Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday here exhorted the private sector to move ahead from imitative to innovative technology to cater to futuristic needs of the Armed Forces.
He made this appeal while launching 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) during DefConnect 4.0.
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 Innovations for Defence Excellence (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 1.50 crore. 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/ solutions in the area of national defence and security.
In his address, the defence minister commended DefConnect for playing a crucial role in developing the culture of innovation in the country. He stated that the platform is bringing a new energy to the defence industrial ecosystem, and making the nation’s talent a partner in strengthening the security apparatus.
Rajnath 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, he said.
He pointed out that as soon as the Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in 2014, it identified ‘lack of private sector participation in the defence sector’ as a major hurdle in attaining self-reliance, and strived to increase their contribution in nation building.
On the new technologies being incorporated in wars and conflicts, the defence minister said apart from conventional arms and ammunition, many dual use or purely civilian tech is being weaponised. He called for an in-depth understanding of these technologies, exhorting the innovators to make imaginative use of the advancements for the defence of the nation.
Stressing on the need to move forward from imitative to innovative and distinctive technologies, Rajnath called upon the private sector to think beyond the solutions to challenges being provided through ADITI & DISC.
He urged them to bring forth the technology which is far ahead of the requirements of the Armed Forces and would be beneficial to deal with future threats.
