Defence Innovation Scheme 'INDUS-X' Gains Momentum As Indian And US Defence, Foreign Ministers Hold 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue

Ahead of the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers of India and the US, two defence innovation challenges related to the maritime domain were launched under the INDUS-X scheme, reported The Hindu.

These two projects were launched during the maiden India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) investor meet organised on Wednesday (8 November).

The event also marked the launch of the INDUS-X educational series (Gurukul), designed to orient and guide startups on both sides regarding each other’s systems and processes.

The INDUS-X was launched in June 2023 during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US. The initiative aims to expand strategic technology partnerships and defence industrial cooperation between governments, businesses, and academic institutions of India and the US.

Under this ambitious joint initiative, multiple applications from startups from both India and the US were invited for two defence innovation challenges: one for the Navy — pertaining to underwater communications, and the second for the Coast Guard — for detecting oil spills.

The two INDUS-X challenges under ‘INDUS-X mutual promotion of advanced collaborative technologies’ (IMPACT) were jointly finalised by iDEX of Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Defence Innovation Unit (DIU) of the US Department of Defence in October.

Vivek Virmani, chief executive officer for innovation for defence excellence — defence innovation organisation (iDEX-DIO), highlighting the participation of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) in the Indian defence sector, stated, "MSMEs constitute almost 90 per cent of the industry in India. There is credibility in the system now. This year we hope to place several more orders."

At the INDUS-X investors event, startups and MSMEs in the defence sector were showcased to potential investors. Indian MoD released a statement stating, "The interactive meet brought all the stakeholders viz start-ups/MSMEs, investors, incubators, industry from both sides under one roof to discuss the collaborative agendas and opportunities thereon."

The event featured focused panel discussions with a select audience of 50 thought leaders, including startups, investors, government officials, and business leaders from the defence industry.

Discussions also focused on setting up a joint innovation fund, with panel discussions on critical issues.

"The panel discussed on ‘Investment Opportunities in the Defence Sector’, elaborating upon establishing a sustainable commercial foundation for defence collaboration and co-production," the MoD stated.

Gurukul Initiative

A gurukul initiative was also launched to help startups to navigate the defence ecosystem of the US and India.

The Gurukul series will include sessions for startups/innovators by experts from both sides, including government officials, corporate leaders, industry forums, and incubators/accelerators.