IDEX IS FUNDED AND MANAGED BY A “DEFENCE INNOVATION ORGANIZATION (DIO)” FORMED AS A “NOT FOR PROFIT” COMPANY AS PER SECTION 8 OF THE COMPANIES ACT 2013 FOR THIS PURPOSE.
- A special effort was required to reach out and engage the smaller enterprises, startups and innovators, which have the competence, flexibility and adaptability to supply the Indian military with innovative and ingenious technological solutions.Â
- In order to operationalize and institutionalize this effort, the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework was formulated and approved by the Ministry of Defence.Â
- iDEX was formally launched during DefExpo 2018 by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. iDEXâDIO with the primary objective of self-reliance and indigenization in Defence & aerospace sector of the country bolsters the âAtmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyanâ of the Government.Â
- Moreover, iDEX-DIO is relevant to further the objectives laid out for this Department under the âAtmanirbhar Bharatâ package, mainly self-reliance in Defence Production and reduction in Defence Import Bill.Â
- iDEX aims at creation of an ecosystem to foster innovation and technology development in Defence and Aerospace by engaging Industries including MSMEs, start-ups, individual innovators, R&D institutes & academia.
The Scheme
- A scheme of the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, to be implemented through DIO, with budgetary support of INR 498.8 Crore for the 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 to provide financial support to nearly 300 startups/ MSMEs/ individual innovators and about 20 partner incubators under the DIO framework in consultation with other stakeholders including DST.Â
Objectives
- Facilitate rapid development of new, indigenized, and innovative technologies for the Indian defence and aerospace sector, to meet the needs of these sectors in shorter timelinesÂ
- Create a culture of engagement with innovative startups, to encourage co-creation for defence and aerospace
- Empower a culture of technology co-creation and co-innovation within the defence and aerospace sectors.
Boost innovation among the start-ups and encourage them to be a part of the Indian Defence and Aerospace Ecosystem.
