Amazon Web Services (AWS), which is the cloud arm of Amazon, on Tuesday announced the launch of an India-first programme that will help early-stage startups in the public sector build solutions on its platform.

Called 'AWS Startup Ramp,' it is an acceleration programme for startups that are building innovative solutions for public sector customers worldwide in the fields of government, space, defense, healthcare and others.

"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 programmes at AWS.

According to Rahul Sharma, President, Public Sector, AISPL, AWS India and South Asia, the programme aims to accelerate digital transformation that has seen a tremendous growth in the public sector amid the pandemic in the country.

"As digital transformation gets in top gear, AWS is betting big on creating public sector startup entrepreneurs in India. We are seeing a strong momentum in the startup ecosystem in India and 'AWS Startup Ramp' will help early-stage public sector startups innovate further and create better solutions," Sharma told.

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.

According to the company, startups meeting all qualifying application criteria will be reviewed and evaluated for participation based on their potential contributions to public sector customers.

AWS Startup Ramp is modelled after AWS EdStart, which works with education technology (EdTech) focused startups, and AWS GovTechStart, the US-based programme that supports commercial technology companies serving state and local governments.

According to Sam Harris, Regional Public Sector Startup Lead, Asia Pacific and Japan, AWS, the goal is to help startups complete their otherwise lonely journey and grow faster than ever.

"The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation and we see India right on the path as far as nurturing its strong startup ecosystem is concerned. The desire to transform and innovate is great across the spectrum, especially in the fields of agriculture, space tech, healthcare and education. ‘AWS Startup Ramp' will only fuel this growth," Harris told.

By joining the programme, ‘AWS Startup Ramp' members will have access to technical experts, education, and live or virtual events.

Fintech startup Whrrl is working to revolutionise the post-harvest ecosystem through its integrated blockchain platform.

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

"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," added Praveen Kuruganti, co-founder of Unmiti, an agritech startup that is working to monitor and evaluate agriculture projects.