United States Department of Defense (DoD) and the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) participated in the second India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit in New Delhi, India.The summit was jointly organized by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), MoD, and the DoD, and coordinated by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) and Society of India Defense Manufacturers (SIDM).
Key Highlights of the Second INDUS-X Summit
Focus on Indo-Pacific Security
- The summit emphasised the critical role India and the US play as key partners in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
- Discussions centred on co-producing advanced military capabilities, strengthening defence supply chains, and enhancing interoperability to address shared security challenges.
Promoting Innovation and Collaboration
- Emphasis was placed on fostering innovation in defence technologies through collaborative efforts between Indian and American industries.
- The summit provided a platform for startups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the defence sector to engage with established players, facilitating knowledge exchange and partnerships.
Defence Partnership Between India and the United States
- The summit highlighted the strong defence partnership between India and the US, citing initiatives like Initiatives on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) aimed at fostering innovation across key sectors, including defence.
Emphasis on Technological Innovation
- The Summit emphasised the crucial role of technological innovation in defence within the broader context of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership, fostering collective progress for defence industries across borders.
Joint IMPACT Challenges
- The Summit highlighted the introduction of Joint IMPACT Challenges, aiming to advance defence and aerospace co-development and co-production collaboratively, involving startups in pioneering solutions.
Innovations for Defence Excellence
- Launched in 2018, iDEX is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Defence. It is funded and managed by the Defence Innovation Organization (DIO), established as a ‘not-for-profit’ company under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013.
- iDEX, aims to foster innovation and technology development in the Defence and Aerospace sector.
- It provides grants, funding, and other support to carry out research and development projects with potential for future adoption in Indian defence and aerospace needs.
- It is currently engaged with around 400+ Startups and MSMEs. Recognized as a game-changer in the defence ecosystem, iDEX has received the PM Award for Innovation in the defence sector.
US-India Business Council
- It aims to foster bilateral trade between India and the US, bridging industry and government for long-term commercial partnerships, job creation, and global economic growth.
Society of India Defense Manufacturers
- SIDM is India’s leading Defence Industry association, advocating policy reforms and facilitating collaboration with the government and Armed Forces.