The Ministry of Defence announced a significant development on Thursday as the India-United States Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS X) was launched in Washington.
The initiative aims to bolster start-ups in defence production and drive advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).
Co-organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence (DoD), the INDUS X event was hosted by the US-India Business Council (USIBC).
Leading the Indian delegation during the two-day INDUS-X event held on June 20-21 was Anurag Bajpai, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Promotion) from the defence ministry. A reception was organised on Tuesday for Indian and US government representatives, defence start-ups, think tanks, incubators, investors, industries, and other stakeholders.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti delivered the keynote address at the reception.
Highlighting the exponential growth of the India-US relationship, US Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall emphasised the immense potential for collaboration between start-ups from both nations in deep-tech innovations, particularly in the domains of space and artificial intelligence (AI).
In his welcome remarks on “Investing in the Future of US-Indian Defence Relations,” Bajpai hailed the launch of INDUS X as a landmark event in the India-US relationship.
He viewed this moment as opportune, with the leaders of the two largest and oldest democracies meeting in Washington.
Bajpai emphasised the importance of Indian and US start-ups collaborating on co-developing and co-producing advanced technologies. He called upon participants to develop mechanisms for future collaboration spanning industries, academia, and investors.
The event showcased innovative technologies through a joint effort by Indian and US start-ups, covering various domains such as maritime, AI, autonomous systems, and space.
Fifteen Indian start-ups and ten US start-ups participated, demonstrating their technologies to stakeholders from both countries.
Prominent US officials, including Congressman Ro Khanna, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee and as ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems (CITI), as well as co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, along with Radha Iyengar Plumb, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment at the US DoD, visited the exhibition. The event also featured the release of an INDUS-X factsheet. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, INDUS-X has the potential to act as a catalyst for India in achieving its target of USD 5 billion in defence exports by 2025 while diversifying its defence supply chain.
INDUS-X aims to pave the way for the goals outlined in the US-India roadmap for defence industrial cooperation. It seeks to capitalise on the expected tech-releasability outcomes of the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), explore collaborative opportunities in high-tech defence innovation, research and development, and strengthen bilateral trade relationships and defence establishment linkages.