Bharti Airtel on Friday launched a programme to support and accelerate the growth of early-stage Indian tech startups and said that it has acquired stake in Bengaluru-based startup Vahan. "With its Startup Accelerator Programme, Airtel aims to support the creation of a vibrant startup ecosystem that contributes to Digital India," the company said in a statement. Airtel's Startup Accelerator Programme will enable early-stage startups get access to the company's online and offline distribution network, deep market understanding, and ecosystem of global strategic partners. "Today, early-stage startups in India have some very exciting ideas but face multiple challenges in scaling up. With Airtel's scale and digital capabilities around distribution and payments, we have the potential to drive accelerated growth of emerging startups that are solving hard problems," said Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer of Bharti Airtel.