Kamath, who launched the 90‑day accelerator The Foundery last year, explained that the programme is designed to help Indian start‑ups create brands capable of penetrating the U.S. market.
During a lunch with Satya Nadella, Kamath recounted that the Microsoft CEO admitted he never uses Indian goods in his daily life in Silicon Valley, preferring Chinese alternatives.
The conversation underscored a broader concern that Indian consumer products remain underrepresented in the world’s largest consumer market, prompting Kamath to call for a shift from software exports to tangible goods.
Kamath pointed to India’s labor advantages and supportive policies that make it well‑suited to produce low‑margin items such as shampoos and toothpaste, which could be packaged and shipped to the U.S. in a cost‑effective manner.
He urged policymakers to expand export incentives and reduce bureaucratic hurdles, arguing that increased foreign sales would ease the fiscal deficit and strengthen the rupee.
The Foundery’s first cohort, comprising ten startups, will launch their products next month, with a pilot distribution channel set up in New York’s wholesale market.