New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said 26 products have been developed under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative, for which procurement orders worth more than Rs 1,000 crore have been placed.
In his address at ‘DefConnect 4.0’ event here, he also said that ‘Acceptance of Necessity’ and ‘Request for Proposal’ worth over Rs 2,380 crore have been issued for 37 products.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018, iDEX continues to provide a unified platform for various stakeholders in the defence and aerospace sectors, contributing to the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
On the occasion, Singh launched the second edition of Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI 2.0) challenges and the 12th edition of Defence India Start-up Challenges (DISC 12)
ADITI 2.0 features 19 challenges from the armed forces and allied agencies in the domains of artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, military communication, anti-drone systems customised for military platforms and adaptive camouflage, etc.
This scheme offers a grant of up to Rs 25 crore to iDEX winners, focusing on critical technological areas crucial for strengthening the defence ecosystem of the country.
DISC 12 presents 41 challenges across key technology domains, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), AI, networking and communication, with grants up to Rs 1.5 crore, the defence ministry said in a statement.
Notably, it introduces the Medical Innovations and Research Advancement (MIRA) initiative, featuring nine challenges aimed at fostering the development of medical technologies to meet the medical demands of the armed forces.
To provide momentum to the iDEX initiative, DISC was launched in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, aimed at supporting start-ups, MSMEs, innovators to create prototypes and/or commercialise products or solutions in the area of national defence and security, the statement said.
In his address, Singh exhorted the private sector to move ahead from “imitative to innovative” techno to cater to futuristic needs of the armed forces.
Terming ‘DefConnect’ as an important link between all the stakeholders associated with the defence ecosystem, he exuded confidence that the platform will help in realising the vision of ‘atmanirbharta’ in defence.
Enumerating the feats achieved due to the government’s efforts to promote innovation, the defence minister said that iDEX has received over 9,000 applications so far, and is currently collaborating with more than 450 start-ups and MSMEs through DISC and Open Challenge.
“Twenty-six products have been developed under iDEX, for which procurement orders worth more than Rs 1,000 crore have been placed. In addition, Acceptance of Necessity and Request for Proposal worth over Rs 2,380 crore have been issued for 37 products,” he was quoted as saying in the statement.
The ADITI initiative is focusing on over 30 critical and strategic technologies to strengthen the defence ecosystem, he said.
Singh highlighted the vibrant and dynamic ecosystem of innovators, entrepreneurs, scientists and start-ups in the country, stating that the world is acknowledging the strength and talent of India’s youth.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to further enhance the role of the private sector in the defence ecosystem. Their involvement is necessary to achieve self-reliance, the minister said.
Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi; Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh; Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Samir V Kamat, and other senior officials of Ministry of Defence, industry leaders, academia, young entrepreneurs and innovators attended the event.
