Novo Nordisk has recently collaborated with 10 Indian AI startups and it marks a significant moment for the Indian AI ecosystem. The Danish company is known for its weight loss drug Wegovy in the world and is leveraging homegrown AI innovation to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

Novo Nordisk managing director for global business services John Dawber highlighted the revolutionary processes of AI tools developed by the 10 startups. The processes included document summarization, insight extraction and error detection. The results are impressive and AI-powered quality checks have saved time in the process of regulatory document reviews. The time curtailed is from 40 hours to just 40 minutes. This is just the beginning and the willingness of Novo to engage with more AI startups in India highlights talent and innovation India has to offer.

The Indian AI ecosystem is maturing rapidly and being fueled by investment as well as creativity. More than 100 generative AI startups have raising over $600 million between 2019 and 2024 (so far). The sector is set for even greater breakthroughs. Startups like Krutrim and SarvamAI are examples of Indian tech companies in the AI space. The decision of Novo Nordisk to partner with Indian startups is an example to quality of AI innovation coming out of the country.

The partnership also holds broader implications for the operations of Novo Nordisk. Dawber envisions the company’s Bengaluru center becoming a near mirror image of its headquarters in Denmark within three years. It has plans to increase headcount in the country by 16% and boost the number of global process leaders. It is very clear that Novo sees India as a partner as well as an essential part of its future strategy.