New Delhi, Apr 20 (IANS): Microsoft India on Wednesday announced two new initiatives to help startup entrepreneurs innovate and grow in the country.

Under the Microsoft AI Innovate initiative, the company will introduce its second cohort of startups, as well as a new hackathon for startups to provide resources and support to developers for creating digital solutions.

Microsoft AI Innovate's second season is inviting nominations from software-as-a-service (SaaS) startups whose core applications or services are built using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies.

"With deepened focus on core AI startups in the second season of Microsoft AI Innovate, we are bringing the best of Microsoft's AI capabilities in creating the magic with the power of data and AI," said Sangeeta Bavi, Director, Startup Ecosystem, Microsoft India.

Supported by SaaS Insider, the initiative is designed to help startups scale their operations, drive greater innovation, and build industry expertise.

Across the 10 weeks of the programme, startups get to partner closely with Microsoft's engineering and product teams to build their core AI models.

The company said that selected startups will receive OpenAI preview and credits, access to industry and technology deep-dive sessions and AI masterclasses by experts and mentoring by startup founders and industry leaders.

The first cohorts of 16 startups from fintech, manufacturing and logistics sectors graduated last month.

Bavi said that the hackathon "provides an opportunity for some of the most innovative ideas to come to life on the trusted platform of Microsoft Azure".

"We are hopeful that both initiatives will help startups build securely and scale faster through the Microsoft ecosystem," she added.

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub is a new digital and truly inclusive platform for startup founders, offering over $300,000 worth of benefits and credits.