsoft software development tools, connecting startups with key industry players, investors and giving marketing visibility.
In India, Microsoft is partnering 13 startup accelerators to roll-out the offering. They include 91Springboard, Reliance GenNext, Zone Startups, Pitney Bowes and others.
"The BizSpark Plus programme is a unique opportunity for startups who want to leverage the power of the Cloud and give a boost to their product development lifecycle," the statement quoted 91Springboard partner Pranay Gupta as saying.
Internationally, Microsoft partners 150 startup accelerators in 47 countries.
Microsoft is also participating in the 'Digital India' programme initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by organising hackathons in 17 college campuses across India targeting 4,000 students, the statement added. (IANS)